From the Huachaca’s we headed to Patagonia to visit the Paton’s (above) feeders. With the plaintitive cry of a Gray Hawk in the background, we settled in under the awning to keep us dry from a passing storm, and watched hummers buzzing all around the half dozen feeders hanging along the back of the house.For decades this…

In contrast to the Chiricahua’s the devastation from the Monument fire was very obvious once we reached the Huachuca Mts. Ash Canyon (above) was hit hard and Miller Canyon was impossible to drive up consequently so we were not able to visit the plethora of feeders at Beatty’s. Jane and I enjoyed a wonderful stay…

On our trip we visited three of the four ‘sky islands’ that occur in SE Arizona – the Santa Rita’s, the Huachuca’s and the Chiricahua Mountains (above) – all in search of the hummingbirds that make this part of the country unique. Sadly, the major fires that occured in Arizona in the early summer had…

I have just returned from a wonderful week in Southeast Arizona where Jane and I spent time photographing hummingbirds. Late summer is the peak of migration and we got to see thirteen of these wonderful diminutive avian aerial masters. We began west of Tucson, on the border of the Saguaro National Park, at the outstanding…

Santa Fé Land Iguana, Galápagos Islands.Canon 40D w/Sigma 18-200 @ 18mm One of the best ways to add drama to an image is to get low. The “worm’s eye view” offers a very different perspective from the average person’s 5′ 6″ upright view. Sticking with the Galápagos theme where I will be next week, here are a…

In three days I will be headed back to the Galapagos Islands! Having been there more than a dozen times, people ask me if it’s getting ‘old’. NO WAY! The Galapagos had been on my bucket list since I was an 8 year old watching a Disney special on Darwin and the Galapagos. I was…

Liz Santaniello reports on GEOFest This November, Kevin will be a featured speaker for the GEOFest sponsored by the Geographical Society of Philadelphia. The GEOFest is a new, week-long opportunity for people to learn more about the world. Since 1891 the Geographical Society has been exploring the world and bringing it to the public with…

The PA Young Birders at Rushton Woods Preserve enjoyed another wonderful outing at this Chester County gem on Wednesday, July 13.  A dozen enthusiastic kids joined us to learn all about bird beaks and feeding habits, a fascinating topic. Blake had set-up different stations which the kids visited to “fill their crops,” i.e., get food!…

A juvenile White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) was found at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum on Wednesday evening, July 13. As of July 17 the bird was still there, probing the shallows and muddy edges of the impoundment where it could be seen feeding on a variety of aquatic invertebrates including some truly long…

Yes, Apple’s computer service rocks! However, about the middle of last week, I was not thinking the same thing — I had a few choice words to say. Those who have traveled with me know how much I love Apple products and have been using them since 1985! So here’s the story about my MacBook…

Lena Samsonenko is currently in Tanzania Many of our readers have traveled and birded with Lena as she has interned or co-led Wildside trips to Alaska, Puerto Rico, Panama, Belize and Mexico. Those who have met Lena know how passionate she is about every aspect of natural history including botany, wilderness survival skills, and, of course,…

A Hooded Crow in New York City has attracted much attention over the past two weeks.  Since mid-June, birders have flocked for regular looks of the bird at Great Kills Park, part of Gateway National Recreational Area, on the ocean side of Staten Island, just south of Manhattan. This individual has been favoring the area…