Common Raven
January 2011 – Grand Canyon Rim, Arizona
These intelligent birds love open spaces with lots of updrafts to soar upon… and it doesn’t hurt if there is easy food available from messy tourists.
Common Raven
Bonaparte’s Gull
Bonaparte's Gull
October 2011 – Cannon Beach, OR
I believe this is a Bonaparte’s Gull, though it’s hard to tell, as the bird’s head is wet. Sadly, there was probably something wrong with the bird’s feathers that allowed it to get like this – the feathers should shed water, but if they got a little oily, this could happen. The bird would have a hard time staying warm with its feathers in this state. Hopefully, it was able to survive this… but in the harsh environment of the cold ocean, a minor malady like this can be fatal.
Sanderling
Sanderlings
October 2011 – Ft. Stevens on the Oregon Coast
A couple more images of a flock of Sanderlings that were running up and down the beach… sometimes flying to a new location.
Flock of Sanderlings
I was having fun photographing these birds until some idiot driving his car on the beach (yes, this is allowed on this particular beach) drove right through the flock and made them scatter. I’m sure he didn’t give it any thought. I suppose that’s the definition of being a “thoughtless jerk”. These birds live a precarious existence, just scraping by on little morsels they extract from the inter-tidal zone. Any little bit of stress added to their lives is harmful to them. Sure, these aren’t rare birds, but they deserve their space.
Sanderling
Earlier Image
These restless little birds gather in large flocks for protection. They run along sandy beaches, continuously probing for tiny morsels.
Western Tanager
Western Tanager
May 2011 – Shore Acres State Park, OR
Another mediocre photo of a female Western Tanager. Shore Acres is a great place to see birds. There are a number of habitats in the park, plenty of places to sneak-up on the birds, and a lot of open space in an otherwise pretty brushy landscape.
Western Tanager
May 2010 – Hell’s Canyon, OR
Not a great photo… but it is a female Western Tanager. About mid-elevation in the canyon in the springtime.
Cactus Wren
Cactus Wren
December 2010 – Phoenix, Arizona
This Cactus Wren ruffles its feathers to stay warm on an unusually cool day in the Phoenix area.
Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher
Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher
December 2010 – Phoenix, Arizona
This Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher was shooting through a bush… catching gnats? This image was taken in winter 2010/11 in Phoenix Arizona.
Pelagic Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
May 2011 – Bandon, OR
The Pelagic Cormorant is a common seaside nester along the Oregon coast. This one stopped for a moment on a barren cliffside just off Bandon Beach.
Pelagic Cormorant
April 2010 – LaConner, WA
These Pelagic Cormorants were hanging out on the piers near downtown LaConner, WA.
Brown Pelican
Brown Pelican
November 2009 – Bandon, Oregon
For some reason, in 2009 thousands of Brown Pelicans congregated on the southern Oregon coast. Most likely, whatever food they were eating was plentiful in the area. Usually, these large populations are much further south into California. This solitary bird was taking a rest on Bandon beach.
Brown Pelican
I snapped this portrait as a Brown Pelican was flying by… I was somewhat surprised at how sharp I managed to get this.
Song Sparrow
Song Sparrow
May 2010 – Shore Acres State Park, Oregon
These are ubiquitous little birds that sometimes don’t get their due respect. Most birds that are common in suburbia suffer this fate – especially when they’re colored a mostly plain brown. But, the Song Sparrow has a powerful voices and beautiful song. I never get tired of them. This photo is from Shore Acres state park along the southern Oregon coast.
Pileated Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
This is a photo from the spring of 2006 – a pileated woodpecker allowed me to snap a few shots while he hammered away at a rotten log in Tryon Creek State Park. This was truly a rare thing to witness at such a close distance – these birds are usually more skittish. Amazingly, the 2nd such encounter for me in a 2 week span (the other was in Hillsboro).
Pileated Woodpecker
Here’s the other sighting, just 2 weeks prior to the first. This bird was hammering away on a stump, then hopped over to this nearby trunk.