Tule elk with a vine on its antlers, Point Reyes National Seashore

A bull tule elk is lucky to have only vegetation wrapped around its antlers in Point Reyes National Seashore

This photo of a bull tule elk in Point Reyes National Seashore is back from a foggy morning in 2011. If you look carefully, you can see a long vine wrapped around the base of his antlers. This is rather common during the rutting season as bulls aggressively brush their antlers on the ground to pick up grasses to carry on their antlers. For some elk though, this can be quite dangerous if they get tangled in broken lines of barbed wire fencing lying on the ground.

This is a long introduction to refer you to a great write-up done by fellow Point Reyes photographer Jim Coda about the potentially (un)wildlife-friendly fencing practices in Point Reyes National Seashore.

Pronghorn portrait, Yellowstone National Park

A pronghorn chewing on its early morning breakfast in Yellowstone National Park

I've recently found myself reminiscing about the trip my wife and I took to Yellowstone National Park back in 2011. With the craziness of visiting the park while in the process of moving across the country, I never fully sorted and processed all of my photographs. While flipping through my archives recently I came across this portrait that was flagged as a pick but otherwise ignored. This pronghorn was a member of the herd that we saw almost every morning feeding near the Roosevelt Arch.

View more of my photographs of pronghorn in Yellowstone National Park.

Sparrow singing in the marsh, Point Reyes National Seashore

A song sparrow belts out its tune from the freshwater marsh along the Kehoe Beach Trail

I have written previously about spending a fair amount of time looking for song birds to photograph in the wildflowers along the trail to Kehoe Beach in Point Reyes National Seashore, but one of my favorite images from the trip came from turning to the opposite side of the trail. It may not have the flashy colors of wildflowers, but I'm a sucker for marsh vegetation!

Browse more of my photographs of song birds.

Submitted to Wild Bird Wednesday -- follow the link to check out this week's posts!

Sanderling checking the wrack, Plymouth Beach

A sanderling checks the wrack for a snack along Plymouth Beach, Massachusetts.

In late April, I took an evening trip to Plymouth Beach to look for shorebirds to photograph. On the west coast, I had seen sandpipers already in their summer plumage by this time of year, so I was hopeful that I could find the same here in Massachusetts. Unfortunately, the birds were only just starting to show some color, but I was treated to some very nice light as the setting sun cut through a break in the overcast clouds. The tide was rapidly rising at the same time, and this sanderling (Calidris alba) was frantically checking the wrack for something edible before the beach was covered again.

Browse more of my photos of sanderlings.

Sanderlings in a sandstorm, Plymouth Beach

A pair of sanderlings brace against blowing sand in a stiff wind on Plymouth Beach

It took me far too long to "discover" the shorebird haven that is Plymouth Beach. I had seen promising reports on eBird since moving to the area, but during my first two years in Massachusetts, I primarily went north to Plum Island when I was looking for shorebirds to photograph. Last March though, I finally made the drive south to Plymouth, and it very quickly became a favorite location. In the offseason (from October through March) the beach is even dog-friendly, and my wife and pup joined me for this trip. It was a bit unfortunate that the wind was whipping around the whole time, as my poor terrier got more than a little sand-blasted during the 6-mile plus round trip. Like these sanderlings though, he seemed no worse for the wear, as he hunkered down and leaned into the wind and blowing sand.

View more of my photos of sanderlings.