Finding the Ghost

I am currently working on finishing up my full report on my trip to Maui, but before I do, I want to share with you a big moment that happened before heading off for warmer temperatures.

It was a Sunday morning, about a week before Maui, and my wife and I had planned to drop the kids of with their grandparents while she joined me on a birding trip. Our destination was about 45 minutes from home to an area in the Mat-Su Valley that is rich in bird life, even in frigid

2017 Winter Birding Report

Admittedly, I'm way behind on my regular blogging. I can't believe I haven't written anything since last year! In this post, I want to reflect a little on some of the highlights of 2016, and what I am looking forward to in 2017.

Why birding is better than Pokemon Go.

This past summer there was a big craze in smart phone

gaming called Pokemon Go. I never played the game myself and perhaps it has seen it's 15 minutes of fame and faded into gaming obscurity. If so, it would render this comparison fairly obsolete. Even so, I am reminded of an incident last fall while birding in a popular local park. I was peering through my binoculars at a Raven high in a spruce tree when a small group of pre-teens accompanied by a couple of adults walked by. They paused as they walked up to me, and curiously asked what I was looking at. I simply said "bird watching."  They looked puzzled for a second as I'm sure they mulled over in their minds why anyone would be standing there just watching a bird. As their confused looks turned to acceptance, they replied "oh, ok" and turned to continue walking. As they departed, I took the opportunity to quip "It's better than Pokemon!" which got a few muffled chuckles from the adults.

Creepy Bird of the Month #5: Marabou Stork

Ah, the stork.  The universal symbol of new life.  If you’re anything like me, the mention of a stork brings up memories of Mr. Stork delivering a sweet baby “Jumbo Jr” to his mother, Mrs. Jumbo in the classic Disney cartoon, Dumbo.  Precious.

Not so much with the Marabou Stork.  I don’t think we need to do much to convince you that this ungainly bird is prime candidate for “Creepy Bird of the Month.” 

Brrrrr...baby it's cold outside.

Temperatures have dropped severely in the last few weeks, making it painful to get outside and do any photography for more than about 15-20 minutes.  We don't have that much good light these days, so on clear, cold days when the sun shines for a few hours, us die-hards embrace the frigid weather and make the most of the opportunity.

When I got into birding last year (read about it here), one of my obsessions became putting up bird feeders around my house. I wanted my house and yard to be a bustle of feathered activity and I tried several different varieties of bird feeders, both handmade and store bought. It didn't take long for the Black-capped Chickadees and the Red-breasted Nuthatches to find my suet cages and little plastic bird feeders. I bought the generic "wild bird seed" and watched as a few birds here and there came to enjoy the feast. I noticed that the Nuthatches would sift through the seeds and pick out tasty morsels,

Creepy Bird of the Month #4: Purple Swamphen

Welcome to another installment of Creepy Bird of the Month. This months featured freakazoid is the Purple Swamphen which was nominated for Creepy Bird of the Month by my good friend Matt. Thank you Matt, for your suggestion!

Now this bird isn't your typical ugly bird. In fact, at first look it's not ugly at all. But this series is called "Creepy Bird of the Month," not "Ugly Bird of the Month" and this bird gets creepy credit due to its enormously ghoulish legs and feet. Seriously, this bird is the Bigfoot of the Avian world. One look at those huge, disturbing spider-like claws they use as feet and you'll be creeped out too.

Getting my mojo back: 151, Pacific Wrens, and little owls.

I really enjoy winter birding. I think it's the challenge of it that I like best. I have to work harder hunting for new species. The reward of finding an owl or another winter bird is a thrill, and getting them in good light to photograph provides additional challenges. What's your favorite season for birding and why? Are you new to birding or a seasoned vet?

When I dropped my camera and lens back in September, I felt like the wind had gone out of my sails. I didn't shoot for weeks even though I still had my backup trusty D5100. Once I cleaned up my lens and discovered it had survived the fall, I started getting back out shooting again, but didn't quite have the drive I had had before. Well, I am happy to report that I feel like I've got my mojo back, or, as my friend Travis calls it, my "Bird Juju". Last week,