Why hello there friends, hello. Not to be one of those talk-about-the-weather-all-the-time types, but crapballs! May 2nd and I was decked out in long underwear, gloves and hat again today. So confusing.(Above: Black-and-white Warbler with a caterpillar), below: Painted Bunting hunkering down in some thistle) Black-capped nestlings-they’ve hatched. Golden-cheeked Warblers have fledgies. This season is […]
The Northern Spotted Owl: One of the Most Studied Owls in the World
I recently attended the Godwit Days Spring Migration Bird Festival located in Arcata and the surrounding areas of Northern California. One of the reasons I wanted to attend this magnificent seventeen year old festival was because of the diversity of birds and wildlife located in the area. Confirmation of my attendance was made when I […]
Florida Scrub Jay
After we finished Blackpoint Drive this past Saturday, we drove out to Scrub Ridge Trail to look for Scrub Jays. I first visited this area in 2010, and during my first view visits, I would usually find them, but they seemed to take no interest in me. A couple years ago, though, all that began […]
Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja), Florida’s iconic wading bird.
Striking, beautiful, bizarre, fascinating – all are adjectives used to describe Florida’s iconic Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja). The pink color of it’s feathers is diet-derived, from carotinoid pigments. Spoonbills wade through the shallows, swishing their spoon shaped bills from side to side…feeding on crustaceans, aquatic insects, frogs, newts and small fish. Hunted almost to extinction […]
Sunspots
There’s been a marked decline in the number of sunspots over the past decade or so. That’s what NASA scientists say, and I have no reason to doubt their research findings. Luckily, I haven’t observed any reduction in the terrestrial version of this phenomenon. Hardly a day has passed lately when I’ve not been blinded […]
Bad Weather Morning at Kabashima…
As usual the forecasters got it wrong – rain during the night clearing by dawn with sunny skies from noon – alas, rain, rain and more rain. In fact, it’s still raining now at 19:45! Anyway, I left home at 03:30 in order to catch the dawn and see if any migrants were around at […]
The Last Wolf – A Review
I read a lot, both fictional and non-fictional books and have done since I was very young. I enjoy it and at the same time I learn, expanding my mind and my knowledge. So, why I ask myself, have I never written about books? I have never reviewed a book on paper, not counting middle […]
First Prize – Outdoor Photographer Photo Contest
I am pleased to report that my photo BLAST OFF! was awarded First Prize in the Outdoor Photographer Magazine’s 4th annual Great Outdoors photo contest. The image captured a sunrise blast off of a huge flock of snow geese at Bosque del Apache in New Mexico. Technical details: Tripod mounted Canon 7D with Canon EF […]