Brown Creeper

Our Brown Creeper Can be elusive and challenging to photograph. If they didn't move almost constantly, I'm not sure I would ever see one. I have lots of photos of their back, but catching them coming around the tree in good light is much less common.

Wilson's Warbler

The excitement of seeing a Wilson's Warbler flit by can quickly change to frustration at how quickly it moves and seems to never stop. It is challenging to get good views or a photo when they are foraging, which is most of the time.

Trumpeter Swan

I don't get to see many Trumpeter Swans; when I do, they are usually in the middle of the lake or across the river. They also spend a lot of time foraging with their heads in the water, but I was able to catch this one as it came up.

Male Mountain Bluebird

I prefer to photograph birds in soft light compared to the harsh midday overhead light I had here, but I won't pass up an opportunity to photograph a Mountain Bluebird. They usually forage for insects on perches or midair, but he found a spider on the ground.

Male Gila Woodpecker

This male Gila Woodpecker flew so quickly in and out that I didn't think I could get a photo, but he paused just long enough in this case. They will excavate new nest cavities in Saguaro Cacti if they can't find an existing one that meets their needs.

Female Northern Cardinal

I think the female Northern Cardinal is one of our more elegant looking birds. I've noticed some variation between regionally and seasonally, but they are always beautiful.

Carolina Chickadee

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California Towhee

The California Towhee is similar to other western towhees but is clearly distinct. If you live in California, one way to attract one is to put up a mirror. They protect their environments and will defend against all contenders, including their own reflection.

Ring-billed Gull

If you go birding on cold winter days, you might see some local gulls more active over water. This Ring-billed Gull is common in Tennessee, and while they are looking for food, they may also enjoy relatively warmer air above the water.

Common Myna

Whether or not a bird is a novelty that we are excited to see or an intolerable pest often hinges on how many and how often we see them. The Common Myna is an introduced bird uncommon outside Florida in the US, but they are a pest in India and other parts of the world.

Male Northern Cardinal

Happy Holidays and thanks for your likes, retweets, and comments! I hope you have peace, safety, and good health now and in the coming new year. Here's a winter photo of the male Northern Cardinal, one of our most colorful birds.

Ash-throated Flycatcher

The Ash-throated Flycatcher is a western bird well-suited to desert environments as it gets everything it needs from the insects it eats, so it doesn't have to drink water. A few vagrants show up in eastern states every year.

Tropical Kingbird

Merlin identifies this as the Tropical Kingbird, so I will go with that. I found it at the southern tip of Texas in the open habitat it prefers with a colony of blackbirds, another preference. It was far away, so I cropped the photo.

Juvenile Black-billed Magpie

The Black-billed Magpie is a year-round western bird in the same family as Crows and Jays, so they are intelligent and social. I think this one is a juvenile because it has a pale eye, and the feathers have not filled in on its face.

Black Oystercatcher

The Black Oystercatcher is a bird of the Pacific Coast that can be found on gently sloping beaches and rocky shores. It follows the tide out, watching for marine invertebrates. This one's beak is worn from poking in the sand.

Wood Stork

The Wood Stork is a strong flyer gliding long distances on its outstretched wings. Almost three feet tall, they stand out among other birds. They can be found along the Gulf Coast and up to South Carolina, but Florida is a better bet.

Female Allen's Hummingbird

Allen's Hummingbird breeds in the US along the California and Oregon coast, competing for breeding habitat with humans. In our love of coastal views, carving out more land protected from development can help all birds that live on the coast continue to thrive.

Plain Chachalaca

The Plain Chachalaca, pronounced cha-cha-la-ca, is a bird of Mexico and Central America found in the US only in the southwestern part of Texas known as the Rio Grande Valley. They are considered game birds by many hunters.

Summer Tanager

Although Summer Tanagers prefer bees and wasps, which they catch on the fly in summer, they will also eat fruits and berries. I'm curious if you put out fruit, and if so, when and with what results?

Northern Parula

I saw my first Northern Parula flitting through moss-laden trees in Florida. They prefer mossy environments, using the moss to build nests. They are considered somewhat eastern birds, but individuals have been seen on the West Coast.

Willet

Many birds look very different in flight than when perched or on the ground. The first photo is of a Willet I photographed on the beach, and the second photo is one I photographed in flight, revealing plumage details only visible when flying.

Willet

Many birds look very different in flight than when perched or on the ground. The first photo is of a Willet I photographed on the beach, and the second photo is one I photographed in flight, revealing plumage details only visible when flying.

American Kestrel

This American Kestrel sat atop a distant tree so far away that I wasn't sure I could get a photo. Birds prefer to face the wind for extra lift at takeoff, but with the wind to her back, she dropped off her perch, turned sharply into the wind, and sailed away.

Cassin's Finch

The Cassin's Finch is one of three finches that can be difficult to distinguish. I feel so fortunate when I get to spend time with Cassin's Finch because it is a western bird I rarely get to see. This guide might be helpful. #birds #nature #wildlife https://bit.ly/3cuwz8K

Male Acorn Woodpecker

The Acorn Woodpecker is one of our most distinctive and exciting woodpeckers. They defend their territory and store acorns for winter in trees called granaries, drilling hundreds of acorn-sized holes and filling each one with an acorn.

Sandhill Crane

I was on a gravel road bordering a large marsh when I spotted this Sandhill Crane, but it was barely visible as it strode through the tall grass. I drove down the road ahead of its direction and waited for it to catch up with me where I got this photo.

Scaled Quail

I love all the birds in the Quail family, and this Scaled Quail is an excellent example. I was close to the ground watching a small covey when this curious one walked toward me briefly but then flew/hopped away. They don't tolerate humans very well.

Rufous Hummingbird

All hummingbirds are territorial and will defend food sources, but the Rufous Hummingbird is above average in defending its territory. Some of them migrate to Alaska from Mexico, up to 3,900 miles. I was excited to find this one in Oregon.

Black-bellied Plover

We are not likely to see this Black-bellied Plover in its dark breeding plumage because they breed at the northernmost reaches of Alaska and Canada. However, you might see one of these hardy birds along any shoreline during winter or migration.

Kentucky Warbler

I usually hear Kentucky Warblers calling before I see them. Getting good views can be more challenging as they like hanging out on a tree's interior branches. I had to find an opening in the foliage to get this one. Hear their call at http://bit.ly/3Viy9uW.

American Robin

I caught this American Robin under the canopy of a tree where only reflected light gave a little glow to the scene. Happy Thanksgiving to all my US friends, and the same warm wishes to those outside the US who celebrate a day of thanks on another day.

Broad-winged Hawk

I found this Broad-winged Hawk in deep woods and spent several minutes with it. I stayed as still as possible and just watched it looking for food. It saw me, of course, but something outside of my view caught its attention, and it was soon on its way.

Zebra Dove

It's exciting to see a new bird such as this Zebra Dove introduced to Hawaii from Indonesia, but I'm sad to see a bird that may be pushing out native species. As birders, do you feel conflicted about seeing "new to you" birds that have been introduced?

Marbled Godwits and Short-billed Dowitchers

This photo is part of a larger flock of Marbled Godwits called a pantheon. Their upturned two-toned bills help them turn over rocks and shells to find food. The darker birds in the lower part of the frame are Short-billed Dowitchers. Both species are on the decline.

Male Western Meadowlark

The Meadowlark is one of our more popular birds in the US. Many vividly remember seeing or hearing them on fences or trees along back roads. I found this Western Meadowlark along a gravel road and waited, hoping to hear its call, but it flew away silent.

Red-naped Sapsucker

Sapsuckers drill "well holes" in trees and use their tongues to lap up the sap that flows from the holes. While they have established sap well trees with many holes, they often test new trees. I caught this female Red-naped Sapsucker in Southern Arizona.

Dark Morph Swainson's Hawk

Hawks can be challenging to identify as there are several species in the US whose field marks vary based on the bird's maturity. In some hawks, even eye color can vary by age. There are also dark and light morphs, such as this Dark Morph Swainson's Hawk.

Forster's Tern

This Forster's Tern is in breeding plumage, where I found it in Utah. While it can be found primarily in coastal areas in winter, it breeds inland in the US and Canada. This one was patrolling along the shallow edges of a freshwater lake in summer.

Male Eastern Bluebird

I don't see as many bluebirds as I would like, but this year I found this Eastern Bluebird with a few changing leaves in the background. His mate was nearby. They are year-round birds in the southern states, so they were at home and not migrating.

Vesper Sparrow

As much as I love sparrows, I should post them more frequently. I spotted this Vesper Sparrow from a road some distance away. It was after sunset and on the highest perch in a field of grass. It was singing at first but quit when I stopped to take this photo.

Male Scarlet Tanager in non-breeding plumage

The way some birds seasonally change color is one of their most attractive characteristics. This male Scarlet Tanager is in non-breeding/winter plumage, but during the breeding season, the male's yellow plumage transforms into a deep scarlet.

Chestnut-sided Warbler

The Chestnut-sided Warbler migrates through most of the eastern US and breeds primarily in northeastern states and Canada. This lively bird accommodated me by gleaning insects on the outer branches, clearly focused on the limbs below.

Great Blue Heron

I've never considered the Great Blue Heron as a bird that would be great in showing off fall color, but then I found this one in a tree grooming with changing leaves in the background. You can tell it's a favorite perch from where the lichen has been worn off the branch.

Green-tailed Towhee

I remember walking a trail and being disappointed that I wasn't seeing any birds. I love being in nature, but when I have limited time in an area and I'm looking for birds, the disappointment of not seeing any is deeper. Towards the end of the trail I saw a

Song Sparrow

The Song Sparrow is common across North America, and there are about 25 subspecies with plumage variations based on location. I spent time with this one in Oregon and caught it warding off another bird trying to land. There may have been a nest nearby.