All was silent as I slowly made my way through the forest. It was Owls I was looking for and I hadn’t seen any sign of them yet that day. The rain had stopped, but here and there I still heard the faint pitter-patter as a lingering water droplet fell from a tree branch onto the saturated ground. The forest was dark and silent, but I would still look for Owls as long as there was enough light to do so.

As I made my way through the trees, I had a sudden impression that I needed to make sure my camera was on and the correct settings in place for a good exposure in the dark forest. Doing so, I continued through the maze of trees constantly on the lookout for any movement or sound that might expose some hidden creature.

When you spend enough time out in nature, your senses begin to grow and you develop an increased awareness of all the life around you, or maybe you begin to revert back to a more primeval human form. In any case, you can begin to feel when you’re being observed by some hidden watcher. This feeling is what caused me to suddenly pause and look around my surroundings, and that’s when I saw it! There, hidden in the branches of a pine tree, an American Marten curiously looking me over, wondering what I was doing in his forest home. Slowly raising my camera, settings all ready to go, I began to take picture after picture as this inquisitive member of the Weasel family scurried from branch to branch, trying to get a better view of this strange, two-legged thing. Smile plastered on my face, I enjoyed every second with my new forest friend.