A striking green tanager that is found in the Andes from Colombia to Bolivia. It is the only extant member of the genus Chlorornis.
Spotted Tanager (Ixothraupis punctata)
A pretty tanager found in the Andes of Peru. It’s closely related to the Speckled Tanager also in this blog.
Golden-naped Tanager (Chalcothraupis ruficervi)
A common Tanager on the eastern slopes of the Andes in Peru.
Plumbeous Rail (Pardirallus sanguinolentus)
A rail that is common in much of the southern half of South America. This one was seen at Refugio de Vida Silvestre Los Pantanos de Villa, in southern Lima, Peru.
Peruvian Thick-knee (Hesperoburhinus superciliaris)
We were on a tour of an ancient archeological site near Lima, Peru. It is a drab, sandy area. Several of us saw a bone on the ground (shown). I did not think much of it until one of our party asked what was on the ground next to bone. It took me several seconds to see what she was referring to. This fairly large bird is a master at camouflage. They rest motionless during the day and forage at nighttime.
These photos were taken with a telephoto lens with a limited depth of field to bring out the bird. To the unaided eye, they are difficult to see. The Peruvian Thick-knee.
Violet-bellied Hummingbird (Chlorestes julie)
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.
Cinnamon Flycatcher
A beautiful flycatcher that occurs in the Andes of South America from Venezuela to Northern Argentina.
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.
Red-headed Barbet
This is the female Red-headed Barbet. Although she lacks the striking red head and face of the male, she is stunningly beautiful.
The Blue-gray Tanager (Thraupis episcopus)
This species was one of my original “wow” birds that got me started at looking at birds. This one was seen near La Fortuna, Costa Rica.
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.
A Flotilla of Male Hooded Mergansers
Seen on the Central California Coast
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
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.
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
This duck is common in the U.S. southern states. This photo was taken in Southern Texas. They are named after their call which sounds like a whistle.
American Kestrel
In the Americas this is the smallest and most colorful of the falcons.
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.