Female Kalij Pheasant

This female Kalij Pheasant walked out onto the trail up ahead, pausing and watching me as I got this shot. Then I stood still until, out of the corner of my eye, I could see her beginning to forage on the side of the trail. I got another shot and then just watched.

Common Pauraque

You find something to love in the Common Pauraque by the way it blends perfectly into its environment. This nightjar sleeps during the day and hunts insects at night. You can walk by and never see it, but you delight in the subtle details when you do.

Purple Gallinule

All About Birds describes the Purple Gallinule as "...one of the most vividly colored birds in all of North America...cherry red, sky blue, moss green, aquamarine, indigo, violet, and school-bus yellow..." It was such a delight to find and photograph this less common bird.

Altamira Oriole

The Altamira Oriole is a brightly colored bird of southwest Texas. It has a limited range in the US. Fortunately, I caught this one in a setting with complementary colored leaves and an open branch, even though it didn't stay long.

Bridled Titmouse

This comparatively calm Bridled Titmouse is usually busy hanging from slender branches foraging for insects. Like other titmice, it quickly warns its neighbors of any threat. This is another bird I never expected to see, and I feel blessed to have met.

Nashville Warbler

The Nashville Warbler is another misnamed bird. It's only seen in Tennessee during migration and got it name when it was first seen there in 1811. Still, it is a stunning bird with its bright eyering and cheery colors. It also has a little mahogony-colored patch on its head that can be challenging to capture, but is shown here.

Merlin

Merlins are falcons that prey on smaller birds. They are exciting to watch hunting for prey. One technique I find fascinating is when one flies from treetop to treetop, where it feigns landing but then continues to the next tree if no birds are spooked into flight.

Ruddy Turnstone

This Ruddy Turnstone demonstrates its classic foraging behavior. Staying just above the waves, it flicks sand with its beak, digging for insects and small crustaceans. Then it backs up a bit and repeats the process, forming a backward trail.

Gray-cheeked Thrush

I caught this Gray-cheeked Thrush on migration. It is similar to Bicknell's Thrush, but I found this one in Tennessee, outside the normal range of Bicknell's. I'm not sure that little tuft of feathers on its head is a field mark. It may be just ruffled by the wind.

Yellow-breasted Chat

With familiar birds, my priorities tend to be first to observe the bird and then get a photo. But with new birds, it has to be just the opposite, or I might not get a shot. That's how it was in the case of this my first Yellow-breasted Chat.

Plain Chachalaca

The Plain Chachalaca has been likened to a tropical chicken that lives in the treetops. While they can be seen foraging on the ground, these western birds are at home in the trees and bushes. I caught this one as it flew down from a tree to this lower bush.

Florida Red-Shouldered Hawk

I watched this Florida Red-shouldered Hawk catch this harmless snake and fly to that limb in the background. It was too far away to get a good shot. Then it crouched ever so slightly and took off before I was completely ready, but I still got this shot.

Male Red-breasted Nuthatch

Red-breasted Nuthatches are feisty and sometimes noisy. They are year-round birds in much of Canada and several western states, but the rest of the US may see this bird in winter. I had trouble keeping up with him as he looked for insects.

Mexican Jay

The Mexican Jay is similar to other western jays but is a bit paler. I'm often surprised at the subtle differences between species. This Mexican Jay was the only one of a small group that came into the open. The rest stayed in dense foliage.

Saffron Finch

I photographed this Saffron Finch on a trip to Hawaii. It's not endemic to the islands, and they have lost several native birds due to habitat loss and introduced species. I would have loved to photograph it against one of Hawaii's famous sunsets, but they have overcast days too.

Male Eastern Towhee - red eyed form

Yesterday's bird was a little puzzler. I hope you found it interesting. Thanks to all who commented. The comments tended to correct in some regard, but the key difference was its pale eye. Eastern Towhees have red eyes, except according to All About Birds, some individuals have pale eyes in AL, FL and up through NC. I photographed the pale-eyed bird along the Georgia coast.

Male Eastern Towhee - white eyed form

Today is Puzzle Day. This is a mature male Eastern Towhee. What's unique about him? Extra points if you can tell me in general where I photographed this bird. Answers tomorrow.

Male Eastern Bluebird

Even though the Eastern Bluebird is a staple from the east to the midwest, I don't see many. So, I really felt fortunate to catch this one in good light. He seemed okay with me watching him, so I adjusted my position to frame him against this background.

Painted Redstart

I wondered where to go next when I saw a dash of color flitting through the tree above me. I didn't recognize it immediately, but the flash of red, white, and black could only be the Painted Redstart. It was a new bird for me, so I held my breath and got this shot.

Male Black-throated Green Warbler

I was surprised to spot this Black-throated Green Warbler because they breed in the northeast and Canada. Later I learned they also breed in East Tennessee, where I was at the time. I clicked away and captured this quizzical look before he moved on.

Red-headed Woodpecker

Red-headed Woodpeckers are not hard to find if they are in the area. Their red head and black and white wings draw attention as they fly between trees, often giving a rasping call. I caught this one as it was inspecting various knots and holes in this tree.

American Wigeon

Compared to ducks in a park who equate humans with food, those in the wild are tough to approach. This is as close as I could get to these American Wigeons. Today's weather takes me back to that overcast day, but I still love this scene of Wigeons in the wild.

Kentucky Warbler

I heard this Kentucky Warbler before I saw him. He preferred the tree's interior where the light was dim. It was challenging to get a shot. Occasionally he would come out into better light to sing or just look around, and I caught him more in the open.

Ovenbird

This is the Ovenbird that almost got away. I immediately recognized it out of the corner of my eye and swung my camera in its direction. I got this shot as it rapidly climbed the limb with fall colors in the background. It's the first one I've seen all year.

Male Scarelt Tanager

This male Scarlet Tanager is not in his breeding plumage. He is starkly different from his red plumage. In dark shade he can look a little subdued, but when he gets in the sunlight his yellow color seems to glow. As soon as I saw this one lean out into the light I started clicking away.

Western Grebe

I had driven around a lake photographing whatever birds I saw along the way when I came to this Western Grebe. Unfortunately, it kept swimming away and back, keeping its head in the shade. I patiently waited for it to turn just enough to show off its brilliant eye.

SmugMug

The Cornell Labs says, "The Crested Caracara looks like a hawk with its sharp beak and talons, behaves like a vulture, and is technically a large tropical black-and-white falcon." I caught this one at a rest area on a lonely stretch of road.

Black Skimmer

The Black Skimmer dips from the sky and flies along the surface, dragging its lower mandible through the water until it comes in contact with a fish. Then the bird drops into the water to catch its prize. This one had just missed a fish and started up for another pass.

Male Golden-fronted Woodpecker

Have you ever had the feeling you were being watched? This Golden-fronted Woodpecker was peeking around the tree when I first saw him. After a while, he seemed to accept my presence and started grooming. Soon after, he was on his way.

Male Golden-fronted Woodpecker

Have you ever had the feeling you were being watched? This Golden-fronted Woodpecker was peeking around the tree when I first saw him. After a while, he seemed to accept my presence and started grooming. Soon after, he was on his way.

Black-throated Gray Warbler

"A colorful bird" is a matter of opinion. I love this Black-throated Gray Warbler with its tiny yellow patch above and in front of its eye. It's a distinct but understated addition to his boldly marked head. I caught this one peeking out at me.

Yellow-throated Vireo

The Yellow-throated Vireo can be seen in the eastern half of the US. The male and female are good parents as both incubate and brood their young. I love its cheery yellow color and was excited to catch this one peeking out between the limbs and leaves.

Florida Scrub Jay

The Florida Scrub-Jay is a threatened species. It lives only in Florida and does not migrate or travel far from where it was hatched. As a result, its fragmented breeding areas are under pressure from development. I felt fortunate to capture this one.

Male Dickcissel

I caught this Dickcissel late in the day. There were already dark shadows on some birds exposed to the setting sun, but not this bird. Fortunately, he was on a relatively open limb, and some of the light was softened through other leaves and branches.

Male Bobolink

The Bobolinks are gone now, but I remember seeing this male eating seeds and basking in the sun. I found him in a marshy environment and was amazed at how beautiful the scene was with his colorful markings and how the sunlit seedpods almost looked like little jewels.

Lazuli Bunting

I spotted this Lazuli Bunting hopping around on some rocks through dense foliage, but leaves obscured almost the entire bird from my vantage point. I slowly sidestepped to the right until I found the smallest of openings, but just enough to get this shot.

American Crow

You can always tell when American Crows are in the area by their raucous calls. This one was calling rather loudly to other crows flying around. He must have been saying, "I'm on my way," as he took off right after I got this shot.

Olive Sparrow

If you have followed me for a while, then you know that I love sparrows, so you can imagine my delight when I saw this Olive Sparrow. It was picking through the debris on the forest floor, looking for seeds and insects. These shy birds prefer cover, so it was quickly gone.

Cedar Waxwing

The sun was setting, lighting this Cedar Waxwing mainly from the back. The light lit the bird and rock so brightly that the background, some distance away, was underexposed. I'm usually looking for more balance, but I like how the contrast shows off this bird.

White Ibis

I was watching this White Ibis wading through clear water towards a patch of sunlight filtered through the dense canopy above. I got this shot just as it entered the open area, where it created this lovely reflection and the glow of a bit of backlight.

Violet-crowned Hummingbird

This elegant-looking Violet-crowned Hummingbird appears to be performing some sort of ballet move but was just landing. Common in Mexico, this bird is difficult to find in the US but is best seen along the southern border of Arizona. Even my photos do not do it justice.

Palm Warbler

Unlike most warblers, the Palm Warbler is often seen foraging on the ground. I caught this one in a small tree flicking its tail to scare up insects but moving almost constantly. They do pause occasionally, and the trick is to be ready to take the shot.

Female Indigo Bunting

Summer migrants are leaving, and winter migrants have not arrived. But it's still so much fun when I see a bird such as this female/immature male Indigo Bunting in changing foliage. Young males look like females, which may make them less noticeable to predators.

Orange-crowned Warbler

Photographing a backlit bird does not always yield good results. However, it is one way to reveal the very hard-to-see colorful crown of the Orange Crowned Warbler. It's a faint shade of orange usually only visible when the bird is backlit, wet, or agitated.

Wood Thrush

I captured this reclusive Wood Thrush deep in the canopy where the leaves reflected and softened the light, adding a faint glow. At first, I was distracted by the brown leaf but have come to appreciate the sense of time it adds.

Great Blue Heron

I was watching this Great Blue Heron striding towards the reeds and assumed he was seeking cover. But then, there was that telltale crouch that indicated he was about to take off. I started taking photos and captured him just as he was leaping into the air.

Yellow-eyed Junco

This Yellow-eyed Junco was at the base of a large bush that provided lots of shade. There almost wasn't enough light to get a shot. I'm not sure whether it was staying cool or hiding. Either way, I was excited to finally get to see one of these uncommon southwest birds.