So I finished processing the crow skull I found, and I thought I’d share some pictures of it. I originally found the skull in an apartment complex about 1 1/2 months ago, and I soaked the skull for a week in hydrogen peroxide to bleach and sanitize it. The end result looks great; the skull is a lot cleaner looking. You can even see some remnants of blood vessels coming out of the ear canal on the second picture (At first I thought it was moss that had grown on the skull so I pulled some of it off, but later realized they were blood vessels after I saw they had faded in color after soaking in the hydrogen peroxide).

 

So as you’ve probably noticed, I haven’t been very active on this blog due to being quite busy over the holiday season but I will try and update more often! I’ve also started going back to school again for digital design so I might be posting some of my projects in the future! For one of my classes I had to create an imaginary client to make designs for, so naturally I created a business called “Rainier Birding Supply” with the slogan “Bringing You Closer to Birds, on the Mountain or in Your Backyard.” So far I’ve made a typographic poster, an infographic, a video slideshow in Premiere Pro, and an animated logo in Flash for this imaginary client.

In other news, a few weeks ago I found a bird skull outside in an apartment complex. I think it is an American Crow skull because the apartment complex I found it in has a lot of crows that hang around the dumpsters (and the skull was sitting next to the dumpster). I also noticed that the skull is quite thin and fragile, I’m not sure if that is normal or if it is a result of decomposition, or some other reason.

I’m in the process of preserving it. I found a really neat blog called “Jake’s Bones” that has a handy chart explaining how to preserve skulls based on what state of decay it is in. When I found the skull it was picked clean but I stored it in the freezer until I was able to preserve it. I’m using hydrogen peroxide to sanitize and bleach it.

 

Well, until next time! Thanks for reading!

Long time no see… sorry it’s been so long! Glad I’m back though. I’m finally uploading some more pictures onto my Flickr gallery (taken anytime between February and now in various locations – Tolmie State Park, Mima Mounds, etc.). Some pictures are edited, most are not. The edited photos are reference photos for action poses. I’ll get around to changing the titles and descriptions of the pictures later. I’ve also been uploading old sketches onto my DeviantArt gallery. You can find the links to both websites on the header above.

– Megan

On February 12 I decided to check out Tolmie State Park off exit 111 – if you keep driving straight past Cabela’s you’ll eventually reach it. I had been wondering what the park was like, but wasn’t able to visit because I did not own a Discover Pass until now. I spent most of my time at the beach since the tide was so low, and then walked along the 4 Cedars trail for a little while. Several families were there with their young children digging for crabs and such (they released them later).

I did a small landscape sketch and tromped around the tide. I overheard the children exclaiming that there were sand dollars everywhere, so after they left I decided to investigate. There were hundreds and hundreds of live sand dollars buried right underneath the sand. I was walking all over them without realizing what they were! I’ve only seen dead exoskeletons until now, so it was surprising to me that the sand dollars were covered in a velvety fur-like substance, almost like the surface of a tongue.

Then I left the beach and walked partway along the 4 Cedars trail. I didn’t know how long of a hike it would be so I turned around after a little while. I will return later to hike it fully.

I wasn’t sure how safe it would be carrying around my expensive Canon so opted to use my point-and-shoot Fuji XP this time to take pictures. Check them out here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/125884680@N07/

Hey – I added some new photos to my Flickr account! I would have uploaded these sooner, but I’ve been just getting over a Bronchitis infection that I’ve had since Halloween.

I walked around Nisqually Wildlife Refuge on October 29th, and observed a lot of different birds all interacting with each other. First I walked around the estuary bordering the edge of the riparian forest- it was filled with a moderate amount of water, enough for migrating ducks to feed and birds of prey to try and snatch them up! Every time a bird of prey would soar overhead, the ducks took off in large flocks, all cackling in protest.

I then walked up to the boardwalk and saw a Northern Shrike zooming from one bush to the next. I kept being bombarded by a giant cloud of tiny insects out on the walkway (they didn’t seem to be mosquitoes, so I’m not sure what they were).

Then I turned around and headed back toward the forest path and found some songbirds and a Pacific Tree Frog hiding in the bushes.

Here’s a link to look at them: https://www.flickr.com/photos/125884680@N07/sets/72157646201373832/

Until next time!

– Megan

Exactly a month ago today I visited Mt. Rainier with my boyfriend – about a 2 hour drive up through backcountry roads. When we arrived Paradise was shrouded in fog, and I was worried that we wouldn’t be able to glimpse the mountain. As we began our trek up the Glacier vista trail from Paradise, we ascended above the cloud line and the scenery was spectacular. I studied the mountain extensively in college, and it had been about 3 1/2 years since the last time I’d visited. Seeing the mountain up close again was like meeting up with an old friend.

Of course, I brought my camera with me and snapped some photos of the trip and I just uploaded them into my “Nature Excursions” album on Flickr. You can click this link to take a peek: 9/27/14 Mt. Rainier photos.

I took some photos during some recent outings during the past few weeks to the Evergreen State College forest/beach, Tumwater Falls, and at the roads around Mima Mounds/Capital Forest. You can view them here.

– Megan

I finally uploaded some of the pictures I took during my final field trip with my photo class I took at TCC this summer. I took many more pictures than this, but I chose a select few to show here. You can take a look here: Photo Field Trip 8/9/14

– Megan

Last week I took some photos while walking around campus at The Evergreen State College. I’ve uploaded them onto my existing “Nature Excursions” album on Flickr: Click here to check them out!

This Saturday I went on my field trip for photo class to downtown Tacoma and I will upload those pictures in the near future.

– Megan