Your Outdoor Photos: February 2026

The Inland Northwest is full of flora, fauna, waters, scenery and active people out to savor it all. Please visit this gallery regularly to share photos of your wild experiences, learning moments, hot discoveries, favorite trips. Help us build a visual tour of what's so great about the outdoors in this region through all four seasons. This photo gallery will be an inspiration to some people. To others it will be a reminder of why we love to live here – and get outside as much as possible.

NOTE: Before photos show up in the reader photo gallery, they must be approved by an editor. If yours does not show up immediately, fear not. The only likely delay is that an editor has not had a chance to approve new photo submissions yet. Thanks for participating!

Upload your photo

Section:Reader Photo

Tue., Feb. 3, 2026

Photos in This Album

Here is looking at you pal I not sure who was more surprised myself or this young cow elk to be this close to one another. Taken February 26 2026 on Turnbull wild life refuge.

Photographer: Buck Domitrovich Cheney W.A.
Male House Finch in the backyard.

Photographer: Mary Jo Stauner
Male California Quail perched on the fence in the backyard.

Photographer: Mary Jo Stauner
Male California Quail perched on the fence in the backyard.

Photographer: Mary Jo Stauner
Male California Quail perched on the fench in the backyard.

Photographer: Mary Jo Stauner
Downy woodpecker in the clump river birch.

Photographer: Mary Jo Stauner
Red Shafted Northern Flicker woodpecker.

Photographer: Mary Jo Stauner
A couple of male Red Head ducks resting on an old dock in the mid-day sun, February 10th, Pend Oreille River

Photographer: Nia Patton
A Douglas Squirrel keeping it's back warm with a tail wrap on a very frigid morning on the Turnbull wildlife refuge. Taken 2 20 2026.

Photographer: Buck Domitrovich Cheney W.A.
Male House Finch perched on shepherd's hook outside my dining room window on a very cold morning.

Photographer: Mary Jo Stauner
At the northern most edge of the Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge off of Cheney Plaza road mid February.

Photographer: Melaine Williams
Mangy Moose February 16, 2026 Four Lakes, WA It has been a few years since we've had a moose in the yard, and this young bull showed up to munch on the shrubs. His winter tick infestation is rather evident.

Photographer: Gary Miller
American Kestrel in Stevens County. 2/15/26

Photographer: Mark Hendrickson
Dramatic scenery in mid February at Bear Lake.

Photographer: Silke Kluth
Signs of early spring at Bear Lake: The large male catkins of the red alder will hang around a bit, until the tiny female ones above them are pollinated. The females will then grow into conelike structures bearing the seeds, releasing them starting September, but mostly during fall and winter. Last years “cones” (called strobiles) are still holding on, some even throughout spring.

Photographer: Silke Kluth
Black & white photograph of a Coopers Hawk in my backyard.

Photographer: Mary Jo Stauner
Goose out for a walk at Turnbull Wildlife Refuge. 2/11/26

Photographer: Mark Hendrickson
Coopers Hawk or Sharp shinned sometimes can be hard to tell. I'll go out on a lime and call this a Coopers Hawk. taken 2 9 2026 Cheney W.A.

Photographer: Buck Domitrovich Cheney W.A.
A Coopers Hawk sits waiting for prey on an old fence near Cheney W.A. Taken February 9 2026

Photographer: Buck Domitrovich Cheney W.A.
There is no sweeter sound than dee dee dee Chick-a-dee heard in our local fields and forests This one was near Queen Lucas Lake in Cheney at the beginning of February.

Photographer: Melaine Williams
A couple of Bald Eagles on Pend Oreille River pilings, 2-4-26

Photographer: Nia Patton
A Bald Eagle couple on Pend Oreille River pilings, 2-4-26

Photographer: Nia Patton
Dark-eyed Junco sparrow, February 2nd, Usk

Photographer: Nia Patton