NanLeah

@poetryofnature.bsky.social

1114 Followers 184 Following

Pacific Northwest Nature poet, photographer, backyard naturalist & cat lover sharing mindful, poetic moments of beauty along Washington’s Olympic Peninsula & "Catscadia". All photos & vids © NanLeah. #PoetryofNature #AidenandDrew #CowCat #senryu #Haiku

A female chipmunk sits upright on a pebbly forest floor, as though in quiet meditation. Its tiny forepaws in a gentle Brahma mudra beneath its chin. Brown fur, bold facial stripes, and bright black eyes stand out against a softly blurred background of grasses, pebbles, and woodland greens.
A moss-covered wooden water wheel turns steadily beside a rustic building in Union, Washington. Ferns grow between the wheel and the building, while lush green trees surround the scene. Water pours into each mossy bucket, and the video ends with the sound water.
Mathilde, a Steller's jay with a gloriously windswept crest, perches on a sunlit branch. Her blue plumage glows in the sunlight against a softly blurred sky and woodland background.
A black-and-white cow cat named Drew peeks out from the bookshelves, only partially visible as he curiously watches the viewer.
A gray squirrel named Sasquatch returns after an absence and calmly approaches for a peanut before sitting near the edge of the deck to eat. The camera pans to Mathilde, a Steller's jay perched on a deck post. A peanut is tossed onto the deck, and Mathilde hops down to collect it before returning to the railing and then flying off to stash it. As the camera lowers, a young doe named D-Light walks into the frame from a neighboring yard, followed by her son, now about two and a half months old. The video ends with D-Light standing quietly beside the catio fencing, looking toward the viewer. The soundtrack is the theme from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.
Mama deer approaches a person sitting quietly on deck steps and gently takes an apple offered to her. One of her two fawns joins her and helps finish the apple before the twins wander nearby and continue foraging. The video ends with the curious doe reaching toward the camera and touching it with her nose, offering an unusually close glimpse of a wild mother deer and her twins.
A wild Columbia Blacktail doe rests at the edge of a forest thicket on a hot summer day. The narrator is about ten feet away, yet the doe remains calm, breathing heavily in the heat. The narrator asks viewers what the new moon of late summer is telling them about conditions in their neck of the woods.
A floofy black-and-white cowcat named Drew lies sprawled across a green duvet with both front paws stretched overhead beneath the duvet’s edge. Warm light highlights his long white belly fur while his black ears, mask, and bushy tail frame his relaxed pose. His closed eyes and extended stretch give him an expression of complete comfort and contentment.
A wild doe named D-Light approaches and stands a few feet in front of the camera. She accepts an apple and eats peacefully The filmer is seated on a piece of driftwood, and the two share a calm, unhurried moment in a quiet Pacific Northwest woodland.
A doe known as D-Light approaches a woman on wooden deck stairs and hungrily takes an apple from her casted hand. The interaction is slow, calm, and unhurried.
A Steller's jay named Mathilde perches on a hemlock branch in soft forest light. Her charcoal-gray body contrasts with vivid cobalt-blue wings, and her windswept crest gives her a delightfully unruly look. She turns one bright eye toward the world, an unmistakable side-eye expression, while the background melts into a wash of luminous green forest bokeh.
A floofy black-and-white cowcat lounges on a green duvet with one front paw neatly crossed over the other. His half-closed green eyes and relaxed expression suggest complete confidence as he looks toward the camera. Distinctive black markings frame his eyes, nose and chin.
A mourning dove rests on the forest floor with one eye peacefully closed while sunbathing. One wing is stretched open and its tail is fanned across the ground, creating an elegant, contorted pose among grasses, twigs, and warm afternoon light.
A doe leaves the thicket and approaches a seated person holding an apple. After she takes it, her two fawns follow and the three deer gather around the fruit in a quiet moment of trust.
A video shows a Columbia Blacktail doe lying in the the duff beside a huckleberry thicket with her two fawns resting quietly close by. The family remains calm as they relax in the summer afternoon. Gentle mandolin music accompanies the peaceful woodland scene.
A mother doe lies curled at the edge of a huckleberry thicket, her eyes half closed as she rests. Her speckled fawn is curled next to her with ears forward, quietly watching the surroundings. After several seconds, the fawn visibly relaxes and stretches one hind leg. Gentle, softened instrumental music accompanies the peaceful scene.
A wild Columbia Blacktail doe folds her legs and rests on brown duff in the shade, directly in front of a dense green thicket. Her body heaves noticeably with each breath as she cools herself during a hot Pacific Northwest afternoon. She remains alert but relaxed, looking toward me from a short distance away. The contrast between the cool brown earth beneath her and the lush green foliage behind her emphasizes the refuge of shade on a scorching summer day.
A close-up video of a Pacific Northwest tree frog peeking through a narrow gap between weathered wooden deck boards. The frog is mottled green and brown, with only its head and front toes visible. Its golden eye watches quietly while its pale throat gently pulses.
A cowcat named Drew rests on an open blank page in a notebook, peering at the camera with large green eyes and long white whiskers. One paw stretches upward as if supervising the writing process.
A male wood drake floats peacefully on green, reflective water. His iridescent emerald head, ruby-red eye, and bold plum and white markings stand out against soft ripples that circle him. The reflections and gentle ripples in the water create a calm, contemplative scene.
Steller’s Jay perched on a weathered log, its crest raised and body angled slightly forward as it watches the space ahead. Deep black head and shoulders transition into vivid blue wings and tail, glowing softly against a blurred green forest background. The bird is still, alert, and composed, holding a rare moment of quiet reflection in an otherwise lively corvid presence.
Northern Red Shafted Flicker perched on the angled cut of a white pine, a natural ledge shared by birds and squirrels. Overcast sky softens the background into gray light. Scarlet cheek patches stand out against speckled plumage, with warm red-orange tones along the wing and tail shafts. Tongue briefly visible mid-motion.
Baby chestnut-backed chickadee perched in a Douglas fir tree, mouth wide open in a begging posture for food. Only the head, open beak, and partial shoulders of its wings are visible. The background is softly blurred green foliage, emphasizing the fledgling in sharp focus.
A male blackhead grosbeak perched on a mossy branch.
A dragonfly is perched on a curved rhododendron branch. The view is from behind, showing a gray abdomen leading into outstretched wings. Its right forewing is torn and ragged. Light glints on the remaining wing surfaces and on one dark, glossy eye. The background is softly blurred natural greenery. There is a poem overlaid in text on the left margin titled “Amethyst,” reflecting on healing through torn places and the persistence of repair within the body and land. Amethyst Purple pulses through my thumb. A reminder: make a fist, keep the healing moving through torn places. A tendon now twines into my right thumb joint. Pieces never meant to work together. Learning this new wing. On the first day of summer I photographed a dragonfly. One quarter of its wings was gone. Yet it rose from the rhododendron, nimbled the sunlight, landed precisely where it intended. I have not stopped thinking about it. How a creature learns the shape of  air with less wing than before. How beauty survives the torn places.
Western Scrub-Jay actively preening in a dense thicket. Its body appears rounded due to lifted plumage during grooming. Blue wing and tail feathers intermittently visible among gray-brown body feathers and foliage.
Two cats, Aiden and Drew, curled together on a bright duvet in a yin-yang-like shape.
Three soft grey mourning doves gather in a rustic stone birdbath. Two doves rest calmly while a third, perched on the rim, extends one pale grey wing like a fan, creating the impression it is showing off for its companions. The background is a blur of green foliage.
A doe lies on the forest floor in dappled shade with her two spotted fawns beside her. One fawn rests in the foreground looking back at its sibling, while the other fawn stands between them like it’s listening to their conversation. Green understory plants surround the little family.
Close portrait of a raccoon nestled in the crook of a mossy oak. The animal gazes toward the camera with a gentle head tilt, its dark eyes framed by the familiar black mask. Long white whiskers catch the light against a soft wash of green leaves in the background, giving the image a playful and inquisitive feel.
A dragonfly perched on a curved rhododendron branch. The view is from behind, showing a gray abdomen leading into outstretched wings. Its right forewing is torn and ragged. Light glints on the remaining wing surfaces and on one dark, glossy eye. The background is softly blurred grey framed with natural greenery.
Two western tiger swallowtail butterflies captured in midair above an herb garden. One hovers near the top of the frame with its yellow-and-black striped wings spread wide, while the second butterfly rises from below near a rustic wire garden fence. Their graceful positions suggest they are dancing or courting. A soft, sunlit background of vivid green foliage dissolves into creamy circles of light, making the butterflies appear to float in the summer air.
Aiden, a fluffy gray tabby cat with a cream-colored ruff and pale green eyes, sits beside a sunlit window in profile. Warm natural light highlights his soft striped fur, long white whiskers, and alert ears as he gazes intently outside. The background falls into gentle shadow, giving the portrait a calm, contemplative feeling.
A young spotted fawn zooms across a green meadow on a cloudy summer day. It’s energetic and playful, stretching through leaps and sudden turns. The grass is lush and soft under an overcast sky, and the fawn’s body flashes between stillness and motion as it explores the space with joyful abandon.
A close-up video of a young fawn sleeping stretched out in tall green grass and daisies. Its white spots glow softly in dappled sunlight. The fawn's eyes remain mostly closed as it rests, one ear twitches gently from time to time, suggesting it is listening even while asleep. The meadow is still and peaceful.
A very young spotted fawn sleeps peacefully on its side in a patch of long green grass. White oxeye daisies rise all around it, and dappled sunlight falls across its cinnamon-colored coat spangled in bright white spots. The fawn's eyes are closed, its head rests gently on the ground, and one large ear is folded back as it dreams. The surrounding meadow feels quiet, sheltered, and serene.
A Columbia blacktail doe reclines peacefully on her side in a patch of dappled sunlight. All four legs are stretched out in front of her as she rests next to a dense huckleberry thicket. Her expression is calm and relaxed, conveying a sense of safety and trust in this quiet garden space.
A young Spotted Towhee rests next to a sunlit thicket, its fluffy fledgling feathers soaking in the light. With its head slightly tilted and one newly feathered wing opened to the warmth, the fledgling bird seems suspended between the safety of childhood and the pull of the wider world. It is a tender portrait of wildness learning to trust its wings.
Video begins with the text "Foxglove." Pink foxglove flowers are shown from a distance before the camera slowly moves closer and closer, revealing the delicate, bell-shaped blossoms and their speckled yawns. The perspective then gently pulls back to show the flower spikes bathed in sunlight, ending with the sun poised on the tip of one spire. A dreamy soundtrack adds a sense of wonder and movement to the sequence.
A delightful video of a young fawn scampering energetically around its mother in a grassy yard. The fawn bounds and changes direction with the leggy enthusiasm of a very young deer. After the brief burst of play, the doe gently grooms her fawn. The scene captures both the exuberance of youth and the quiet care between mother and offspring.
Close-up portrait of a young fawn standing among lush green foliage. The fawn's reddish-brown coat is dappled with bright white spots, and its large ears are alert and forward. One dark grey eye catches the light as it gazes slightly to the side. The soft, blurred background of leaves and tree trunks emphasizes the fawn's delicate features and quiet presence.
Morning sunlight illuminates a young fawn lying in tall grass near a stack of Douglas fir branches. The fawn nibbles grass while resting. The camera pulls back to reveal the mother doe, Grace, and the second twin behind the branch pile, then returns to the fawn in the golden morning light. Soft hang drum music accompanies the scene."
A Steller's jay perches on a sunlit branch, its black crest raised and vivid blue wings glowing against a soft green background. The bird faces left as if surveying new possibilities beyond the frame, embodying the theme of branching out.
A black and white cowcat named Drew rests peacefully on a multicolored duvet. His eyes are closed and his front paws are stretched out in front of him, crossed neatly at the ankles. The relaxed pose and colorful bedding create a sense of comfort, elegance, and quiet afternoon contentment.
A Douglas fir squirrel stands alert on a mossy tree branch in dappled sunlight. Its bright eyes face the camera while its reddish-orange chest and paws glow against the dark, textured bark of a large tree. Lichen and moss frame the scene, giving the image a woodland feel.
A video of a doe resting in deep shade at the back of a yard while her twin fawns approach from across the grass. They walk directly to their mother and nuzzle her affectionately. One fawn suddenly bounds over the doe's body. The other nuzzles it’s mother. The family remains together in a quiet moment of connection beneath the trees.
Two long-haired cats nap together on a colorful green and red duvet. A gray tabby cat is sprawled around a black-and-white cowcat, stretched beneath, creating a mound of intertwined fur and fluffy tails. Their relaxed poses and overlapping bodies make them look like a single enormous cloud of cat floof.
A short wildlife video of a mother deer and her spotted fawn in soft morning light. The fawn begins to scamper and test its steps, moving in quick bursts of energy. Near the end, her breath visible, the mother deer stretches gracefully, extending her body in a slow, fluid motion that resembles a ballet stretch. The scene takes place in a quiet, natural setting with warm sunlight filtering through, highlighting the calm and tenderness of the moment between them.
A young doe pauses in dappled forest light. One ear glows rosy pink where the setting sun shines through it, while her dark eye reflects the surrounding woods. Soft green foliage fades into the background, drawing attention to her calm, attentive expression.
Female Black-headed Grosbeak perched on a wooden feeder, her warm buff-orange breast and boldly striped face illuminated by sunlight. A soft green forest background blurs behind her, highlighting her sharp eye and seed-filled bill.
A black-and-white cowcat named Drew with distinctive mustache-like markings snuggles cheek-to-cheek with his brother, a gray tabby named Aiden, on a soft teal blanket. The gray cat is curled info a cozy ball with its fluffy tail wrapped around its body, while both cats gaze sleepily toward the camera. Warm wooden shelves blur softly in the background. 🐾💙