Yellow-rumped Warbler
April 2007 – Joshua Tree National Park
This Yellow-rumped Warbler was very approachable. It was darting through a bush, just a few feet above the ground near a parking area in Joshua Tree National Park.
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Category Archives: **** – Good
Cattle Egret
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.
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.
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.
Western Meadowlark
Western Meadowlark
April 2008 – Catherine Creek, WA
You know it’s spring when the Meadowlarks fill the crisp air with their distinctive warble.
Atlantic Puffin
Atlantic Puffin
July 2006 – near Husavik, Iceland
Do these birds have any idea how cute and comical they appear? They might look like clowns of the sea, but they live a very hard life – they spend most of the year out at sea, only coming to land for a few months to nest in burrows. And during those times, they have to look out for hungry rats, and even humans. Puffins are on the menu in Iceland (though, I’m told they’re not very tasty… it’s just that in the past, Icelanders were desperate for meat).
Atlantic Puffin
Atlantic Puffins are a lot more graceful in the water than they are on land. And likely, still more graceful under the water.