Scarlet Macaw

We were visiting Costa Rica to see birds for part of the trip and meet with our daughter’s family later. We were all together on the balcony of a rental house at Punta Leona when these two macaws happened to fly by. Fortunately, my daughter saw them early in their flight as they headed towards our location. This allowed me enough time to get the camera out.

Azara’s Spinetail (Synallaxis azarae)

This skulky spinetail was seen in Colombia, near La Suiza. It took awhile to get this photo because this bird normally stays hidden in the brush.

Red-headed Barbet

This is the male Red-headed Barbet. We saw quite a few of these in mid-altitude forests. They never ceased to amaze me. Although the male has the bright-red head and face, the female is beautiful too.

Greater Roadrunner

We visited New Mexico recently and saw a lot of this species. I was excited to see my first one, but later we saw them all over the place.

Yellow-eyed Junco

This species is found mostly in Mexico and parts of Central America. It just barely occurs in the United States and is found in the Southeast corner of Arizona and the Soutwest corner of New Mexico. This one was seen at Ramsey Canyon, Arizona.

Yellow Warbler

I know another Yellow Warbler, but I cannot help myself. It is such a pretty bird that lends itself well to photography. The bright all yellow face with the black piercing eye makes these attractive birds. This one was photographed on South Padre Island, Texas in 2018 and is heading north to breed.

Northern Harrier

Northern Harrier 12” x 12” acrylic on wood panel

Northern Harrier 12” x 12” acrylic on wood panel

No matter how often I spot a Northern Harrier, it's always thrilling to watch one gliding silently low over the fields, almost skimming the tops of the grasses.

Osprey

The Osprey is a sleek fish predator. It is very efficient at catching fish with its long talons. Where they are common it is not unusual to see a few carry fish back to there eating spot. In Florida we saw fish carcasses high in trees where the Ospreys take them to eat.

House Finch

The House Finch is a common backyard bird on the West Coast of the United States. If a seed feeder is filled for at least part of the day in the backyard House Finches will find it. They are noisy as the interact with each other on and around the feeder. In the spring the males can be heard singing from nearby trees.

White-bellied Hummingbird

In late 2018 we encountered this Hummingbird at the Willson Botanical Garden in Costa Rica near the Panama border. This species has a limited range and is found in Costa Rica and Panama.

Osprey

Walking back from one of the local brackish ponds, we saw an Osprey soaring about our heads. The presence of this fish-eating raptor and the moon made for a shot I could not refuse.

White-headed Woodpecker

This Woodpecker is found only the the higher elevations of the Far West United States. In California, it occurs mostly in the Sierra and Cascade Mountain Ranges.

One year we had one drilling a hole in the side of cabin we were staying in and it sounded a lot like someone knocking on a door. The bird made it past the exterior wall and started pulling insulation out from between the inner and out walls.

Bullock's Oriole

Today we decided to brave the crowds and drove to Joseph D. Grant County Park, aka “Grant Ranch”. This has always been a special place for us because of the birds and the beauty of the area, at least in the spring and fall when it is not too hot. While walking on one of the dirt roads in the park we came across a group of oak trees that were alive with Bullock’s Orioles. This species has a distinct chatter-like call so it’s easy to find them when the are vocalizing. The contrast between the oak leaves and the yellows and oranges of the bird is striking.