Falcated Duck - Colusa National Wildlife Refuge

A new LIFE bird today!

I was on the road at 5am today and made the 410-mile round-trip drive to observe the mega-rare (for USA) FALCATED DUCK which has been visiting Colusa National Wildlife Refuge (north of Sacramento, California) for the past few weeks... and fortunately it was still there this morning!

This duck has been the hot topic on the birding newsfeeds and is attracting birders from all over the country to observe it. It was awesome to see and photograph this bird today!

FALCATED DUCK

The Falcated Duck is normally found in eastern Russia... but this beautiful breeding male has somehow migrated south with a flock of American Wigeon to central California for the winter.

Lawrence's Goldfinches & Western Bluebird Photography

Beautiful and sunny spring-like day (70 degrees F) while photographing WESTERN BLUEBIRD and LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCH along La Gloria Road near Pinnacles National Monument in San Benito County, California. — at Pinnacles National Monument.

Lawrence's Goldfinch - male

Lawrence's Goldfinch - male

Western Bluebird - male

White-breasted Nuthatch - midair jump

Farallon Islands - Pacific Ocean Palagic Trip

13 August 2011

Spent a full day being tossed about in the Pacific Ocean on the "Superfish" fishing boat, joining 35 other Santa Clara Valley Audubon members for an early morning departure from San Francisco Bay for a day-long trip out to the Farallon Islands and beyond. It was bouncing, wind-blown day with 8-10 foot seas... and I didn't do as well as I hoped, to be honest. But I was still able to get some important bird species photographed... which was my goal.

Departure on the "Superfish" fishing boat

The bonus of the trip was observing a new LIFE BIRD for me... a single HAWAIIAN PETREL was spotted while in deep water past the Farallon Islands. That was a wonderful sighting... and that plus these species below made the day worth it!

Hawaiian Petrel

Sabine's Gull
Black-footed Albatross - Water Walker!
Long-tailed Jaeger
Pomarine Jaeger

Mediterranean Birding

Recently enjoyed 24 glorious days cruising and sightseeing and birding in the Mediterranean!

Blue Mediterranean in Greece

It was wonderful to do some excellent birding in Spain and Turkey... and I added 71 new LIFE BIRDS to my WORLD LIFELIST on the trip.

http://www.birdingpix.com/lifelists/dk_world_lifelist_by_family_2011.06.01.htm

Also enjoyed photographing the incredible sights and birds along the way... which added 82 new species photographed to my "Pix of Every Bird Observed" listing!

Currently at 922 species photographed... well on my way to reach 1000 species photographed!

Pix of Every Bird Observed

Alviso - Golden Eagle

06 April 2011

In the late afternoon, I was fortunate to watch and photograph a hunting and soaring juvenile GOLDEN EAGLE along the entrance road to the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Alviso, California.

Golden Eagle in Flight

Golden Eagle in Flight

This GOLDEN EAGLE continued to soar and hunt for at least an hour, offering wonderful views... some of the closest I have seen of this species. A fantastic afternoon!

Golden Eagle while Hunting

Amaryllis Flower Opens - Timelapse Video

Here is a very cool 60-second timelapse video of our Christmas Amaryllis flower... taken over 6 consecutive days using 6,400 still photos... time compressed into this 1 minute video. Enjoy!

Amaryllis Flower Opening Video

San Jose Christmas Bird Count 2010

19 December 2010

For all of us participating in this year's San Jose Christmas Bird Count, we knew it was going to be a wet and rainy day... and it was.

This was my 6th year in the Calaveras Sector, and I worked the Calaveras Reservoir Dam and northern shore and hill, up to where Arroyo Hondo creek enters the eastern edge of the reservoir.

Calaveras Reservoir Dam

Calaveras Reservoir Dam

Calaveras Reservoir Stream

Calaveras Reservoir Arroyo Hondo

Near where the Arroyo Hondo creek enters Calaveras Reservoir, the Alameda Creek Diversion Tunnel (a huge concrete water tunnel buried deep inside the hills) empties into the reservoir.

This year... with all the rains, the water flows were at the greatest anyone has ever seen!

Merry Christmas Day 2010

Enjoying a wonderful Christmas Day and reflecting on the fantastic birding and photography I experienced in 2010. It was great fun and very rewarding... and looking forward to a super 2011!

While in the Honduras this fall, I took this photo of a beautiful SCARLET MACAW... and with some Adobe Photoshop fun!

SCARLET MACAW - WATERCOLOR PAINTING

Roatan Island, Honduras Birding

October 19, 2010

As part of a Western Caribbean cruise, I birded the Island of Roatan, Honduras, which is located in Central America, east and south of the Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. I was met at the dock by a private guide whom I had arranged via the internet... and the weather cooperated with sunny skies and pleasant temperatures.

Roatan Island, Honduras

Roatan is a lovely place, very green and tropical as expected, and the birding was excellent.

Here are some photo highlights from Roatan, Honduras.

Scarlet Macaw

Scarlet Macaw

Green-breasted Mango

Canivet's Emerald

Cattle Egret over Blue Caribbean Sea


Yellow-throated Warbler

Gray Hawk

Golden-fronted Woodpecker

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

Southeastern Arizona Birding

August 1-10, 2010

I spent a glorious 10+ days birding and photographing in southeastern Arizona with Borderland Tours, and everyone had a fantastic experience. View the complete SLIDESHOW for highlights!

Starting in Tucson, I birded in Saguaro National Park, Sweetwater Wetlands, then south to Madera Canyon in the Santa Rita Mountains, Rio Rico (just a few miles north of the Mexico border in extreme southern Arizona), Patagonia, Sierra Vista, Miller Canyon, Ash Canyon, Ramsey Canyon in the Huachuca Mountains, then east St. David, to Whitewater Draw Wildlife Refuge, then to the extreme southeast corner of Arizona & New Mexico, along Stateline Road to Portal, Arizona at the base of the Chiricahua Mountains, Cave Creek Canyon, Barfoot Junction, and eventually back north and west to Lake Cochise in Wilcox and then back to Tucson.

Here are a few highlights... see the full Arizona SLIDESHOW for more!

Berylline Hummingbird

Broad-billed Hummingbird

Red-faced Warbler

Blue Grosbeak

White-eared Hummingbird

Yosemite National Park - Birding & Sightseeing

June 12, 2010

What a glorious Saturday in Yosemite National Park!

Yosemite Valley panoramic from Tunnel View

I spent the day birding with the Fresno Audubon Society field trip; walking several of the trails along the Merced River in Yosemite Valley, lunch while birding the Foresta Road area (very successful), and then I drove to the upper elevations (7000-8000 feet) along Glacier Point Road.

Yosemite Falls from the Valley floor


Ash-throated Flycatcher


Warbling Vireo


House Wren


Nashville Warbler (note banding on leg)


Mountain Chickadee

Bell's Vireo - Bayfront Park; Menlo Park, California

This afternoon, Barbi & I finally got a chance to drive up to Bayfront Park in Menlo Park, California to look for the Bell's Vireo... and there it was, right where everyone had said it would... signing away continuously!

It was elusive and not often visible... yet singing all the time... but occasionally this shy but noisy vireo would appear out in the open for a few moments before disappearing into the thick green leaves.
The sighting made for a great day and a new LIFE BIRD for both of us! Thanks to the Peninsula-Birding listing on Yahoo Groups!

Del Puerto Canyon - Stanislaus County

May 1, 2010

I spent a perfect Spring Saturday with the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society field trip to Del Puerto Canyon Road and San Antonio Valley Road in Stanislaus County.

DEL PUERTO CANYON ROAD

Highlights included COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRD, GREAT HORNED OWL nestlings, a quick PRAIRIE FALCON fly-by (during which I was lucky enough to get an in-focus pix).

GREAT HORNED OWL nestlings

COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRD


WHITE-THROATED SWIFT


ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER


PRAIRIE FALCON in flight


CHIPPING SPARROW


LEWIS' WOODPECKER


BALD EAGLE

The fields and roadsides offered splendid views of colorful wildflowers... gorgeous pastels among the green fields. Wonderful sights!

SPRING WILD FLOWERS in San Antonio Valley