Brown Thrasher
The Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) was another photographic target of mine this spring. I typically do get to enjoy the species a bit each April and May, but they are difficult subjects to shoot. Part of the problem is that they have dramatically dropped in abundance since Roger Tory Peterson’s time which makes me appreciate moments like these all the more. For a species that was a tolerably common breeding bird for many people, including Roger’s homes in New York and Connecticut, is now often a ghost in both behavior and population. Habitat loss and degradation, competition with...
Read MoreLoch Ness Monster?
Loch Ness Monster? Ut oh, it’s surfacing, and it’s looking directly at me! Or maybe not…but close enough in look and unfortunately somewhat in status. Horned Grebes (Podiceps auritus) are listed on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species as “Vulnerable”. We often do not get to enjoy them close-up like these views I was afforded last week. While their wintering plumage is meant to camouflage them in the water, their piercing red eyes are a bright beacon on even the dullest of late winter days. Keep an eye out...
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