Avocet at Low tide

Avocet at Low Tide - 16” x 8” acrylic on wood panel

I feel a sense of wonder seeing an avocet in winter plumage striding across the mudflat at low tide in the Palo Alto Baylands, California

Black-crowned Night Herons

Night Herons and Moon 12” x 36” acrylic on canvas

Night Herons are common in the local Baylands. They make a fun subject to paint because they hang out in groups and they have a somewhat sinister look..

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Military Macaws

Military Macaws 16” x 16” acrylic on wood panel

We saw six species of Macaws in Peru.  My favorites were the Military Macaws which we saw perched high above the canopy.  

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Lesson's Motmot

Lesson’s Motmot 12” x 12” acrylic on wood panel

It was a treat to come across this wonderful bird again in Belize last March

Western Tanagers

Western Tanagers 20” x 10” x 1.5” acrylic on wood panel

I look forward to the return of Western Tanagers from Central America each spring.  The males are brilliantly colored but because they like to perch high  in trees and deep in the foliage they are often hard to find.  

Five-striped Sparrow

A few years ago, I posted a photo of this species on our blog. I ran into these and don’t know why I did not include them because they really show off features. This sparrow barely makes it into the United States and has only been found in Arizona, mostly south of Tucson. It mostly occurs in Western Mexico.

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.

Elegant Trogon

The Elegant Trogon, a neotropical species, barely makes it into the United States. During the summer breeding season, it is found in Texas and in southeast Arizona. The call sounds like a muted barking.

Scaled Quail

I have seen this bird in the past, but I have never had a good look because it was too far away, or it was close, but in a high-speed run. This one posed for me for several seconds.

We just returned from eight days of birding in Arizona, a few days in and around Tucson and the rest of the time in Portal, AZ. I will get some of my better photos on this blog over the next week or two.