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,

Bring on Summer!

I've let another month slip by without posting. There has been all kinds of activity and a lot to report on. I will try to condense this one, though it covers 4-5 weeks.

There is so much life happening all around. Baby birds are hatching and baby animals are being born. Plant life has spring to life after months of cold and darkness, bathing everything in fresh spring air. The sun is shining, bringing warmth and light, and energy to this fragile eco system. I love to pause and just listen to the birds sing, and take a deep breath of the fresh air. It smells deliciously sweet and almost intoxicating in it's purity. Take a deep breath and enjoy life.