Whisper of a Tern

I’ve said before that a photograph doesn’t need to be perfect to be worth enjoying. This soft image of a royal tern (Thalasseus maximus) is a good example. The bird is turning toward me mid‑flight, almost as if it knows I’m trying to catch the moment.

I took the shot while drifting down the Savannah River on a riverboat, with several terns following along behind us. There was something gentle about the way this one broke formation and angled toward me, wings open, light softening everything around it. Imperfect, yes—but full of life.

Step into a world where even the smallest moments—like the glint in a bird's eye—tell their own story.

https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com

#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #shorebird #tern #royaltern

Flight Past the Shark Shack

We were in Galveston, Texas a while back, and I found myself standing on a corner watching gulls swoop and glide through the sky. Naturally, I had my camera ready. I caught this laughing gull (Leucophaeus atricilla) soaring down the street, just about to cross through the intersection. As it passed overhead, it happened to fly right by a restaurant called The Shark Shack.

Step into a world where even the smallest moments—like the glint in a bird's eye—tell their own story.

https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com

#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #shorebird #gull #LaughingGull

Good morning. 🌊🐚🪸

18 January 2026

I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but I really do need to straighten up my office. It’s out of control again. Computers and stray parts are scattered across my old desk, mixed in with cameras and whatever else has migrated there. Papers of every imaginable origin are waiting for some kind of decision, and a new stack of books has begun forming on the floor beside the bookcase—right where the last one used to be.

I don’t think it’s pure laziness, though that plays its part. It’s more that clutter just doesn’t bother me the way it once did. There was a time when the sight of a messy room would make me cringe and immediately start straightening. Now I look at it and think… eh. The good thing about this new attitude is that there’s always tomorrow, and whatever needs straightening will still be there. The bad thing is that whatever needs straightening will still be there—probably with one new thing added to the pile.

In my defense, I stay pretty busy. Even now, while I’m typing this, I’m contemplating a well‑deserved nap. Charlie usually gives me an hour or so to handle that task; truthfully, I suspect he naps too. And then there’s the TV—if I’m foolish enough to turn it on, I find myself trapped in the recliner, nearly prone and unable to move. That chair is eerily magical, a universe unto itself, with the rest of creation swirling around it. It takes almost cosmic strength to break the spell and pull myself free. The urge to use the bathroom works too.

“Clutter is nothing more than postponed decisions.” — Barbara Hemphill

“You can do anything, but not everything.” — David Allen

“Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.” — Roger Caras

#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #morning #shorebird #BlackSkimmer #clutter

Hilltop Plover

I saw this killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) perched on a hilltop overlooking a lake in Texas.

Step into a world where even the smallest moments—like the glint in a bird's eye—tell their own story.

https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com

#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #shorebird #plover #killdeer

Dune-Top Drama

This little sanderling (Calidris alba) was darting along the crest of a low sand dune at Holly Beach, Louisiana—quick-footed and wind-kissed, tracing the edge between land and sea.

Step into a world where even the smallest moments—like the glint in a bird's eye—tell their own story.

https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com

#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #shorebird #sandpiper #sanderling