Under the golden rays of a rising sun in its kingdom at Mt. Apo Natural Park stands the Lord of the Forest, Haring Ibon, the King of Birds, in all its splendour and majesty! Photographing the most majestic eagle in the world at the golden hour is one of the greatest moments a wild bird […]
Rare Birds of North America – book review
Rare Birds of North America, written by renowned birders Steve N. G. Howell, Ian Lewington, and Will Russell, is a technical tour de force. Its technical expertise is exact and passionate. Reading Rare Birds of North America will simply make you a better birder and better naturalist. Birding books generally fall into two categories—books that […]
Mindanao Wrinkled Hornbill
I had always wondered what “Writhed” means whenever the name of this species came up in the past. I thought it was a name of an English discoverer, but lately I have known that the names means “Wrinkled.” I was also surprise to find out that this bird is also called Mindanao Wrinkled Hornbill in […]
Ibong Adarna
I have often wondered what the mythical bird “Ibong Adarna” was in the erstwhile kingdom of Berbania where it was described to be a magical bird that could turn humans into stone, that could change its colours as it sings, and that it could cure an ailing king. I haven’t seen this bird yet and […]
Eastern Phoebe at Central Winds Park
I saw my first Great Crested Flycatcher of the year this year; that’s usually a good sign that Eastern Phoebes are going to start packing up to leave. I suspect by the end of March, they’ll all be gone. So a few days ago I photographed an Eastern Phoebe at Central Winds Park. I’m going […]
A Bestiary: Songbirds ~ Northern Parula Warbler
Over two years have flown by since my monthly posts featuring warblers began over at Native Plants and Wildlife Gardens. Here is my next to the last wood warbler — sighted, as all the others, here at Flower Hill Farm Retreat. The Northern Parula (Setophaga americana) was just passing through May of 2011, when these […]
Ring-billed Gull Ready for Spring
This ring-billed gull, Larus delawarensis, is in breeding plumage; the bird’s head and breast are snowy white. I took the picture on the East River in Brooklyn last week. Can spring be far behind? This is an adult ring-bill in non-breeding plumage, taken a few months ago in the same place. Its head and neck […]