Ever wondered if Great Egrets (Ardea alba) eat anything other than fish? Well check out this in eating a crayfish and wonder no farther! #bird #nature #photography

This Hudsonian Whimbrel (Numenius hudsonicus) could not be bothered to hang out with me. #bird #nature #shorebird #California

Getting ready to present two projects for funding by the Wildlife Conservation Board. This will represent about $32 million in river restoration and increased river flows all to benefit Salmon and Steelhead in California! #Wildlife #science #conservation #salmon #ABirdingNaturalist

I photographed this Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) at the Stone Lake National Wildlife Refuge while scouting for my bird walk/book talk with friendsofslnwr and @aseatatthetablebooks. A beautiful example of why public lands are so important! #birds #nature #photography #publiclands

Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors) like this pair (left: female, right: male) are beautful ducks that are becoming more and more common across California! #birds #nature #photography

I manage several grants that fund projects in the same areas that this article covers. It has been really exciting and rewarding to see the salmon respond and return! www.hcn.org/issues/57-11... #conservation #science #salmon #ecology #California

Greater White-fronted Geese (Anser albifrons) can live to be 25 years old and will often stay with mates, siblings, and offspring on and off throughout their lives! These birds were all photographed in the California Central Valley. #birds #science #photography #nature

A study in Stilts, Black-necked Stilts (Himantopus mexicanus) to be precise! These birds were beautiful to watch through the tule fog as they foraged for food. You can learn a bit more about them by checking my new short video. #birds #nature #photography

Two different birds of prey seen in CA that each belong to two different groups of birds. The Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is more closely related to any of the other Hawks and eagles. The American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) is more closely related to parrots. Bird taxonomy is wild! #birds

Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia) have a lot of variation in color, but not much variation in genetics. There's your fun bird fact for the day. #birds #funfact #science #photography

Black-crowned Night Herons (Nycticorax nycticorax) are good indicators of overall environmental quality because they forage at the top of food chain and nest colony sizes are relatively easy to track. #bird #heron #science #environment #nature #photography

Great day at the Lodi Sandhill Crane Festival! I presented a talk, shared my book, met great people and groups, and learned a bunch! #sandhillcranes #birds #birding #California #festival #BirdsOfTheCaliforniaDelta

Red-breasted Sapsuckers (Sphyrapicus ruber) cut small holes into tree bark, and then sip the sap the seeps out. They tend these holes to keep the sap seeping. This is where the term 'Sapsucker' comes from. #birds #Woodpecker #nature #science

Through a dirty window, while waiting in a hospital, this young Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) landed just outside. Stunning bird during a sad time. #birds #hawk #raptor #BirdOfPrey #nature

Common Mergansers (Mergus merganser), such as these two females photographed on a work trip along Battle Creek, are sometimes used as an indicator of environmental health due their tendency to accumulate pollutants. #birds #conservation #science #nature

Green Herons (Butorides virescens) can look fierce (photo 1) or kind of goofy (photo 2). Just check out those feet! #birds #heron #nature #photography

I saw these Fall-run Chinook Salmon on a work trip. These fish swam from the Pacific Ocean, through the San Francisco Bay, up the Sacramento River, into Battle Creek, and into this small tributary to breed and die and so launch the next generation. Totally Epic! #nature #fish #salmon #epic

These Long-billed Dowitchers (Limnodromus scolopaceus) lined up so neatly! It was fun to photograph this flock in West Sacramento. I posted a short video on my YouTube channel about them if you would like to learn a little more! #birds #nature #wildlife #photography

Birding in the California Central Valley is heating up as the temperatures cool down!!! Just check out this beautiful flock of Greater White-fronted Geese (Anser albifrons) and a few Snow Geese (Anser caerulescens) in a flooded field! #birds #birding #nature #photography

Speaking at the Berkeley Bird Festival, today! Hope to see you there! #birds #CaliforniaDelta #book #BerkeleyCalifornia

This is a Morning-glory Plume Moth (Emmelina monodactyla) that I encountered in Zion National Park. To learn a bit more about these T-shaped moths, check out my new short on YouTube! #nature #insects #moth #science

Desert Cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii) are crepuscular, meaning that they are most active around dawn and dusk. One exception to this is that they rarely come out in high winds because the wind makes it more difficult to hear predators. #Wildlife #science #photography #nature

I had the pleasure of being invited onto the Birding for Joy podcast! Candi was a terrific host and interlocutor, and the episode with our conversation is now out! Check it out wherever podcasts are available. #birds #podcast #BirdingForJoy #ABirdingNaturalist

Western Whiptails (Aspidoscelis tigris) are found across southwestern USA and northern Mexico. This lizard is unusual for this genus in that this species has both males and females. Other species in the genus Aspidoscelis have only females. #reptile #nature #science #ArchesNationalPark

Gambel's Quail (Callipepla gambelii) present an interesting issue for conservation biologists. Their populations fluctuate in boom and bust cycles based on rainfall. This dramatic variability means it's hard to tell if the whole population is stable, increasing, or declining. #nature #science #birds

In honor of World Migratory Bird Day, here is a migratory Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus). This species travels from the shores of the Arctic Ocean in Alaska to the edges of the southern USA and Mexico. #migration #bird #science #shorebird #worldmigratorybirdday

This Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) mother and fawn were so wonderful to watch as they enjoyed a salad in Arches National Park! The Pronghorn is the second fastest land mammal in the world! #Wildlife #nature #photography #sweet #nationalpark

The Spotted Bird Grasshopper (Schistocerca lineata) is found across much of the continental USA except the southeast. It generally prefers sunny, well-vegetated habitats. I photographed this one on a Milkweed pod in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah. #nature #insect #NationalPark #photography

This pair of Common Ravens (Corvus corax) was also enjoying the geology of Arches National Park. #NationalPark #birds #birdphotography #nature

The American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) is an interesting species for many reasons, one of which is their synchronized feeding behavior! To see what I mean, check out my latest YouTube short. #birds #science #nature #photography

Yesterday, the Drake's Beach Sanderlings searched Marin County to find birds. Starting early and ending late, we blasted from site to site and racked up some really nice birds! I send out a letter about the day to everyone who donates to support the team (see link below)! #birds #nature #bigday

charity.pledgeit.org/pointbluebir... Tomorrow is the Drake's Beach Sanderlings Bird-a-thon! Pledge any amount and support young birders! #birding #birds #kids #conservation #science

I saw this notice at Capitol Reef NP. I strongly object to item No. 3, in particular. I explain a few reasons in a short on my YouTube channel, but another point is that we the people are being asked to be informants. That kind of behavior has some dark history. #truth #publiclands #knowledge

There are about 25 species of chipmunk in the world, and all but one (the Siberian Chipmunk) live in North America. I crossed paths with two species on my recent trip to Utah. The 1st photo is a Uinta Chipmunk (Neotamias umbrinus), and the 2nd is a Hopi Chipmunk (Neotamias rufus). #animals #nature

Sunsets (1st photo) and sunrises (2nd, 3rd photos) in Arches National Park are so beautiful!!! And what is a more fitting book to read there than Desert Solitaire by Edward Abby (4th photo)? #NationalPark #Utah #nature #sky #naturewriting #sunrise #sunset

The 2025 Point Blue Conservation Science Bird-a-thon is coming up and the amazing youth team, the Drake's Beach Sanderlings, are participating on Oct 5! To learn more about this team and donate to support bird conservation, use the link below! #birds #birding #nature #conservation

Just heard my first Snow Geese (Anser caerulescens) of fall flying over the California Delta!!! #birds #California #goosemusic

The final park of the trip was Arches NP, and get a look at those arches! This national park was really spectacular. Totally lived up to the hype! The famous Delicate Arch, Double Arch, Landscape Arch, and Pine Tree Arch were just a sampling of the amazing geology. #Utah #nationalpark #landscapes

The amazing National Parks just keep delivering! We only had a day in Canyonlands National Park, but it was an awesome one! Dramatic and iconic, be sure to scroll to the 4th photo which was overlooking the Green River. That is canyon land! #NationalPark #nature #landscape #photography

Some of the birds of Bryce Canyon National Park! 1. Green-tailed Towhee 2. Western Bluebird 3. Mountain Chickadee 4. Both Pygmy and White-breasted Nuthatchs together! #birds #brycecanyonnationalpark #nature #photography

In Bryce Canyon National Park, I got to see Bristlecone Pines (Pinus longaeva)! These trees can be long-lived (oldest individuals are almost 5,000 years old)! They don't get as old in Bryce, likely because erosion along the cliffs where they live undercut the trees. #tree #science #NationalPark

We only had a short time in Zion National Park, but the cliffs were epic! #ZionNationalPark #nationalpark #exploring #roadtrip #landscapes

These two young Lazuli Buntings (Passerina amoena) likely just recently became independent of their parents. I often wonder if young birds stay with their siblings for a while as they migrate and begin their individual lives. #birds #science #ornithology #nature #photography

My first visit to Great Basin National Park! It was a beautiful area filled with amazing vistas. And the birding was great with Townsend's Solitaires and Mountain Chickadees all over along many other species! Definitely coming back! #NationalPark #camping #exploring #nature

Road trip!!! The first photo is crossing the Sierra Nevada, and the rest are from points scattered across Nevada. #California #Nevada #roadtrip #landscapes #photography

I found this female Wilson's Warbler (Cardellina pusilla) as she was on her fall migration. It got me thinking about the epic phenomenon that is bird migration, so I made a video about migration strategies. Check it out, and let me know what you think! And enjoy fall migration!!! #bird #nature

Mallophora fautrix is a bee killer! Specifically, this is a species of bee-killing robber-fly. These flies have evolved to hunt and prey upon many different species of bees and wasps! #insect #fly #nature #photography #science

Green Herons (Butorides virescens) have a funny scientific name. Virescens means "green". Butorides means "resemblimg a bittern". So, thier name means "green thing that looks kind of like a bittern". #birds #birding #science #photography

The central California coast range formed about 5 million years ago and is such a beautiful area! These are photos from my recent work visit to Bobcat Ranch which is an Audubon Preserve. #AudubonSociety #California #nature #landscape #photography