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orcas at sunset.

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Yeah, that was worth the wait.

surprise orca visit 🐳

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surprise orca visit 🐳

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all natural, baby. for better or worse, i am not one of these gods among men who normally carries that sort of gear around - not even a fill flash.

but it was a bright, lightly overcast morning and i kept the sun (such that it was) behind me. you can maybe get a better sense of the conditions from this unedited image. bright! overcast! the pacific northwest special.

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american robin

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millersylvania state park

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in the apple grove.

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So, Mama Raccoon does this thing every summer where she leaves her kits 'with us' and then goes off to nap up a tree. The kits will play in the bird bath, or climb their own tree, or play with the river rocks like they're pool toys, and just generally hang out at a modest distance while we mind our own business until Mama picks them back up.

But first, she introduces them to us.

Here, she's looking around for the yearling raccoon who won't quite leave home. They get along all right, all things considered, but Mama clearly doesn't want her around the new babies, who were off hiding in some bushes while she scoped things out.

She clocked us up on the deck, of course, then went back and rounded up the kits and lead them one by one into the pool, which has 'doorways' cut into it for their little baby legs.

They played in the pool for maybe five minutes, then Mama lead them back down the ravine for, I assume, their nightly rounds. 🥰

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ps: here's a raw context shot from a wider lens, if interested!

Fledging's just left of center, waiting for papa warbler to return with food. (He was popping in and out of the fern every couple of minutes.)

wilson's warbler fledgling + papa

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i love your blog soo much (': all the silly critters!!!

thank you so much!! although I'm not sure what you mean because our critters are at all times serious & dignified.

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wilson's warbler fledgling + papa

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THE KITS ARE HERE 🎉

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lunch time for hairy woodpeckers