We decided it was time to visit Cape May, New Jersey. I think we arrived a little early (mid April, 2026). It was cold and there were not a lot of migrant yet. One exception was the Belleplain State Forest which was alivc with all kinds of birds. Many were quite vocal including this White-eyed Vireo. He was curious and let me get fairly close for some nice photos.
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)
Seen at the Rio Grande Nature Center in Albequerque, New Mexico
Say's Pheobe (Sayornis saya)
A fairly common winter bird on the central coast of California. I love its subtle beauty and its prowess as a superb bug catcher.
White-browed Gnatcatcher (Polioptila bilineata)
This bird is constantly on the move searching for insects and is difficult to photograph. Using a continuous shutter, hoped that I could capture this bird as it darted about in the brush. We encountered this one in Belize at the Rio Frio Cave which is not far from the Caracol ruins.
Saffron-Crowned Tanager (Tangara xanthocephala)
A colorful tanager that we often saw on our five-day trip on Manu Road, Peru.
Montezuma Quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae)
This species has been on my bucket list for years. They aren’t rare, but they are shy, and they hide from sight very well, even in short grass. This one was photographed from behind a blind at the Davis Mountains State Park Interpretative Center, Texas.
Spectacled Redstart (Myioborus melanocephalus)
A pretty warbler we saw on our Manu Road birding trip. We stopped the car near Atalaya to look for birds on the road’s edge, and this one popped out of the thicket to stare at us for several seconds.
Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida)
A plain, but yet beautiful sparrow. Seen at El Charco del Ingenio JardÃn Botánico, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
Golden-olive Woodpecker (Colaptes rubiginosus)
A widespread, neotropical woodpecker. Its range extends from NE Mexico, through Central America and down the Andes Mountains to northern Chile. This is a female because it’s missing the red cheek band that occurs on the male of this species. I saw this one in the Monte Verde area of Costa Rica.
Lemon-throated Barbet (Eubucco richardsoni)
The barbets are truly beautiful. When I look at them, I think to myself that there is a bird with an attitude.
Northern Emerald-Toucanet
Seen feeding on flowers in our yard, near the Curi Cancha Preserve, Costa Rica.
Turquoise-browed Motmot (Eumomota superciliosa)
Hooded Mountain Tanager (Buthraupis montana)
A large mountain tanager that occurs over a large portion of the Andes Mountains.