"...Sometimes difficult to spot, even in open terrain, this rufous wren, white throat and breast agleam, may continue to elude us as it creeps about the jumbled rocks. Now and then a bird will sally forth to seize a flying insect. Or, better yet, a territorial male will alight atop a tall boulder to defend his domain with song.

Throwing back his head, he pours out a clear, rippling vocal cascade that descends through a series of liquid notes te-you te-you te-you tew tew tew tew — a silvery glissando — once heard, never forgotten. Reverberating canyon walls instantly play back his wild and lovely song.

Crevice-nesting canyon wrens construct an open cup nest of wool, hair and feathers on a base of twigs and moss. In some places birds have adopted unoccupied stone buildings, nesting regally within."
tpwmagazine.com

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Santa Barbara, CA

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With his camouflage, spotted pattern, and a body and muscular evolved for ambush, if you happen to be prey, most often you don't even know who has been watching you before it's all too late.

This Leopard we only spotted thanks to a few other vehicles before us having seen him climb up the tree and resting down for the day. Even though, it took a bit of pointing out and searching with Binos, before we could make him out between all the branches and leaves.

We were fortunate, in that he kept moving around a little to find a more comfortable spot, so I managed a small series of good spots - it was a tough decision of which of these I'd like to display on Flickr and in the end decided on 2 :)

Seeing Leopards is always special. Never taken for granted, and always in the full knowledge of the presence of a Predator that would have no qualms in shelving us in their prey repertoire, given the chance. I don't think I have any such rush of emotions when watching a Lion Pride, or a Cheetah family... purely irrational, and purely emotional and I cannot explain it, but there it is.

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