one day last november a rare (a first for california) gray hawk was spotted in our town. it seemed to be taking up residence in a field nearby our own home. like a scene from a favorite movie, the big year (even if you don't have an interest in birding, it's a wonderful film!) birders from all over the state and country gathered in roads and fields here, with long lenses and spotting scopes, hoping to get a glimpse of the wayward raptor. we've seen it, but haven't gotten any photos yet. yesterday i decided to try my luck and went for a walk through the salt marsh and beach, with my camera to see what i could see...(no, it wasn't to be, no gray hawk sightings, but something equally exciting!)...
hee hee, see? a fox! i found the fox that lives in the marsh! he doesn't see me
seabirds, pelicans and egrets
hummingbirds and black phoebes
green-winged teals and more dabbling and diving ducks
a cooper's hawk, fantastic mr. fox and one heart stone was found.
it was a very good day.
*
and now the winners of the classic cable knit giveaway! random number generator chose:
~ william (susan)
~ alice
~ connie k.
~ karen tsutsumida
~ and eidolons
congratulations everyone! thank you christina! winners please email me lorix5@hotmail.com and i will forward your information to christina so you may receive your pattern.
A beautiful day indeed. I hope that your heart is full of the beauty you saw...
ReplyDeleteGreat photos! How exciting to have a gray hawk sighting in your area. The little fox is so cute, we had one living in the forest across the road, we all named it Baby and enjoyed seeing him/her roam around the roads.
ReplyDeleteamazing pictures of home, lori! thanks for sharing ~ Melissa
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pics!!!!
ReplyDeleteLove mr fox!!!
xxxx Ale
Best wishes to all the Cable winners, and many thanks Lori, for those wonderful pictures of the elusive fox in action. Bravo!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful walk. My sweet little A collects heart rocks too. I cannot say no when she shows me each one.
ReplyDeleteOh Lori! You were the lucky duck that day, and I hope they keep well clear of handsome Mr. Fox.
ReplyDeletexx
julie
i still have my heart stone from you! love this fox sighting. of course you, mama girl, lover of all animals, would be given this gift. i hope it filled your heart! xoxo
ReplyDeleteThe wildlife pictures are fantastic. What a treasure to capture the fox! One day, I followed some crows into the wood thinking they had found an owl (they get very noisy and bossy when there is an owl around). Instead, I almost stepped on a sleeping fox. He was curled up at the foot of the tree where the crows had landed. I was so shaken I barely snapped a picture as he got up and trolloped away. I showed the picture to my neighbor who explained that the VERY large fox had been a coyote. Imagine! I only got a crummy picture. But quite a story.
ReplyDeleteSuch beautiful photos Lori.I especially like the one of the duck up on her tail feathers in the water.
ReplyDeleteHi Lori! Your photos are so beautiful, delicious and enjoyable! You find amazing places but also you see the beautiful in every place! I love foxes! My sister in England saw two running in her garden yesterday! Hugs! x Teje
ReplyDeleteMy goodness, all that in one expedition! What an amazing place the salt marsh sounds.
ReplyDeleteYour pictures are beautiful, the fox looks like he's frowning in the second to last one!
So many wonderful photos Lori, I especially love the birds. We have quite a few birds on the property and I do enjoy watching them. I hope this Monday is a great one for you.
ReplyDeletethe beach in winter is my favorite!!! lovely photos! we had a fox den across the street for years and years, but once the 'development' started, i guess they smartly moved on. Freddy and I miss seeing them on our walks; since the development has never really taken off....we're hoping they come back!!!
ReplyDeleteYou really captured all the beauty seen on your walk Lori ♥ Love Mr.Fox ... now I want to watch "The Fox & The Child" ~ magical!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to all the lucky winners.
Bon jour!
ReplyDeleteI have come to a conclusion. There is nothing I adore more than your local marsh and beach shots. Oh my, so gorgeous. The orange rust reflection around that duck sends me in a Joyful tizzy.
Ps spellcheck just replaced 'duck' with a rhyming word I cannot say on your blog. But the incorrect-now corrected sentence gave me a chuckle :-)
Pss if I met a fox, should I run? You know what to do and I don 't
Love
Love
kj
We had a fox living in the woods near our house a few years ago. I never saw her, but our neighbor and B both did. I wonder if she's still out there. Hmm. Beautiful images, as always, Lori. (:
ReplyDelete(and thank you thank you thank you thank you!)
Fabulous photos, thanks for sharing them with us
ReplyDeleteI have seen the tail of a fox around here as he ran away but haven't seen one from head to toe. What an amazing opportunity! I love that you were able to snap some photos and share them here!!
ReplyDeleteSuch an exciting post Lori. Hope you will be able to capture the gray Hawk on camera. The other birds looks beautiful too. I believe they are similar to the birds we have in Holland.
ReplyDeleteHappy new week,
Madelief x
we are not birders but we LOVED that film. and the heart stone - swoon!
ReplyDeleteI don't know very much about birds, but I did enjoy the pictures of them very much. I am not sure the girls are quiet enough for a beneficial study of birds yet, but I do believe some day soon! The heart stone is practically perfect in every way.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post and amazing pictures, especially that one with the fox peeking over the grass. Your foxes are a lot fluffier than ours, although it's debatable whether they exist at all in Tasmania. Gorgeous light during your adventure! Those unexpected beautiful days are the best aren't they! Mel x
ReplyDeleteThe nature and wildlife in your area just blows my mind, Such a special, special place. I just posted about our camping trip up there over this past Thanksgiving, check it out:Paper Pie So great to here from you and to catch up with your blog. You are a knitting inspiration for me and your home and family life is breathtaking. Peace & Love, Liz
ReplyDeleteWhat a beauty. I love foxes, too.
ReplyDeleteDo you know the french movie "The fox and the child"?
Have a sweet day!
I come to visit this blog (too rarely) because the voice and images make me feel better.
ReplyDeleteLove
Lola
you take the most stunning photographs. holy moly! what a great adventure you had and what wonderful things you saw. i am super jelly!
ReplyDeletethe heart stone certainly sums up the day. what a grand adventure.
ReplyDeleteIt's been a long time since I spotted a fox. Thank you for sharing your beautiful photos. xo
ReplyDeleteThank you for the pattern! What a wonderful surprise after a not so great day at work.
ReplyDeleteI love wildlife watching and wish I was walking near the marsh with you to share this beautiful, sunny day. BTW, love the heart & home, XOXO
ReplyDeleteI would have been so excited to see that fox, but I hope you get photos of the gray hawk soon too!
ReplyDeleteWaouw, the littles fox is so beautifull.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all
Muriel from toulouse (france)
I love foxes and I LOVE your photos.
ReplyDeleteHow I *loved* this post! I am an avid birder. Very often when I go in search of a rare bird sighting the bird doesn't make an appearance. Even so, there is never a wasted trip. You saw so many delightful creatures--not the least of which was the beautiful fox! (It was you who introduced my family to the film, "The Fox and the Child", which is now one of our favorites!) And, you found a new heart stone <3
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing this beautiful story in words and pictures.
PS: The Big Year is one of my favorites, too : )
Wow... what beautiful photos. What a stunning fox!
ReplyDeleteIt is a small world isn't it... very 'northern exposurish' that we are both watching the series again at this time! My girls love it too.
Love the stone you found.x
Love your photos! What a treat to see the fox anytime but especially when it was unexpected. Beautiful heart rock, too!
ReplyDeleteYesterday a fox was trotting across our backyard, and Sophie (our big dog) saw it, and that fox flew into the woods. They can really move when they have to. Sophie stopped chasing him long before he reached the trees, but she looked very proud of herself, nonetheless. :) Saved us from the little fox! lol Love the photos, and the light in them. I need to go for a walk, too. xox
ReplyDeleteLori - your photos are like looking through a National Geographic. Beautiful! Love that HOME sign - did you make it? Thanks for stopping by my blog - so glad you did :)
ReplyDeleteOh, that definitely qualifies as a GOOD day!! Beautiful photos. Just found my way here after seeing your finished Leaves on Melissa's! IT is gorgeous! The fox... ah, a gift. blessings ~ tanna
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful walk! So much to see! And that heart rock was the icing on the cake! Best wishes for a wonderful weekend. Tammy
ReplyDeletebeautiful photos!
ReplyDeleteyou seem to live in a gorgeous area!
hope all is well!
i myself is slowly recpvering from a nasty flu that was probably a gift from my kiddies at work!
today though i am able to knit and chrochet...:)
take care
Lori, Sounds like a perfect day to me, I miss being outside! Thank you for sharing. xoxo
ReplyDeleteLovely pictures. It must be so great living there.....
ReplyDelete♥M