Birds
Pigeon guillemots, Cepphus columba, nest in burrows dug into cliffs around Puget Sound, or they lay their eggs on beams under piers. In the breeding season, they are black with large white wing patches and have bright red feet. In winter, they molt into black and white plumage. First winter birds have a few more … Read more
Raptors are one of the most engaging of our avian groups. Today, we consider them carnivorous birds with hooked beaks, keen eyesight, and talons, but that definition has changed in the last fifty years. And not all birds we call raptors fit that description. Falcons, hawks, eagles, harriers, vultures, owls, and kites are among those … Read more
Madagascar is often called the eighth continent, underscoring its unique ecology and geography. Located approximately 250 miles off the east coast of Africa, the island is the fourth largest in the world. It boasts a landmass only somewhat less than the combined area of California and Oregon. The landscape is diverse, with high mountains rising … Read more
The bird leaned over, plucking a small bluish-black fruit from the tree and then holding it in its bill. Its red tongue seemed to roll along the outside of the fruit like it was testing the taste before swallowing it. Gulp and the fruit went down the gullet. Although this took a fraction of a … Read more
The Katmai Peninsula is wild, still supporting all the animals and fish present when Europeans first came to Alaska. The vastness, the brown bears, the sockeye salmon, and the glaciers leave one in awe. We spent a week in Alaska, where we experienced this landscape. I traveled with Nature Photography Adventures; they organized the trip … Read more
The fluffy flowers were waving in the light breeze when suddenly, a Blue-faced Honeyeater flew into the tree and began to probe the blossoms. The blooms had long, thin, white anthers that ended in pink. Each must have been an inch or more long. The nectar was at their base in what looked like a … Read more
The bird looked over its shoulder and back at me. His black eye sent an arrow right into my chest, and I shivered. It was as if he was checking me out, assessing whether he could take me or how much of a fight I might put up. The wind twisted his tail back and … Read more
Presentations I am preparing to give several book readings, presentations, and discussion sessions over the next four months. More will be added once the book is available. Some will focus on Alaska and what I cover in my book. Others will be versions of my talk titled What is a Raptor Anyway? Both are about … Read more
The Atherton Tablelands is a high flat plateau, 2400 ft elevation, that extends across eastern Queensland near Cairns. A series of volcanos spread basalt lava across this area, and it is now fertile agricultural land. We’d been cruising the back roads looking for birds. Brolga and Saurus Cranes fed in many pastures, and several small … Read more
“Don’t even think about it,” I imagined this dove saying to me as if I might be contemplating stealing his prospective mate. He had leaned forward, puffing out his chest and body feathers to make himself look grand. His bluish-black bill was tucked on his chest, his irises had taken on an intense yellow sheen, … Read more