I am a retired professional geologist, these days more interested in biology and photographing just about any "critter" or plant in California, and a few other western states. I photograph lots of "critters", birds, and wildflowers while out hiking and fishing for whatever fish species I can catch, photograph, and usually release, although I do like to eat a few fish like trout and rockfish.
I grew up in the SF Bay Area, mostly saltwater fishing, poke-poling, abalone diving, freshwater fishing in Lake Merced, and bird-watching. After getting a Bachelor's degree in Geology (with minor in Biology) at CSU-San Francisco, I moved to San Jose for urban geology work, and was able to continue mostly saltwater rockfishing around Monterey Bay, freshwater fishing in the greater San Jose urban area and the Sierras, and going on local Audubon birding trips to explore other areas.

A new Geology job in the late 1990s moved me up into the Sierra foothills, so I continued birding and switched to freshwater fishing mostly for Brook Trout, Bass, Bluegills, and recently hybrid Greengill Sunfish !!!! My Environmental Geology job required LOTS of traveling to all parts of California and a few western States, but that meant that on the drive home I could try out various new fishing spots, and visit as many wildlife refuges or ecological areas that I could for photographing all forms of wildlife. There is so much wildlife around us, even in such an urbanized state as California.

I have a Life Time of wildlife photos (1960s to Present) to upload to iNaturalist. I really enjoy photographing wildlife and uploading my photos and data to iNaturalist as a Citizen Scientist. Now I know why I have saved all these wildlife photos all my life.