Uploads from hawk person

roseate spoonbill

nobody@flickr.com (hawk person) — Sat, 18 May 2013 17:24:47 -0700

Platalea ajaja

Sometimes also called ajaja ajaja - love that! Saw a fleeting glimpse of one in 2011, and I was SO wanting to see one in Belize last year. We did see them at Crooked Tree - all immature pink ones, and the photos not so great. These birds are really delightful to see, especially in the air, but not completely photogenic truth be told. But got much better looks at both immature and adult birds in Florida, and fell in love with the bird all over again.

western bluebird

nobody@flickr.com (hawk person) — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:01:19 -0700

hawk person posted a photo:

Sialia mexicanus

These guys always grab my attention. Their color this time of year is just amazing.

ocellated turkey

nobody@flickr.com (hawk person) — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:57:57 -0700

hawk person posted a photo:

Meleagris ocellata

Wandering the grounds at La Milpa. Kind of a cross between a turkey and a peacock.

pygmy nuthatch

nobody@flickr.com (hawk person) — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:55:34 -0700

hawk person posted a photo:

Sitta pygmaea

hermit warbler

nobody@flickr.com (hawk person) — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:55:34 -0700

hawk person posted a photo:

Setophaga occidentalis

Distant, but exciting view. Our first sighting of this bird, on Strawberry Hill.

oriole nest with chick

nobody@flickr.com (hawk person) — Tue, 14 May 2013 10:26:48 -0700

hawk person posted a photo:

Icterus bullockii

Walking on Sunday morning I caught a quick glimpse of a Bullock's Oriole jumping down into her nest. (the sycamores along the model air field). There are many nests out there, but this one is quite exquisite in the woven texture. There is a great deal of man-made fiber in this weave. The string is heavily employed in the binding of the nest to the tree. Compare to the shot below which is more typical.

I returned the same day to get a shot but the wind was pummeling the nest by the time I got there (rocking cradle), so went back yet again yesterday morning to get some shots at a calmer time. I am loving seeing the fuzzy chick heads emerging.

before the dance

nobody@flickr.com (hawk person) — Sat, 11 May 2013 20:13:15 -0700

hawk person posted a photo:

candid portrait of one of the young dancers at today's Open Space festival in Coyote Valley

a chaos of cliff swallows

nobody@flickr.com (hawk person) — Fri, 10 May 2013 15:10:49 -0700

hawk person posted a photo:

Petrochelidon pyrrhonota

Went to check in on the grebe nests at Coyote Lake - gone, water levels too low to sustain. Went to check in on the bald eagle nest there - one nice big baby, way too much haze in the air for a distant shot. Found a lovely male orange-crowned warbler - not at all cooperative. So today was pretty much a bust, but enjoyed seeing a flock of cliff swallows gathering mud in a field being irrigated. Quite the chaotic scene, with quite a bit of copulation along with mud gathering.

golden eagle

nobody@flickr.com (hawk person) — Wed, 08 May 2013 19:41:22 -0700

hawk person posted a photo:

Aquila chrysaetos

Our birding day started with a bald eagle at Mountain View Shoreline and ended with this golden in Coyote Valley. What amazing bookends to a day! The light was way better at the end of the afternoon, and this beautiful beast got curious enough about us to come say hello and was kind enough to fly on the right side of us!

golden eagle

nobody@flickr.com (hawk person) — Wed, 08 May 2013 19:41:21 -0700

hawk person posted a photo:

Aquila chrysaetos

bald eagle

nobody@flickr.com (hawk person) — Wed, 08 May 2013 19:39:05 -0700

hawk person posted a photo:

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

We were just starting our hiking/birding today at Mountain View Shoreline Park, had hardly just arrived when a really large bird started to show up in the sky. Normally you would think pelican or heron or whatever but this had the wrong shape and wingbeat. SO surprised that it was a bald eagle. Have never seen them anywhere near this park. Where did it fly in from? At one point it flew fairly far out into the bay before returning and we thought it must have come from the East Bay?

Now eventually we figured out what may have attracted it. There was a red-tailed hawk near the lake that had caught a squirrel, and was staying low in the small trees along the east lake shore with this partially eaten bloody squirrel causing a huge amount of commotion with the normal inhabitants of those trees like nesting mockingbirds as well as a trio of crows very determined to get that carcass. When the bald first showed up he swooped very low into that same area, even with landing gear down, and I think he was interested in that carcass too.

bald eagle

nobody@flickr.com (hawk person) — Wed, 08 May 2013 19:39:05 -0700

hawk person posted a photo:

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

The sky was completely white with clouds and the light was just plain bad. But certainly this was a nice big adult bird. Such a great treat to see.

bald eagle

nobody@flickr.com (hawk person) — Wed, 08 May 2013 19:39:04 -0700

hawk person posted a photo:

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

ridgway's rough-winged swallow

nobody@flickr.com (hawk person) — Tue, 07 May 2013 20:05:49 -0700

hawk person posted a photo:

Stelgidopteryx serripennis ridgwayi

Considered a subspecies of the Northern Rough-winged Swallow.

plain chachalaca

nobody@flickr.com (hawk person) — Tue, 07 May 2013 20:05:48 -0700

hawk person posted a photo:

Ortalis vetula

This group of Chachalacas were at the zoo, but I don't think they were captives, I think they were visitors. That seems to be common at this zoo.

violaceous trogon

nobody@flickr.com (hawk person) — Tue, 07 May 2013 20:05:47 -0700

hawk person posted a photo:

Trogon violaceus

This beauty was seen hiding in the shade on the trip to Caracol. There was some arguing at the time regarding the species, but those fine white stripes showing on the underside of the tail are definitive for Violaceous Trogon (versus Black-Headed). Female, I believe.

dot-winged antwren

nobody@flickr.com (hawk person) — Tue, 07 May 2013 20:05:45 -0700

hawk person posted a photo:

Microrhopias quixensis

Cute little male/female pair seen just once by the road at Mamanoots.

cinnamon becard

nobody@flickr.com (hawk person) — Tue, 07 May 2013 20:05:42 -0700

hawk person posted a photo:

Pachyramphus cinnamomeus

Distant looks (across the river) during our walk to the falls at Mamanoots.

red-lored parrot

nobody@flickr.com (hawk person) — Tue, 07 May 2013 18:43:35 -0700

hawk person posted a photo:

Amazona autumnalis

Shot in early dawn light.

white-crowned parrot

nobody@flickr.com (hawk person) — Tue, 07 May 2013 18:43:35 -0700

hawk person posted a photo:

Pionus senilis

Hiding shyly in the shadows at dusk.