Wildlife

It only took 9 years …. American Dipper (Cinclus mexicanus)

It only took 9 years .... American Dipper (Cinclus mexicanus)

The first time I saw an American Dipper was in November 2014. I was on a Bald Eagle workshop with Moose Peterson in Haines, Alaska. It was a very dull and dark day and I saw this tiny (compared to Bald Eagles) quickly working along the river bank. I asked what it was and Moose […]


Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens)

Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens)

Spring Bird Migration USA 06 There are three types of “Black-throated” Warblers: Green, Blue and Gray. The colour in the name refers to the colour of the plumage on the top of the head and down the back. The Black-throated Green Warbler is olive-green, white below, with yellow faces and black on the front. Adult […]


Black-and-White Warbler (Mniotilta varia)

Black-and-White Warbler (Mniotilta varia)

Spring Bird Migration USA 05 The Black-and-White Warbler is easily distinguished from other warblers by the way it moves on the limbs and branches of trees. It scurries, climbs up and descends along the branches looking for insects to eat. Very often they can be seen hanging upside down on a branch in their search […]


Cape May Warbler (Setophaga Tigrina)

Cape May Warbler (Setophaga Tigrina)

Spring Bird Migration USA The Cape May Warbler, while being one of the species passing through Magee Marsh, was the most evasive. There was very limited visibility of the male Cape May Warbler, dodging around non-stop making it extremely hard to get a picture (but, of course that is his job!). However, on my penultimate […]


Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia)

Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia)

Spring Bird Migration USA 04 The Magnolia Warbler has a distinctive black neckband with black streaks that radiate from the neckband giving the impression of a jeweled necklace. The Canada Warbler (Cardellina canadensis) is often confused with the Magnolia as it also has the jeweled necklace, but the Magnolia has other black streaks along its […]


Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea)

Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea)

Spring Bird Migration USA 03 This visit to Maggee Marsh Wildlife Area in Ohio is the first time that I have seen the Prothonotary Warbler. It is quite different from most other Warblers to look at as it does not have a distinctive cap or stripes along the body. Yes it does have a distinctive […]


Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)

Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)

Spring Bird Migration USA 01 I posted this on Instagram the other day hoping it would also post here and on Facebook. No such luck! A first visit to the marshes on the southern side of Lake Erie in northern Ohio. The mission is to photograph the migration of warblers as they rest a little […]


Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus)

Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus)

Spring Bird Migration As the week at the Marshes on the Southern Shore of Lake Erie in Ohio progresses, this very distinctive bird call was teasing me. The call was from a Warbling Vireo, I could get a sense of direction, but could not find it. The trees are in full leaf and I think […]


Western Screech-Owl, Another Birding First!

Western Screech-Owl, Another Birding First!

We had heard that there was a Western Screech-Owl (Megascops kennicottii) at San Pedro House in Arizona. So as we had never seen this Screech Owl, we headed to the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area near Sierra Vista in Southern Arizona. Our friends Michelle and Dennis had shown us a phone picture of the […]


Mountain Bluebirds – Adult Female and 3 Fledgelings

Mountain Bluebirds - Adult Female and 3 Fledgelings

Visiting Custer State Park in South Dakota. One of the best wildlife parks to visit. It has everything from the great old male Buffalo to some of the tiniest birds. A good place for birds is in the airport area. The fenceposts are very popular. Traveling around the Wildlife Loop Road this family of Mountain […]


Puffins – Aren’t They Just Gorgeous?

Puffins - Aren't They Just Gorgeous?

One of the great opportunities when visiting Newfoundland in Canada is to go to Elliston on the east coast and see the nesting Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica) colony. We were there very early in the Season and these cute little birds were just arriving for their 3 months of the year on land to breed. […]


Friday the 13th

Friday the 13th

Are you superstitious? Frankly I am not, but when it comes to Wildlife Photography, we had been skunked a lot lately. We had a whale watching tour from Forillon National Park and saw no whales. The operator had the policy that if you don’t see any whales and you are still in the area you […]


Birds Seen for the First Time

Birds Seen for the First Time

Here are some photographs of new birds for my list so far this year. They have been shot exclusively in Texas and Southern Arizona. There are many beautiful areas and wildlife preserves down here and it is my delight to make the most of them when I can. These images were shot in the following […]


Black Bears on the Beach

Black Bears on the Beach

We have seen Black Bears (Ursus americana) in several National Parks (Denali, Yellowstone, Glacier) and places in between. But this was the first time seeing them on the beach.  There was a Sow demonstrating the process to her cub. and the Yearling Cub demonstrating listening and watching Mother… working their way along the beach to […]


Mum and Pup Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris)

Mum and Pup Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris)

It is always great to photograph these, the smallest of marine mammals, as they just look so cute and cuddly. We had seen them on our visit to Alaska where they were “rafted up” in their hundreds.  But this Mum and Pup we spotted while on a cruise with Archipelago Cruises out of Ucluelet on […]


Eared Grebes (Podiceps nigricollis) and their Young

Eared Grebes (Podiceps nigricollis) and their Young

Earlier this year was my first encounter with Eared Grebes (Podiceps nigricollis) at Mono Lake in the Californian Eastern Sierras.  They were just arriving and the guide books said that there would be so many that you could walk on them to the other side of the lake! However, when visiting Saskatoon Lake Provincial Park […]


This Guy Deserves an Award !

This Guy Deserves an Award !

While in Yellowstone National Park, I had stopped to work a pair of Trumpeter Swans (Cygnus buccinator) and noticed a group of cars pulled off the road just up the hill – probably bear! Having finished with the swans, I decided to walk up to the other cars to see what was going on.  As […]


This Makes a Great Day of Wildlife Photography!

This Makes a Great Day of Wildlife Photography!

…..for me. What makes “Great” day in your wildlife photography?  Do tell me. I really enjoy photographing wildlife.  Moving to Nikon cameras from my old Hasselblad “V” System camera enabled me to get some long glass.  I started with the Nikkor 200.0-400.0mm f/4 lens primarily for birds and warbirds (i.e. anything that flies!), largely inspired […]


A Shore Birder’s paradise

A Shore Birder's paradise

I just love watching and shooting shorebirds.  As regular readers know I even travel to Churchill, Manitoba to shoot the shorebirds in their striking breeding plumage. I have had great fun at Fort DeSoto County Park in Florida – working a Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa) when my spotter (Louise) points out a Long-billed Curlew (Numinous […]


The non-Shorebirds that go to Churchill

The non-Shorebirds that go to Churchill

My previous blog was about the shorebirds in their gorgeous breeding plumage that make their way to Churchill, Manitoba.  But there are plenty of other types of birds and species that travel all the way to Churchill in order to breed. Many of these birds also “dress up” in order to attract a mate!  Here […]


Why Go to Churchill, Manitoba, to Photograph Birds?

Why Go to Churchill, Manitoba, to Photograph Birds?

Story with photographs showing the breeding plumage of several species of shorebirds as they migrate to the sub-arctic North to breed in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada


I’ve Got Lunch Honey – Well Almost!

I've Got Lunch Honey - Well Almost!

Photographs of Arctic Terns on an iceberg in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada


Witnessing a Natural Phenomenon

Witnessing a Natural Phenomenon

As the blog from our full-time RVing in North Americas says – serendipity strikes again.  We visited Haines in Alaska for images of Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) but instead discovered all three species of Scoters (Surf Scoter, Black Scoter and White-winged Scoter) in this feeding frenzy. Oh how I love wildlife photography! Mother Nature is […]


Why do they call Haliaeetus leucocephalus “Snow Pigeons” ?

Why do they call Haliaeetus leucocephalus “Snow Pigeons” ?

This is a recent blog from our full-time RVing travels about Wildlife Photography of Bald Eagles in Alaska. Click on the image to go to the blog entry.