The coolest thing is to have 30+ Pinyon jays come in and land within 10 feet of you to drink water. Camouflage is the only way to photograph these nervous nellies. Now, coming full circle after a year of documenting these gregarious and very special birds.The waiting period is finally over, the piñon nuts have arrived. All images are from the Cibola National Forest in Catron County, New Mexico. Pinyon jays are an indicator of how fragile an ecosystem is throughout the Southwest. The Pinyon jay has a unique relationship to the pinyon forest and their survival depends on each other. This story is to support the listing of "The Guardians of the Pinyons." One image was apart of the Photoville 2023 exhibits in NYC this past Summer in part with ASMP/NANPA. It was one of the first images taken in the series. Please contact me if you are interested in the story.

For fifteen years, documenting and managing ten acres of land for native plants and wildlife in Florida. My goal was a sustainable habitat for a number of different species.