White-Headed Woodpecker
March 2006 – Methow Valley, WA
I spotted this White-Headed Woodpecker while cross-country skiing in the Methow Valley in Washington. The photo isn’t the best, but it’s all I could come up with given the circumstance.
American Dipper
The American Dipper (also called Water Ouzels) are one of the more conspicuous birds of the northwest forests. These birds forage for their food under the surface of whitewater streams. They often squawk loudly while flying purposefully – straight and low – over the water surface, stopping on rocks or branches. This one was repeatedly returning for food for her two fledgling chicks. This was along a stretch of the Deschutes River, just south of Bend OR. I felt pretty lucky to get such a composition… there’s a lot going on here – the morsel of food, the bright red mouths, the dripping water… Feed me!
American Dipper
This bird was taking a rest on a log near University Falls in the Oregon coast range.
American Dipper
The Dipper gets its name possibly for two reasons. First, they dip in the water to get their food. But, they also have a curious habit flexing their legs and “dipping”, almost like a curtsy. They do this almost continuously… rarely just standing still – almost like a tic.
Barred Owl
We were just leaving the trailhead from Mt. Mitchell (just south of Mt. St. Helens), when I saw some movement out of the corner of my eye. It was this Barred Owl, swooping down to the forest floor to grab an unlucky mouse. He then floated back up to a mossy limb to have a little snack. A car can work as an effective blind – the bird doesn’t see the car as a threat, and for whatever reason, doesn’t perceive the people inside them. So, I fished around the back seat for my camera and long lens, while the owl ripped the mouse to bloody pieces. I snapped a few shots with the window rolled down, and then tried stepping out of the car for a closer look. I only took a couple steps though, and the owl took off (after finishing the mouse).
Red-winged Blackbird - Male
May 2011 – The Oregon Garden
The Red-winged Blackbirds were plentiful, noisy, and flamboyant at the Oregon Garden in May 2011. The bird on the top is a male, obviously, and strutting his stuff in a small wetland.
Red-winged Blackbird - Female
May 2011 – The Oregon Garden
The image on the bottom is a female. Usually the females are more timid, but on this day, they seemed every bit as raucous as the males. I wonder if this habitat was just so perfect that they’d let down their guard a bit.
Rufous Hummingbird
May 2011 – Oregon Garden, Oregon
I spotted this hummingbird checking out a Camas flower in the Oregon Garden in May 2011. I was photographing some other birds at the time, and just noticed him out of the corner of my eye. I only had time to snap a couple quick photos, and got a bit lucky that the focus was dead-on, and the whole composition of the image actually worked.
Warbling Vireo
This Warbling Vireo was flitting around in a tree about 20ft overhead of a path in the Oregon Garden. I was actually trying to get a shot of a more conspicuous American Goldfinch, but was happy to get a much nicer shot of this bird.
Hermit Warbler
June 2005 – Zigzag Mountain, OR
I heard this Hermit Warbler (and many others) for a long while before I could get a clear look. They were all in the top branches of the fir trees, which made spotting, identifying and photographing them pretty difficult. So, it’s not the best photo, but it’ll do.
Townsend's Solitaire
July 2005 – Yocum Ridge, Mt. Hood, OR
There were a number of Townsend’s Solitaires roaming the alpine landscape high on Mt. Hood’s south face. This was as good of a photo as I could muster that day.
Yellow-rumped Warbler
April 2007 – Joshua Tree National Park
This Yellow-rumped Warbler was very approachable. It was darting through a bush, just a few feet above the ground near a parking area in Joshua Tree National Park.
Red-footed Booby
November 2007 – Kaua’i
A number of these Red-footed Boobies were flying around the northern shore of Kaua’i.