This morning's (Feb 3) big surprise while watching eagles at McHenry Dam (north of Chicago): half a dozen Sandhill Cranes flew over! Pretty late for migration; I wonder where they have been foraging. #sandhillcranes #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography

Stephen Barten Great Blue Herons have the athletic grace of an NBA player. LittleSt. Simons, GA, 11.12.25 #greatblueheron #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography #littlestsimonsisland

A random cornfield in Canada from a while ago. I skipped this image on my first pass through my memory cards, but like it on second look. #snowyowl #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography

Any boat ride is better with a dolphin pod escort. Hampton River, GA, 11.12.25

Obscured view of a large Coachwhip basking in a nook out of the wind on an unseasonably cold November day. The second it realized it had been seen, it jetted into the underbrush. This was my "safety shot," the only one I got. Little St. Simons Island, GA 11.12.25 #coachwhip #fieldherping #insitu

Blue-winged Teal Little St. Simons, GA, 25.11.12 #bluewingedteal #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography #littlestsimonsisland

Black-crowned Night Heron Little St. Simons, GA, 11.12.25 #blackcrownednightheron #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography #littlestsimonsisland

Sanderling digging deep Little St Simon’s, GA 11.10.25 #sanderling #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography

Translucent Roseate Spoonbill, Little St. Simons GA 11.10.25 #roseatespoonbill #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography

Northern Harrier cruising the dunes Little St Simons 11.10.25 #northernharrier #birding. #birdingphotography #birdphotography

Coyotes on patrol as the neighbor shines a flashlight out of their window. 1.22.26 #Coyotes #trailcam #trailcamera #backyardwildlife

Sunrise over a sandbar 11.10.25

Heat shimmer over the ocean on a frigid morning. Little St. Simons GA 11.10.25

Ruddy Turnstone at dawn Little St Simons, GA, 11.10.25 #ruddyturnstone #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography #littlestsimonsisland

Wood Stork Little St Simons, Ga, 11.09.25 #woodstork #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography #littlestsimonsisland

Willet A common but elegant shorebird Little St. Simons, GA, 11.09.25 #willet #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography #littlestsimonsisland

Osprey sheltering in the lee of the dunes on a frigid, windy November morning. #littlesaintsimonsisland #littlestsimonsisland #osprey #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography

Watching the submarine races Monterey Bay, CA, 10.23.25

Those white knobs on the heads and fins of Humpback Whales are called tubercles. Each one contains a large, sensitive hair follicle like a whisker. Monterey Bay, CA, 10.23.25

BFFs San Simeon, CA 10.21.25 #elephantseals

Long-billed Curlew Moss Landing, CA 10.24.25 #longbilledcurlew #birding #birdphotography #birdingphotography

One-legged Willets JK, they just have the other leg tucked in while they rest. Moss Landing, CA, 10.24.25 #willet #birdphotography #birdingphotography #birding

Marbled Godwit on final approach Moss Landing, CA, 10.24.25 #marbledgodwit #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography

Semipalmated Plover championship match Moss Landing, CA, 10.24.25 #semipalmatedplover #birding #birdphotography #birdingphotography

California Sea Lions chasing a BIG fish. OK, maybe they're just all eating at the same bait ball restaurant. Montery Bay, CA, 10.23.25

White-crowned Sparrow Asilomar State Beach, CA, 10.22.25 #whitecrownedsparrow #birdphotography #birding #birdphotography

For my herper friends: this drab box turtle from Jackson County, IL, last September was an IL lifer for me. IYKYK

Snowy Plover, a lifer for me Moss Landing, CA, 10.24.25 #snowyplover #birding #birdphotography #birdingphotography

The American White Pelican's 9-foot wingspan is second only to the California Condor in North America. This is a huge bird. Baylands Nature Preserve, CA, 10.24.25 #americanwhitepelican #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography

Maybe not the FIRST backyard bird of 2026, but the BEST backyard bird so far. Great Horned Owl 01.02.26 #greathornedowl #owl #BackyardBirding #backyardbirds #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography

Red-tailed Hawk, immature. Baylands Nature Preserve, CA, 10.24.25 #redtailedhawk #birding #birdphotography #birdingphotography

So long, 2025

Yellow-rumped Warbler Asilomar State Beach, CA 10.24.25

It looks like a stealth bomber skimming the waves. Humpback, Monterey Bay, 10.23.25

Surfin' Bird by the Trashmen Now the ear worm is planted Long-billed Curlew, Moss Landing, CA, 10.24.25 #longbilledcurlew #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography

This poor Humpback had a run in with a boat propeller. Luckily the wounds are healing nicely in the salt water. Montery Bay, CA, 10.23.25

California Sea Lion Montery Bay, CA 10.23.25

And a partridge in a pear tree. Merry Christmas!

For my herper friends: I bet a lot of you have herp-themed Christmas decorations. Here are some of my favorite ornaments that have been gifted to me over the years.

A whale of a cannonball Monterey Bay, CA, 10.23.25

Humpback Fluke, Monterey Bay. 10.23.25

Bath Time Marbled Godwits, Moss Laning, CA, 10.24.25 #marbledgodwit #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography

Townsend's Warblers Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, CA, 10.22.26 #townsendswarbler #birding #birdphotography #birdingphotography

Black Phoebe and Say's Phoebe, two related western species. The latter was a lifer for me. Baylands Nature Preserve and Alisomar State Beach, CA, 10.24.25 and 10.22.25 respectively #phoebe #birding #birdphotography #birdingphotography

Magpie Tanager, Iguazú Falls, Brazil A Brazilian ornithologist found my image in Cornell's Macaulay Library from a 10-YO eBird list, and asked to use it in his new book "Birdlife of Brazil's Cerrado: Natural History and Biogeography." Initially it will be in Portuguese; English version in 2027.

Gloger's Rule: populations from warm, humid environments have more saturated colors than those from cool, dry areas. Dark-eyed Juncos (Oregon group) from the Pacific NW and coastal CA areas have reddish-brown patches unlike our "Slate-colored" Juncos. Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, CA, 10.22.25

This Chestnut-backed Chickadee from Point Lobos State Natural Preserve, CA, sure looks different from our Midwestern Black-capped Chickadees. 10.22.25 #chestnutbackedchickadee #birding #birdphotography #birdingphotography

I took a picture of a funny-looking dove. Turned out to be a Band-tailed Pigeon, a lifer for me. Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, CA, 10.22.25 #bandtaileddove #birding #birdphotography #birdingphotography

This afternoon a Sharp-shinned Hawk swooped past our bird feeders and missed. It sat for a bit make sure the smaller birds weren't coming back before departing. Why to they always fly off facing away rather than towards the camera? :-( #sharpshinnedhawk #backyardbirding #birding #birdphotography

Turkey Vulture overlooking the ocean I have the same haircut San Simeon, CA, 10.21.25 #turkeyvulture #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography