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Behind the Bins
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Join me behind the bins to watch birds around the country and sometimes in other places around the globe.
Recent Posts Tagged With 'photos'
Bird Photography Weekly
I am on my way for yet another business trip. Alas, this one will not allow for any squeezed-in birding. I know I have been absent from my much-loved bird blog for a long while, but hang in there with me, this is my last trip of the year. Let me o...
Wordless Wednesday
Bird Photography Weekly
Since I am going to be in Phoenix for business, I decided to take a few vacation days to visit with some friends and go birding. I have some target birds I hope to see, not the least among them are those pesky quails. I will be going out with...
A Fast Escape
I jerked my head around and froze. DANGER! Alarm bells were going off in my head. Thrashing sounds among the trees are never a good thing, regardless of where you might be on the planet. I was standing in the middle of the road, searching for what...
Bird Photography Weekly
The rain was falling in buckets, yet a tiny Snowy-bellied Hummingbird sat tenaciously on the top of a Heliconia. He would make a foray out occasionally, but then return to his perch, point his bill to the sky and sit for long periods. I stood o...
Blue Skies, Nuthin’ but Blue Skies
We all stared at the flat blue expanse of the firmament. Not a cloud, not a wisp, heck, very few contrails even. We battled eye floaties, crinks in our necks, and sunburn hoping today was the big one; when the flow of thousands of Broad-winged Ha...
Wordless Wednesday
Bird Photography Weekly
I had had enough. I was tired from the morning hike and riding in a van on the twisty, turny road was making me nauseous. Besides, I was leaving the next day and wanted to make arrangements and start packing. So, I stayed behind on the last af...
Lepidopterist Grammar Question
I stood next to the car smearing on sunscreen. My reflection shimmered in the heat in the dark-tinted windows of the car a few feet way. I was leaning in my car to stuff the bottle of sunscreen in the pocket of the door when I heard the h...
Bird Photography Weekly
Long shafts of dying light filter through the trees, illuminating the stillness with a cathedral grace. Padding through shades of citrine and emerald, I am alone in the hush; a woodpecker drums on a distant bough and a Hermit Thrush with the twinkle ...
Mouths to Feed
A flutter of movement drew me across the street. A dark bird flashed away. I was scanning the trees when a hole in an adjacent snag suddenly filled up. The phrase “gaping maw” leapt to mind. If he had had a spoon he would have bee...
Bird Photography Weekly
Sitting in the car with all the windows and sunroof open, I leaned back with my eyes closed to revel in the cascade of voices around me. Wood Warblers were singing, off in the distance a Black-billed Cuckoo called, the Wood Thrushes led the flute...
Wordless Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday
My favorite green frog quote “They seldom scream in alarm when caught.” ...
Bird Photography Weekly
My sister and I had just finished dragging the table and chairs out of the garage and uphill into the back yard and were enjoying our first sip and sup of well-deserved crisp white wine and creamy Saint Andre cheese when, from out of the corner of m...
Bird Photography Weekly
I came across a nice flock of Turkeys with several displaying males. The head color and warty wonderfulness was fantastic. Ain’t he a looker. Check out this week’s Bird Photography Weekly for other hotties of the bird world. ...
Brekkie with a Willet
Hmmmm, What’s this? Looks Snacky. You’ll ‘cuse me if I don’t talk with my mouf full. (editorial note — cute willet tongue — can you see it?) I will not puke this back up. Gulp * swallow* gulp* Work it, wo...
Wordless Wednesday
Mystery Crustacean - mystery no more
Walking the beach at daybreak, I found this guy washed up, on his back, feet waving frantically in the air. I almost stepped on him. He was about 3 inches long and the color of the sand. I flipped him over and he just sat there, so I scooped hi...
Bird Photography Weekly
I stood on the narrow catwalk hanging below the bridge over Oregon inlet. The platform vibrated as the cars passed behind me; their tires whizzing by just over my head. Although the catwalk was intended for fishing, it made a good spot for bird...
Bird Photography Weekly
Common or Wilson’s or Eurasian, whatever. This is a Snipe. When I first started birdwatching, this was a Common Snipe. Then they changed its name to Wilson’s Snipe. Now I have no idea what it is called. The Shorebird Guide says on...
Bird Photography Weekly
Belted Kingfishers stay with us all winter as long as there is open water. I saw them by the deep sluggish river when I was chasing after the Barnacle Goose and across an open reservoir when I was looking for winter Gulls. I usually hear the dry ...
Grebes in Winter Wear
Grebes are similar looking in winter. Can you tell the difference? Which one is the Eared and which is the Horned? tick. tick. tick… Leave the answer in the comments and tell me why. You may use your book. You may begin now. (I alwa...
Not all Red Birds are Cardinals
Cardinals were everywhere at Brazos Bend State Park . I was seeing 10-15 at a time. They were in the shrubs, trees, bushes and on the ground. I’m tellin’ you there must have been a flock of 70 birds there. Often I would see moveme...
Bird Photography Weekly - Least Grebe
Meet Life Bird #612. This is one of the Least Grebes that was hanging around the San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge. I saw it on the auto loop around Moccasin Pond. Look at that orange eye. ...
Bittern Mantra
Ohmmmm. I am one with the reed. Ohmmmm. I am one with the reed. Ohmmmm, I am one with the reed. Seriously. What are you looking at? I know you can’t see me. You got some sort of reed envy thing going on? You too can be one with the reed...
New Technology for the Traveling Birder
I have to tell you about this wickedly cool thing I saw at the conference. I went to a roundtable on photography and web 2.0. You know I use a lot of photos on my blog so if there is anything that can make that easier for me I want to know about...
Bird Photography Weekly
Look at that tail! Let’s see–at the beach, in Texas, long wonky tail, must be a Boat-tailed Grackle. I can usually tell the difference between the Boat-tailed and Great-tailed Grackle not by size, and the tail of a Great-tailed Grackl...
Skywatch-Crows
“Huh-uh!” I looked around. I had heard that before. When I spied five Crows fussing with each other in a tree by the river; I hustled over to watch them, hoping they would call again. “Huh-uh!” I smiled, yep, they were d...
Bluebird Magic
I, the great Bludini, will now perform dazzling feats of magic. I will attempt the most amazing bird trick there is. I will pull 3 male Bluebirds out of thin air and put them atop metal stakes. Does it not cause you to shiver and shake? You may...
