Hooded Oriole
2024-05-03 Kickapoo Caverns
In 2024, I travelled to Texas to experience the Total Solar Eclipse on April 4. Cloud-cover limited the drama for the eclipse. But all was not lost, because after the…
Memories of Balboa Park
There are many reasons to love Balboa Park. Anyone unfamiliar with the attractions there is truly missing out. The museums alone are worth visiting. There are 18 of them to…
Memories of Whelan Lake
In 2003, my pursuit of bird photography was budding. I knew Phil Unitt was ramrodding the San Diego County Bird Atlas project, and I wanted to contribute. Phil had a…
Memories of Scissors Crossing
2013-03-26 Thrasher Hunt County Road S-2, or the Great Southern Overland Stage Route, runs along the desert floor at the foot of the local San Diego mountains. The route is…
Memories of Cottonwood Spring – Joshua Tree NP
Cottonwood Spring is located inside Joshua Tree National Park. Twice, in 2016, I visited there, with the science team from the San Diego Natural History Museum; once at the end…
Memories of Blair Valley – Anza-Borrego
2009-04-09, 2009-04-10: Desert Birds In 2009, I camped for two April nights in Blair Valley. One way to reach this location is to drive east through Julian on CA-78, and…
Memories of Graham County, AZ
I visit Graham County as often as I can to visit long-time friends there. Below are notes from two such visits. 2020-05-22 Ascent To Mount Graham Mount Graham, called Dził…
2023-July Texas Rest Area Birds
For many reasons I enjoy touring Texas. There is much I enjoy about Texan culture. One is their thoughtfully placed mini-oasis along their two-lane highways. Criss-crossing their vast remote landscapes,…
2023-04-09 Early April On Cottonwood Wash
Saturday, my friend Linda and I drove to visit her good friend Kai, who lives on the Cottonwood Wash south of Pima. I had the pleasure of spending time with…
2023-03-27 Agua Caliente Park – Tucson
Having enjoyed past visits to Agua Caliente Park in northeast Tucson, I was eager to return during my 2023 Expedition. It did not disappoint! For those folks unfamiliar with this…
2022-09-19 Edinburg Scenic Wetlands
Monday, when I finished getting the warranty work done on my RV in Weslaco, I drove to Edinburg and paid a visit to the Edinburg Scenic Wetlands only 21 miles…
2021-04-06 SPI Reruns
If the show is good enough, it bears watching repeatedly. A second look may teach us something new. We might see something worthwhile that we missed on the first go-round.…
2021-04-04 Continuing the SPI Saga
The early spring migration season on South Padre Island has been exciting for me. I’m finding one or more new bird species with each visit. The privilege of witnessing so…
2021-04-02 Back to South Padre Island
If you are passionate about birds, I believe there is no better place to hang out than South Padre Island during spring migration. As a kid growing up near the…
2021-02-25 National Butterfly Center
I tried to visit the National Butterfly Center last week, but the big freeze and the power outage at the time mandated that they close, so I had to turn…
Memories of Breeze Lake Texas
My first birding expedition into Texas was in the spring of 2020. After being on the road since February 21st, on Monday, March 23rd, the world-wide panic from the pandemic…
2020-05-16: Recounting My Passage From Texas
During my first expedition into Texas in 2020, I learned that Texas Rest Areas and Picnic Areas could be phenomenal places to meet birds. I found this especially true of…
2020-04-17: Feeder Vigil in Brownsville
I believe I’ve identified the birds in the gallery below correctly, but I welcome any corrections that experienced Texas birders might care to share. I’ve always tried to be a…
2012-04-28 Shameless Zoo Captures
Still interested in following the progress of the nesting colonies of local Ibis and egrets, I drove on a Saturday to the San Diego Zoo’s Safari Park near Escondido. I…
2013-05-05 Nesting at the Safari Park
I returned to the San Diego Zoo’s Safari Park this Sunday morning to spend time with the free range birds that exploit the facilities here for nesting. I was not…
2013-03-26 Thrasher Hunt
County Road S-2, or the Great Southern Overland Stage Route, runs along the desert floor at the foot of the local San Diego mountains. The route is one of my…
2013-03-23 Around Poway
When winter is ending and spring approaches in southern California, and we’ve been hosting dull, drab Yellow-Rumped Warblers for three months, the males shed their winter garb and don their…
2017-06-17~20 Cottonwood Springs (Part 2)
On my previous post I shared images of the players in the Rat Theater, but I also had some nice avian encounters during this expedition. Mockingbirds, Mourning Doves and House…