GREAT GRAY OWL FLEDGLINGS
Vast Ponderosa Pine forest broken up by wildflower-filled meadows cover the Cascades of southern Oregon and provides refuge to one of the densest populations of Great Gray Owls in the United States. In fact 10 different owl species can be found in the region, and that’s the reason we now offer a 4-day target tour…
World Albatross Day 2020
A boat trip on the open ocean is like visiting a new world. Deep blue water surrounds you as far as the eye can see. Invisible to us, but filling the water below, are thousands of fish and other marine life. The huge, smooth back of a whale breaks the surface of the choppy sea.…
Woodcock Wander
I have a great affinity for birds that can blend easily into their environments. Owls and nightjars come to mind, perfectly-camouflaged against bark or on the ground. Their cryptic colouration and patterns blend in so well that we often walk past them without realizing they are there. Shorebirds especially in breeding plumage and on the…
IN THE BACKYARD: Philadelphia early-June
June is the month for breeding bird activity, and my backyard hosts a number of expected species. However, the first day of the month I recorded a singing male Blackburnian Warbler, one of the last migrants to move through the region. A lone Red-eyed Vireo sang a few days, but perhaps failed to attract a…
SPECIES SPOTLIGHT: GAMBEL’S QUAIL
One perk of being “stuck” at home for the last few months is that I’ve gotten a chance to really get to know the Gambel’s Quail that live in the yard. A Sonoran desert specialist, these quail are usually found near desert streams and watering holes. However, they have adapted well to suburban areas too.…
SPECIES SPOTLIGHT: RIDGWAY’S RAIL
The name Ridgway’s Rail may be unfamiliar to many birders because it is the result of 2014’s three-way split of Clapper Rail, the same year when a split of King Rail also occurred. Most field guides haven’t been updated recently enough to show this new species listed! In 2014 “Clapper Rail” became 3 species; with…
SPECIES SPOTLIGHT: Ruff Trifecta!
As birders we are all about finding the new bird – for our life lists, for our county lists, or purely because a certain species catches our eye and piques our interest. But have you ever noticed that you can be searching for a particular bird for years, and never see it, but then that…
Savanna Scavengers
Across the wild landscape of Africa, life and death are in constant play. Every creature must eat, and the survival of one often depends on the demise of another. Big cats like lion, leopard, and cheetah are the dominant predators of the savanna, hiding in tall grasses or dense thickets to ambush prey. These hunters…
Maine Attractions: Regulars and Rarities
As I mull over what was my schedule for the summer, Maine is most definitely on my mind. This past Sunday would have marked the end of the Acadia Birding Festival in Southwest Harbor on Mount Desert Island. Mount Desert Island is famous as the home to most of Acadia National Park, and the port…
IN THE BACKYARD: Philadelphia late-May
Spring migration wrapped up in Philadelphia over the last 10 days of May. Though most mornings were quiet I often heard and saw an American Redstart, sometimes two. A Tennessee Warbler made a brief appearance. A Gray-cheeked Thrush showed well over several afternoons. On May 23rd a last wave of migrants moved through. Eastern Wood-Pewee…
Puerto Rican Birding with GABRIEL LUGO
In Puerto Rico, the lockdown has loosened up a bit and Gabriel Lugo has been able to leave his yard and do a little birding further afield! Recent adventures took him to Arecibo near Cambalache State Forest, where he was treated to great views of Puerto Rican Lizard Cuckoo. The Puerto Rican Lizard Cuckoo is a Puerto…
Six Specialty Birds of the OKAVANGO DELTA
The Okavango Delta is one of southern Africa’s most famous wilderness areas, renowned for stunning wildlife, pristine beauty, and a remarkable landscape. Situated in land-locked Botswana, the Okavango Delta covers 6,000 square miles with a natural mosaic of palm-fringed islands, open savanna, flowing rivers, crystal clear lagoons and vast floodplains. The Okavango Delta floods paradoxically during…