2025 favorite images, Day 25: A female brown-headed cowbird poses in front of some shrub leaves. Feather detail galore in this shot, which I can be a sucker for. Merry Christmas, everyone! #birds

I have a Christmas Eve tradition. Every year I set my alarm for 3 AM so I can drive up to St. Marks for sunrise. And then I sleep through my alarm and go somewhere local at a more reasonable hour. But today I was actually awake at 3 AM, so I said, "I guess I gotta do this, huh?"

2025 favorite images, Day 24: A rare close encounter with a secretive bird, a sora forages over its reflection in the marsh. #birds

last effort: I run a baseball site with some of my best, smartest, and most talented friends. we do fun and engaging work all year long, and it's about to get more expensive to read that work as of 1/1. I'd much rather you get in the door as cheap as possible. It also makes for a great gift:

2025 favorite images, Day 23: A male northern cardinal sits on an American beautyberry branch with clusters of berries at his feet and a single berry held in his bill. #birds

Favorite 2025 images, Day 22: A water moccasin with its tongue extended holds its head high over the lawn on the side of a trail through a marsh, a smattering of yellow flowers throughout the grass.

2025 favorite images, Day 21: A roseate spoonbill, standing on one leg, tends to three juveniles in a nest up in a palm tree overlooking the wetlands. #birds

Another shot of the American bittern from the other day, holding its head up in the morning sunlight. #birds

Favorite images from 2025, Day 20: A male indigo bunting perches upon a low-hanging tree branch with a palmetto in the background. The blues on the bird are really fabulous. #birds

At a tidal pool, a female hooded merganser skips across the water's surface as she takes off, kicking up water with each step she takes. #birds

2025 favorite images, Day 19: A snowy egret pulls up a fish while dip-fishing in the water. #birds

2025 favorite images, Day 18: A male purple martin catches an insect in mid-air. #birds

Far from my most interesting photo, but the last time I was able to successfully photograph a clapper rail was August 2019, three days after I purchased my first camera. Been a bit of a dry spell. #birds

2025 favorite images, Day 17: A closeup of a great egret getting its feathers in order at sunrise. #birds

A pied-billed grebe popped up out of the water holding a fish by the tail. #birds

2025 favorite images, Day 16: A prothonotary warbler sings merrily from a low tree branch in a swamp. #birds

A shot of that American bittern from the other day after it popped back out of the alligator flag to forage some more amongst the shorter vegetation. #birds

2025 favorite images, Day 15: A green heron tilts its head back to swallow a dragonfly in the warm glow of sunrise. #birds

The Colts' leading receiver today being 32-year-old backup running back Ameer Abdullah with 32 yards feels very appropriate.

2025 favorite images, Day 14: As wood chips fly off, a male pileated woodpecker uses his tongue to probe a pine trunk for insects an instant after striking with his beak. #birds

I saw an American bittern wander into a bunch of alligator flag. I made the decision to wait it out. If you're familiar with bitterns, you know that can be a fool's errand because there are few birds better at standing still. But eventually a head popped up over the leaves for a looksy. #birds

2025 favorite images, Day 13: A wild horse with a mane partially covering her eyes ambles up a trail on Paynes Prairie.

A turkey vulture in flight. I think they're quite lovely birds. #birds

2025 favorite images, Day 12: My favorite bird portrait of the year is this headshot of a limpkin in some really nice, subtle light. #birds

Monarch butterfly drinking in some nectar from some swamp marigold.

2025 favorite images, Day 11: I had a fun spring when groundhogs tunneled into the crawlspace under my house. Here one is at sunset, standing just off of the stoop amongst the overgrown grass strewn with a smattering of blue wildflowers.

Wild horses on Paynes Prairie. Kind of a silly angle here. Why? Because I wanted all three horses in the shot, and maybe there was a giant pile of horseshit at the closest horse's feet? Or maybe it was very obviously a male horse? Or maybe I just intended to shoot it this way. Who can say?

Favorite photos from 2025, Day 10: A brown-headed nuthatch clinging to the bark of a pine trunk, looking out for its next landing spot. These are small birds that keep moving and prefer to stay high up in trees, so it's quite difficult to get a close shot of one. #birds

My favorite baseball player of all time is Edgardo Alfonzo. It killed me seeing him on the Giants. It was the smart baseball move to let him move on though.

I am a little surprised Pete Alonso got five years. I am very, very surprised he got them from the O's.

More sandhill cranes: a pair preening after taking a bath. #birds

2025 favorite images, Day 9: A male common yellowthroat clings to a sapling on a riverbank and sings his heart out. #birds

A male and female blue-winged teal descend for a landing in the wetlands. There's an out-of-focus pied-billed grebe in the background. #birds

Favorite images from 2025, Day 8: A closeup of an eye belonging to a female anhinga during the breeding season, which is when the eyes themselves turn dark red with a bright orange ring, surrounded by a green and blue eyering and lore. #birds

2025 favorite images, Day 7: A portrait of a male pine warbler sitting on a branch during his spring molt. #birds

Favorite images of 2025, Day 6: A roseate spoonbill splashes its wings through the water, causing an explosion of droplets as it looks straight ahead towards the camera. One of my favorite photos I've ever taken. #birds

A great blue heron hunched over its reflection on the edge of the marsh in the early light. #birds

2025 favorite images, day 5: A sandhill crane colt runs along the trail after its parents with its winglets stretched out. #birds

2025 favorite images, Day 4: This picture took me days to get: a marsh wren posing amongst the bur marigolds in the middle of the park. Marsh wrens are quick moving, secretive birds, and I spent three straight sessions camped out waiting for one to pop out and let me take a picture. #birds

Another sandhill crane photo from the other day: one crane kicks up a small dust cloud as it lands on a trail through the wetlands while a second is about to touch down just behind the first. #birds

Favorite images from 2025, day 3: A nanday parakeet lies flat on its stomach to take a drink from a puddle of water under an outdoor shower while a second stands idly in the background. #birds

A northern harrier flies straight at the camera low over the marsh shortly after sunrise. #birds

Favorite images of 2025, Day 2: Taken just moments after yesterday's image, a green anole looks right at the camera as it bites back at the little blue heron who plucked it out of the alligator flag. #birds

As I've done the past couple years, I'll be posting my favorite images from 2025 throughout December, one a day. Here's a close image of a little blue heron with a green tree frog who's fighting for dear life, trying to pry open its beak. #birds

An American coot running across the water in a marsh. I wish I had gotten more of the reflection. #birds

I heard one of the sandhill cranes abruptly honk, and I quickly turned to catch one crane literally goosing the other. #birds

A portrait of a sandhill crane craning its neck to preen underneath its wing. I was on my stomach photographing some teal when my friend suddenly says, "Oh, shit." I roll over to look and find this crane standing next to me, less than two feet away. #birds

A closeup view of a palm warbler in an elderberry tree, half bathed in warm light, the other half in shadow. #birds

A belted kingfisher sitting on a palm stump with more palm trees in the background. #birds

Out amongst the black needlerush was one dried-out tree stump with a single brown anole perched atop, its head basking in the morning light while the tail snakes through a crack in the stump.