Walking around Regent’s Park in London in 2013, I rounded a path, crossed a bridge and nearly dropped by binos when I saw a Smew floating on a pond. A Smew. In central London. Smew – Native to Northern Taiga of Europe and Asia The Smew is a distinctive, gorgeous white and black waterfowl with… Continue reading The Royal Waterfowl Collection of Regent’s Park

Sauvie Island, just north of Portland on HWY 30, encircled by the Columbia River and the Multnomah Channel, is the largest island in the Columbia River. It used to be called Wapato Island, because, apparently wapato grew there in abundance. Now it’s covered in farms and the state-owned Sauvie Island Wildlife Refuge (12,000 acres). The… Continue reading Magical Sparrowland

So, I got a new point and shoot superzoom camera: a Canon PowerShot SX50 HS. Yes, the zoom is super. No, I still cannot take professional shots. Yes, the IS (image stabilizer) sucks the battery. Yes, it’s great fun. I’ve named him Rupert. With the mindset of a friendly, getting-to-know-you outing with Rupert, I went… Continue reading Meet Rupert