Monthly Archives: February 2025

The Loggerhead Shrike is a songbird with a raptor-like beak. Shrikes, also known as “butcherbirds”, prey on insects and small vertebrates including other birds. They lack the powerful beak and the strong talons of a true raptor. But they can hold prey well enough to use their beak to dispatch their prey with a biteContinue reading “Snapshot: Loggerhead Shrike”

I caught these two birds landing together in very shallow water in a mudflat. The surface provided an excellent mirror. A Killdeer is still in the air as an American Golden-plover touches down on the flat.

This Brown Pelican has just surfaced with his catch only to be accosted by a Laughing Gull. The gull is boldly moving in to see if it can somehow snatch a fish from the pelican. A gull being a gull.

My previous post generated a bit of interest in this photogenic raptor so I am posting a few more pictures that I took that day. There were actually two Swallow-tailed Kites in the air that morning. The first one we noticed had a prey item in its beak. It later transferred it to its talonsContinue reading “More Swallow-tailed Kite”

The Swallow-tailed Kite is a large raptor, as large as a Red-tailed Hawk but much more slender. They are larger than an American Crow. The source of their name is obvious. The black flight feathers and tail combined with the bright white body and wing linings make for a striking sight when viewed from below.Continue reading “Snapshot: Swallow-tailed Kite”

I found this as I continue updating my database. Red-crowned Amazons, a species of parrot, are found in locally established pockets in the southern US. They are native to a small region of Mexico and South Texas but escaped pets have set up colonies in various cities. This individual was part of a flock livingContinue reading “Found in the Clutter: Red-crowned Amazon”

If a very large gull comes up to you on the beach and kicks sand in your face, it’s a Great Black-backed Gull. The largest gull in the world is a notorious predator, bully, thief and pirate. They hunt for invertebrates, scavenge carrion and trash, grab food from other birds (including eagles). They prey onContinue reading “Feathered Action: Great Black-backed Gull”

I can identify with this male Northern Pintail as it gingerly makes its way across some thin ice to open water. I move with the same care on a slippery walkway.

This photo of a Killdeer mom and her chick is from last spring. I was adding keywords to all the photos in the folder and this one just caught my eye.

I took this with my big telephoto lens on a whim. It’s a Blue Dasher dragonfly. Fun way to hone my skills. Maybe I should try some actual macro photography some day!