Archive for January, 2009

This is a scene from Red Rock Canyon near Las Vegas, Nevada. This habitat is completely different from the Blackland Prairie and riparian forest area where I live. It was beautiful, even in winter. When we arrived, I announced that I was going off down the trail, and I was not coming back until I saw something fly or crawl. Read the rest of this entry »

I have now visited both of the wildlife rehabilitation centers that Birder’s Lounge supports. I am very excited to share the story of IBRRC and photos from their top-notch facility. Look for that story in a few weeks! Meanwhile, I can share the sights and experiences along the way:

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The first ID Challenge! contest for 2009 has come to a close, and we have a winner! First, the answers:

Picture 1 | Plano, TX

Answer: Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus). This summer, I had the great pleasure of seeing a Northern Flicker at her nest cavity, feeding her nearly-grown babies. It was a great treat to see this one in my own backyard! Read the rest of this entry »

My road trip to Las Vegas to visit family has already lead me to my first look at a Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta).

What’s the matter…can’t see it? It was far away from where I was setup – at the “drop zone” of a skydiving operation! Read the rest of this entry »

2 women +  2 dogs +  2 days. Pictures and stories to come!

The truth is, I knew very little about geese until I researched this post. I had just been photographing geese and other waterfowl a few days ago, and then we all heard about the airplane that ran into a flock of geese. It seems a fitting time to share my photos and observations. Read the rest of this entry »

I have often spoken of the two organizations that Birder’s Lounge supports, both dedicated to the rehabilitation of wildlife injured by humans and human activities. The International Bird Rescue Research Center (IBRRC) is one of these organizations, and they are seeing a strange and terrible influx of sick and dying pelicans. Read the rest of this entry »

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What is a Naturalist? Wiktionary defines this as:

naturalist (plural naturalists)

1. (dated) A person committed to studying nature or natural history.
2. (philosophy) A person who believes in the tenets of naturalism.

If you find yourself spending most of your free time pouring over books about flora and fauna, spending hours out in nature, or seeking out and contemplating the life in a man-made environment – you may have the heart of a naturalist. Read the rest of this entry »

This is my BIG frog pond – as opposed to my first, small frog pond that I wrote about in an earlier post. Do you like the edging? Mr. Green Thumbs (my neighbor, I mention him from time to time) says that there is nothing as permanent as “temporary.” I’ve had my “temporary” pond edge for a few months, so I decided to play weekend warrior and fix it. I took pictures along the way, as well as a few things I found under the logs. Read the rest of this entry »