Author Archives: birdsinmyviewfinder

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!

This is one of five subspecies of Red-shouldered Hawks in North America. This form, extimus, is found in southern Florida. It’s color is much more pale in the head and breast than in the other forms. Photo taken in Corkscrew Swamp near Naples Florida in 2023.

This male Long-tailed Duck is demonstrating his impression of a naval carrier pilot doing “touch and go” practice landings. I don’t know why he aborted his landing after hitting the water. He came right up and kept flying further along the shore.

This photo is from deep down in my photo clutter. It was in a 9 year old folder among a group that I was consolidating. The posing Wood Ducks caught my eye and I decided to do some processing. This pair of Wood Ducks was enjoying the early morning sun on top of a ratherContinue reading “From Deep in the Clutter: Wood Duck”

This long distance migrant nests in northernmost Canada and Alaska. It then migrates to Uruguay and adjacent portions of Argentina and Brazil during the Northern Hemisphere winter. The first bird still has some breeding colors. The second is a non-breeding individual flying over the beach with some heavy surf in the background. Photos from 2017.