I spent much of my last day on South Padre Island on the sandy flat beach north of the Convention Centre. Until this day, I’d neglected this habitat for gulls, terns, skimmers and shorebirds, and I knew I’d find Black Terns there. I’ve met Black Terns in the Great Basin, but not here in Texas, … Read more
In the coming weeks, I intend to spend as much of my time on South Padre Island as I can. Spring migrant birds could begin trickling into Texas at any time. I like my chances to meet these migrating birds at South Padre Island (SPI), and the more often I can visit, the more my … Read more
On this early Tuesday morning, cloudy gray skies greeted me at the South Padre Island Convention Centre (SPICC). I investigated the center’s bayside and its boardwalks, but the birds were not active. It encouraged me to see offerings of nectar and fruit placed around the grounds, even though no migrants were in view. Having these … Read more
In April 2020, as I was ending my first Texas birding adventure, I called my friend Jerry in Albuquerque and told him I was headed his way via Roswell. He suggested I visit the Bitter Lake NWR, and I’m so glad he did. Cassin’s Sparrows and Scaled Quail were the highlights for me on that … Read more
Before I left Albuquerque for points south, I stacked up several days’ worth of images from my last few photo safaris. In most cases, I’d have boondock camped and worked on the blogs to share my images and stories. Here in mid-winter central New Mexico, I felt like settling into a nearby RV Park. For … Read more
There is a broad grassy valley running west from the Ramona Airport through Highland Valley. The County of San Diego has seen fit to make a preserve of the land to protect threatened species such as Burrowing Owls and the Stephens’ Kangaroo Rat. Much of the preserve is out-of-bounds for public access. But near the … Read more
After spending the week with my family in Medford, I drove away on Friday, southbound on the I-5. My first stop was in Marysville California to visit a friend I knew from my previous life (before retirement). Gary had since retired too, and he and his wife moved back here two years ago, where they … Read more
Driving to see my family in Oregon, I took a little timeout to visit the reserves between Williams and Willows California (USA). The long interstate drive wore me down, especially the southern portion. I tried avoiding LA by skirting via the I-15 and Cajon Pass and crossing the high desert through Palmdale, but the plan backfired … Read more
No trip to the Salton Sea is complete without paying a visit to Unit #1 of the Sonny Bono NWR at Vendel Road. In winter, it is an exceptional birding destination. Snow Geese and Sandhill Crane numbers are at their peak. Fifteen years ago my visits here might turn up the occasional two or four … Read more
Just inland from where I live in Poway California, and 900 feet higher in elevation, sits the community of Ramona California. This high valley historically has been an agricultural area, but like everywhere else in southern California, the pressure by humanity to build more housing is turning it into a bedroom community. Fortunately, there are … Read more
