Bird Photography Weekly

The birding in Costa Rica is legendary, with Toucans, Parrots, Motmots, Trogons and Oropendolas.  But the thing I could not get enough of, were the Hummingbirds.  We saw 27 species of Hummingbirds in the 10 days we were there.  This Green Violet-ear is a highland bird.  I love him posed nicely against the terracotta pots. [...]

Migration way-station

Migration makes for strange bed–er–tree fellows.  I saw the Yellow-shafted Flicker and the Eastern Bluebird.  What I did not see until the Flicker flew away was the Blue-headed Vireo.  Can you see it?  Ok.  I know the picture is crappy, but try squinting.   I put in some arrows to help.   Three in a [...]

Autumn Butterflies

Isn’t it interesting that fall butterflies are fall colored.

Wee, teeny American Copper

The beautiful Common Buckeye

Sachem Skipper, I am so bad at IDing skippers.  Scott Barnes, the naturalist at Sandy Hook, IDed this one.

Bird Photography Weekly

Last year at this time my sister and I popped over to Bermuda for a long weekend.  The weather was glorious.  We took pink buses around the island to walk pink sand beaches and shop in pink painted shops.  We ate rum cake, swam with the dolphins, tried mopeding, and of course, birded around the [...]

The Addiction – a short story

Paul pulled up to the ATM, stuck in his card and punched in $300. He had held out as long as he could. He needed cash. There was no time to waste. The machine whirred and spit out a receipt that said INSUFFICIENT FUNDS. Paul slammed this fist against the front of the machine. He [...]

Skywatch

I pulled up to the stop sign at the end of Beech Road heading to work after the Thursday Morning birdwalk.  I glanced both ways and then up.  Way above me a hawk soared, making lazy circles in the sky.  It was pretty high but as it turned and twisted in the air, the tail [...]

Hawks are on the move at Mt. Peter

I snapped the packet of pepper with my fingers before ripping it open to pour the tiny black specks onto my pea soup.  In the process some pepper spilled onto the cafeteria table.  Stirring the soup, waiting for it to cool, I brushed the pepper into a small cloud; then ran my finger through it to simulate [...]

Bird Photography Weekly

The 3rd edition of Bird Photography Weekly is up and the Birdfreak team wants your input.  Scour your photos, post it to your blog, then go leave a link.  Do it now.
I give you a Red-faced Cormorant in breeding plumage taken on a boat trip during the Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival in Homer, Alaska.  Brrr.  [...]

Marsh Cruise at the Meadowlands Festival of Birding

I signed up for the 1st pontoon boat eco-cruise through the marsh at 7 am.  Of course this meant I left my house at 5:15.  I thought I would spare you the early morning drive and give you a virtual ride.

3 boats left the River Barge Park and Marina in Carlstadt.  Our boat was captained [...]

Skywatch

I was with friends the other day and we were talking about if you were a bird which one would you be.   There were lots of interesting answers from hawks (of course) to a vulture (you can’t be serious!) to eagles (hmmm, yes but have you heard their call?), and an Anna’s Hummingbird (biggest of the [...]