Join me as I share wildlife from around the world and explore New Hampshire’s mountains and lakes daily through my photographs and stories. See sample below.
To subscribe, click this icon or find me on Substack.
There's a reason we woke at 4 am, got on the tenders, and left the Katharina behind in the dark amongst the few last stars.
A reason we gathered on a small dock and turned on headlamps to see the trail ahead. Climbed past dewy vines, sweat, slipped, offered hands up over steep rocky slopes, sweat, climbed, grabbed trees to stop our slip-slide on the snot-slick clay, greasy-slick from recent rain, clay packed by expectant feet, finally turned off headlamps – light enough, but still before sunrise – trudged, slip (did I mention the sweating).
We did all this because there was a chance – not a guaranteed chance, but a chance – we'd see...
this.
The Red Bird of Paradise.
And from those moments, and ever after, my life has never been the same.
Red Bird of Paradise, male, dancing to attract female.
Gam Island, Raja Ampat, Indonesia October, 2017