california

A pretty butterfly greeted me in the morning in my sisters garden. I couldn't resist so had to get a few shots. I thought ID'ing new birds was tough, butterflies are even tougher, like trying to ID juvinile gulls through a scope!

Having no luck with Yellow-billed Magpies, I was surprised to find this Maggy in Bridgeport, at first I thought it was a Yellow-billed but it seemed out of his range, then it all made sense as soon as he lifted his head from collecting breakfast, I had my first US Black-Billed! I've seen their...

Though I dipped on the Pygmy Nuthatch, this cute White-breasted Nuthatch posed nicely for me as he climbed downwards on the trunk. Not a lifer, but my best shot of this species so I was happy.

Another lifer from my California trip and one of the best photos of the trip. I love the intensity in his eye. These were fairly common birds in the "Gold Country" in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada range. I don't recall seeing this species as a child though.

Found this male in El Dorado California, a very hot dry hillside with some Oaks and a small stream that was a mini oasis in this arid hill country. Also had fresh blackberries from the vine as a snack, one of the small joys of being in the states.

Found this target lifer in the thriving metropolis of Bridgeport California. The ample supply of huge mosquitoes provide plenty of food for birds out here on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada range. A beautiful but stark landscape of high desert and snow capped peaks. About 30 minutes south...

The tiercel Peregrine Falcon has handed off the prey bird to his Falcon mate. She has it in her talons. The tiercel is very attentive and keeps an eye on his mate to make sure she does not drop the prey. You can see the first image here in my photo gallery or at my website...

This is an image of tiercel (male) Peregrine Falcon turning and diving at high speed toward a raven on the cliff below him. I have been photo documenting this tiercel for 6 years. You can see & purchase photos of him on my website at www.sharpeyesonline.com/

Wild tiercel (male) Peregrine Falcon (Falcon peregrinus anatum) transfers a prey bird from his beak to the waiting talons of his Falcon (female) mate. Successful food transfers occur very, very fast. They take 1 second to complete. While the Falcon is in her cliffside eyrie (nest) on eggs or...

For a month I have been trying to re-capture an image of this Northern Harrier touching down on a post in the evening light. I have sat on the ground for hours, checking my camera settings against the available light, picking the angle for the backgound and most important, being aware of the...

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Another of my "old" photos from two years ago. Looking forward to getting much better photos as well as getting some lifers this summer on my trip to California.

also known as Black-necked Grebe breeding plumage

A cute story goes with this photo. This was my father's "pet" Jay. It is a wild bird that started hanging around our old backyard. My dad would feed him peanuts every day. After a few years, this bird became so tame and used to my dad, he would sometimes fly into the house if we left...

The juvenile Eared Grebe shows some pretty browns, and the eye is not as red as the adult. Here we see some field marks that help distinguish it from the Horned Grebe, including a steeply sloped forehead, rounder crown with peak to the front, and a high-riding puffed up rear end. In Europe known...

Savannah sparrow perching on a fence at the San Joaquin River NWR in Modesto, California.

Keeping with the Gulls, here's one from my "other home", California. Some horrid little kids kept chasing the gulls as I was trying to get photos, a glare at their parents put an end to that :-) Many thanks to my dear sister Dawn for driving me out to the coast for the day!

This species breeds in the Gulf of California and along the Pacific coast of western Mexico; in the post-breeding season, it moves northward, but in the USA is restricted almost exclusively to the coast of California. In August we encountered this gull regularly while birding the California...

The Sharp-shinned Hawk summers across Canada and in both the northwestern and northeastern mountains of the United States; in winter it can be found across most of the United States. One cloudy morning, while I was strolling up a small wooded ravine in a city park near the California coast, I...

Thanks to the sharp-eyed folks in the Bird ID forum, this has been ID'd as a male Common Yellowthroat (Juv). Looking at the photo in my field guide (adult male) I'd have never guessed it for that species!

Drying his wings after a nice bath. I spent hours looking through the reeds trying to find a Tricolor but no luck this trip.

A common bird throughout California. Oddly enough, I don't recall seeing this one while I was growing up there but I wasn't paying much attention to birds back then (well, not the feathered variety ;-) so I guess I tick another "lifer"!

Thanks to the kind folks in the ID forum, this has been ID's as a juv. White-crowned Sparrow. I couldn't tell but I will go with their call.

Just adding an ID photo from last summer's trip to California. This was a "lifer" for me!

A Great Blue Heron catching a snake. He whipped this snake back and forth and struggled with it for several minutes before devouring the critter.