Cattle Egret
November 2007 – Kaua’i
Cattle Egrets originated in Africa, but have spread around the world – anywhere there are warm fields to probe for bugs, they find a home.
Cattle Egret
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Pacific Golden Plover
Pacific Golden Plover
November 2007 – Kaua’i
The Pacific Golden Plover spends the winter on islands like Kaua’i, and the summers on tundra along the Bering Strait. This image shows the winter plumage. The summer plumage is quite different. I have to wonder how it was that someone was able to make the connection between the summer and winter versions of this bird… Perhaps they start molting before they migrate on one end or the other..?
Red-Crested Cardinal
Red-Crested Cardinal
November 2007 – Kaua’i
This introduced species is rather common on Kaua’i.
Band-tailed Pigeon
Band-tailed Pigeon
May 2007 – Death Valley, CA
This poor bird was either sick or injured, and near death on the floor of a wash in a side-canyon of Death Valley.
Killdeer
Killdeer
March 2004 – Jackson Bottom wetlands, Hillsboro, OR
Not much to say here… a Killdeer wading in the shallows.
Snow Bunting
Snow Bunting
November 2004 – Mary’s Peak, OR
Right on the summit of Mary’s Peak, this Snow Bunting was pecking around in the gravel for morsels. It almost looks like its bill is deformed, but I think it’s just in “mid-expression”.
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
April 2004 – Sauvie Island, OR
These are really all over the place, but this particular one was in a tree on Sauvie Island, within view from a “wildlife viewing platform”. Go figure.
Blue Grouse
Blue Grouse
June – 2010 – Rock Mountain Trail, Washington
As I was heading down the Rock Mountain Trail in the Washington Cascades, I heard the familiar “whoop, whoop, whoop” of a grouse. This is a commonly heard sound. However, it’s not common to actually see the bird making it. After a bit of looking, I spotted the culprit, perched on a branch about 20 feet overhead. He wasn’t going full-out with the puffy colorful chest display, just making his presence known…
Spotted Sandpiper
- Spotted Sandpiper
June 2009 – Todd Lake, Oregon Cascades
This wasn’t a typical place to see a Spotted Sandpiper, but a bunch of them were hanging out along the shoreline of Todd Lake high up in the Oregon Cascade mountains. Surely, it was a good place to be, as the newly thawed shoreline muds were crawling with bugs. Yum.
Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron
April 2012 – Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, OR
These are very wary birds… and I’m always excited to sneak up on one and snap a few photos before I’m noticed. In this case, this bird was working a small creek for tiny morsels – tadpoles, I think. He noticed me a few moments later and flew 20 yards downstream.
Great Blue Heron
October 2008 – Oneonta Falls, OR
This photo was taken right next to the plunging Oneonta Falls, in the Columbia River Gorge. This spot is essentially a deep and narrow slot canyon. It’s a pretty tight spot, and a really unusual place to see such a bird. The heron had flown up to the falls, perhaps in pursuit of fish or frogs – not clear. It seemed to be somewhat oblivious to my presence. It was also getting soaked with spray from the nearby waterfall. This was one of the strangest bird sightings I’ve had.