Tropical Parula

Birding often has an ebb and flow. This Tropical Parula was bathing in a small puddle of water but disappeared into nearby bushes. It eventually came back into the light, only to be startled into hiding again by the swing of my camera.

Tufted Titmouse

The first time I saw a Tufted Titmouse, it seemed to be pecking away at its feet. New to birding, I wondered about that behavior until I read more about them. They hold a seed between their feet and peck it open before eating it or storing it for winter.

American White Pelican

The sky darkens even before sunset. As the sun dips to the horizon, a clear sky will take on a deeper shade of blue, caught here in the reflection around an American White Pelican. It's an exciting contrast with the warmth of softened light and the coolness of collecting shadows.

Long-billed Thrasher

You must go to south Texas or eastern Mexico to find the Long-billed Thrasher. While this one looks like it has a fearless attitude, they prefer to spend time on the ground under bushes scratching up the soil and debris for insects.

Purple Gallinule

This distant photo of the Purple Gallinule shows one of our most colorful birds. While many birds look best in indirect light, a little sunshine reveals the multiple iridescent shades of blue, green, and violet and the bold white, orange, and yellow markings.

Green Heron

The Green Heron is comfortable in a wide variety of watery habitats. They can often be found at the edges of lakes, ponds, and marshes in their crouched, hunkered-down stance. There they stand still, watching for unwary little fish.

Sage Thrasher

The Sage Thrasher blends into its preferred desert habitat but stands out when it wants to. It can forage and hide in a sea of low shrubs and bushes but also seek out the tallest one to sing its song and show off its distinctly striped belly.

Palm Warbler

Most warblers are up in the trees and often in the highest reaches, but not the Palm Warbler. It spends lots of time on the ground foraging for insects. They are migrants in most of the US, and I photographed this eastern variety with a bright yellow belly in Tennessee.

Least Flycatcher

The Least Flycatcher is another migrant in Tennessee and another common bird in steep decline. I found this one on a perch where the woods joined an open area. It would fly out and back, catching an insect most of the time for its journey farther south.

Magnolia Warbler

The Magnolia Warbler is a migrant in Tennessee, and I seem more in September than any other month. On rare occasions, they land on larger limbs such as this one. I had difficulty following him with my camera but was ready the one time he paused.

White-headed Woodpecker

Birds work so hard to feed their young. I spent about an hour with a pair of White-headed Woodpeckers as they foraged for insects to feed their babies. They took turns flying 100-200 yards away to collect insects and always came back with a mouthful.

Male Golden-winged Warbler

The Golden-winged Warbler is in steep decline, making it more difficult to find these increasingly rare birds. I was fortunate to find this male in east Tennessee and spend a little time with him before he flew away. To learn more, check this out: https://bit.ly/3dqaXLe.

Male Violet-green Swallow

I caught this male Violet-green Swallow pausing at the entrance to the nest to make sure the coast was clear. It was the middle of the day, and the overhead sun created harsh shadows but still revealed some of the fantastic colors on this bird.

Common Nighthawk

I heard the booming sound Common Nighthawks make during the breeding season by diving and holding their wings in a unique way. To listen to it, look for "Song with wing sound" here: https://bit.ly/3dx0SMs. I followed the sound to an open field and got this.

Cape May Warbler

Most people in the US only see the Cape May Warbler during migration, which was my experience with this one in Tennessee. They spend winters primarily in the Caribbean, migrate through the eastern half of the US, and breed in the far north.

Ridgway's Rail

Ridgway's Rail is threatened or endangered. It has a spotty distribution in our southwestern states and Mexico, and it is losing habitat due to development. They don't migrate or often fly, suggesting to me they are limited to existing habitats.

White Ibis disturbes Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks

Most water birds seem to get along, and this White Ibis doesn't seem to understand what all the fuss is about. But there were two more Black-bellied Whistling Ducks right where it landed, and they took off in a hurry creating quite a bit of splashing and noise.

Golden-fronted Woodpecker

It was a dull overcast day, but my mood brightened when I spotted this Golden-fronted Woodpecker. I was even more excited with this photo that shows its field marks and clearly demonstrates how woodpeckers use their tail for balance and leverage.

Merlin

Merlins are small to medium falcons that prey on other birds. They often sit in the tallest tree around, like this one, or perch lower at the edge of forests. Like many raptors, their populations continue to improve after the ban on DDT.

Cassin's Kingbird

I consistently look for Cassin's Kingbird when visiting western states. It is similar to other western Kingbirds, so I often seek out a bird only to find out it is not Cassin's but some other variety. Imagine my delight when I found this one.

Common Pauraque

The Common Pauraque, pronounced like pow-RAH-kay, is a type of bird called a nightjar and a bird of almost perfect camouflage. I've watched several people walk right by one and never see it. This photo lets you see a bird you may never find in the wild.

Short-eared Owl

This Short-eared Owl was on the ground when a noisy truck drove by and spooked it into an overcast sky. The owl was almost gone before I could change my camera settings for a bird in flight. This isn't my best work, but it's a reminder of an exciting moment.

Mexican Jay

The Mexican Jay of Mexico and our southwestern states could be confused at a distance with other western Jays. I captured this one in the tree's interior with just enough light filtering through the canopy to produce this scene.

Western Wood-Pewee

The Western Wood-Pewee looks like a bird that got dirty, but they always look that way. Their grayish shades blend in with weather-worn western tree limbs, but they are not one to hide. They claim an open perch from which to catch flying insects and sing all summer long.

Verdin

The Verdin is a colorful bird of the southwest that always makes me smile. It's a small bird that looks like it dipped its face in sunshine. That little mahogany patch on its wing only hints at the bright patches on its wings in flight.

Male Broad-billed Hummingbird

I found this Broad-billed Hummingbird slightly backlit and in the shade of a full canopy. Those conditions tend to make the subject appear darker than the background, and I got several disappointing photos before he finally moved into a little patch of light.

Yellow-throated Vireo

There is much to love about Yellow-throated Vireos, including their "yellow spectacles." They are not as frenetic as many birds, so you can get good views or photos once you find one. As parents, they take turns incubating and caring for their chicks.

Black-and-White Warbler

The Black-and-White Warbler is constantly on the move looking for insects in every nook and cranny of a tree. I love their bold and distinct markings and know from experience that seeing one for the first time is an exciting experience.

Ruddy Turnstone

This Ruddy Turnstone is kicking up a bit of sand as it looks for aquatic invertebrates, its primary food source. These long-distance migrants breed in the arctic tundra but live along shorelines when they are not breeding.

Brewer's Sparrow

Brewer's Sparrow is a bird primarily of western states. It is one of the most subtlety-marked sparrows we have, but I love sparrows, and it's at least my 24th sparrow species. I'm always excited to find a new bird to share with you, even if it is "just a sparrow."

Black-throated Blue Warbler

I'm always excited to find the Black-throated Blue Warbler, but the ones I have seen have been on migration and only made an appearance in dim light. They like the understory, where I have to work overtime to get a photo.

Male Hooded Warbler

I remember holding my breath the first time I saw a Hooded Warbler. He was in the clear but moved behind a clump of leaves before I could get a photo. I tracked him as well as I could as he moved through the tree, and I finally got a keeper just before he flew away.

Tricolored Heron

This Tricolored Heron struck a lovely pose on a railing in South Texas. I was surprised it faced away from the wind, which blew up a few head feathers. Perched birds usually prefer to face the wind, so they get a little extra lift when they take off.

Barred Owl

This Barred Owl was focused on something so intently I was able to compose and get this photo. I believe raptors frequently return to favorite perches, often worn down where their claws typically grasp. When I see such branches, I know raptors are about.

Oak Titmouse

This Oak Titmouse inhabits the Oak forests of California. These admittedly plain birds have a colorful personality in song, and how they fiercely defend their territory. I found this one with a large seed, but I'm not sure what it is.

Warbling White-eye

This environmental photo shows how difficult it can be to spot the Warbling White-eye high in the canopy of a Palm Tree. It would be even more challenging without that namesake bright white eyering. I photographed this one in Hawaii, where it was introduced.

Male Purple Finch

The male Purple Finch is often described as dipped in raspberry juice. I've had trouble finding these colorful birds even when I've searched for them in their range. Please let me know if you regularly see them and, generally, what part of the US you're in.

Olive Sparrow

This Olive Sparrow is a lovely bird that seldom grants a profile photo like this. A typical sighting involves watching its long tail slip into the underbrush. It only occurs in southern Texas in the US but is worth looking for if you are in its range.

Yellow Warbler

This Yellow Warbler was making the rounds looking for insects to feed his nestlings. He never stayed still for long, so I took as many photos as possible. I wasn't sure I would get anything worth keeping but later found this keeper as I was culling the rejects.

Tree Swallow

Tree Swallows often pick preferred locations they return to from foraging. This male would take off for minutes at a time before landing back on his perch. I positioned myself near this spot and was ready for his return.

Female American Redstart

The American Redstart is one bird I'm always excited to see, and it's one of those birds where I'm equally taken with the male and the female. This female was a real treat to watch, and I was happy to catch her leaning into the light.

Olive-sided Flycatcher

I've looked for the Olive-sided Flycatcher in several states within its breeding range and finally found it on the Oregon Coast. This long-distance migrator is declining, probably for all the same reasons as many other birds.

Least Grebe

This Least Grebe was swimming away but suddenly turned toward me, puffed out its chest, and agitated the water with its feet. Thus began the most bizarre staredown I've ever experienced. My apologies to Mr. or Mrs. Grebe.

Female Northern Cardinal

I think the female Northern Cardinal is one of our more stunning birds. After the breeding season, Cardinals go through a molt, and she has started the process. She will be even more beautiful when the process is complete.

Nuttall's Woodpecker

While they are most often found in California's Oak Woodlands, Nuttall's Woodpecker eats insects, not acorns. He was a treat because it was a first for me, but also frustrating because I couldn't get a full body photo.

Western Tanager

This male Western Tanager flew to this spot and then fluttered his wings as if to take off but stuck around long enough for me to get this photo. I'm not sure how to characterize that look, but it does seem a bit down the nose or beak in this case.

Male Yellow-headed Blackbird

I remember driving down a gravel road and seeing my first Yellow-headed Blackbird. I stopped and got a long-distance "proof" photo so I could add it to my life list. Later I spent more time observing him and eventually got this.

American Bittern

American Bitterns are herons you are likelier to hear, especially in spring, than see. They disappear into the tall grass, where their vertically streaked neck and upturned head blend into the surrounding landscape.