Orchard Oriole
This adult male Orchard Oriole finally gave me a decent couple of poses on a recent morning! My guy was foraging, singing, and defending his territory against various avian intruders when he paused to let me shoot him for a few seconds. His chestnut-like tones look fantastic against the green leaves and blue sky. Someday I want to get a photo of an Orchard Oriole and a Baltimore Oriole for a better visual comparison of their sizes. Orchards are noticeably smaller than their cousins, just a bit larger than our vireos and warblers. It is hard to believe this fella will be heading south for the...
Read MoreCedar Waxwing
Here is the always regal Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) posing with a friend. There were actually several other pals nearby as well. June is a good time of year to find a small flocks of waxwings in and around your neighborhood while many other birds are paired off, quiet and defending territory. In fact, it is nearly always a good time to find these gregarious birds in flocks!
Read MoreBlue Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis)
Here’s some Blue Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis) as photographed recently by RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser.
Read MoreAmerican Goldfinch
This American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) is not quite as gold as it could be, but who would ever complain? What an elegant and contemplative expression…
Read MoreKilldeer
I finally got around to editing these photos of a Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) taken during the Noble Proctor BioBlitz Challenge last month. The bird appeared in the first photo like any other – no big deal. Oh no, this bird is “injured”! Not so much. This is a distraction display, feigning injury, in order to draw our group away from the area and protect a nest or young hatchlings. The bird makes it look like it has a broken wing and has lost the ability to fly, attempting to tempt mammals like us into running them down for a meal (before they fly away). If we did then...
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