My friend Luciano told me how much fun it was to explore the Rio Grande aboard our friends Matt and Marianna’s boat. So when I ran into them at the SPI Birding and Nature Center a few days into my two-and-a-half week tenure on the island, and they extended an invitation, I knew I would … Read more
After breakfast Sunday, I stopped at Sheepshead, where I met a Northern Parula and a more typical female Blackburnian Warbler than the bird I met on Saturday at the SPI Convention Centre. When I left Sheepshead, I headed north to the SPI Convention Centre. There were few visitors of the two-legged variety, but a fair … Read more
I spent Saturday morning with the birds and birders visiting the SPI Convention Centre, and met Black-and-White Warblers, Blackburnian Warblers, Canada Warblers, and Nashville Warblers. Of the birds on this list, the Blackburnian Warbler was the Belle of the ball. Initially, I thought it was a Yellow-Throated Warbler, a bird I’d seen briefly earlier in … Read more
Thursday and Friday I split my time between the SPI Birding and Nature Center, and the SPI Convention Centre. But it was my long day at the Convention Centre Thursday that proved to be the most eventful. The mornings each began at the Sheepshead Sanctuary, where I met my friend Mary. We left there after … Read more
Well friends, I said I would limit my photo shooting time in the field to half days. The strategy would allow me to process my images and tell my stories in time to meet an every-other-day in the field schedule. I also said if a warbler fallout should happen, all bets were off. Well, it … Read more
I left Brownsville in the darkness of pre-dawn, with plans to meet birds on South Padre Island as they began their morning rounds. It seemed a good idea to be present when the birds got busy. The heavy overcast sky was not apparent as I drove the road to Port Isabel and then continued east … Read more
I should have learned my lesson by now. This day reminded me when I’m trying to track a subject bouncing through the canopy, the effort is all-consuming. There’s not always time for identifying your subject. One example was a wet-feathered, immature male or female Indigo Bunting that I thought was a finch at the time … Read more
If you are passionate about birds, I believe there is no better place to hang out than South Padre Island during spring migration. As a kid growing up near the Southern California coast, eastern birds seemed out of reach for me. But here in south Texas, most of these unreachable species pass through as they … Read more
I have family in Central Point Oregon that I like to visit as often as possible. During my stays there I like to explore the surrounding region. Above the Rogue Valley, where most of the population in southern Oregon resides, there are forestry roads penetrating the high country. One such road is National Forest Road … Read more
I took my camera into my yard several times over the course of the month of April 2012. Spring can bring me some extraordinary birds, though I don’t always have my camera ready when they make their appearance. I made a point to put in the effort and left my camera setup on my tripod … Read more
