Wild Birds

Who doesn’t love beautiful shades of blue gliding through the air and landing in trees and on fence posts? Better yet, a geometric pattern of black, white, and blue soaring by to rest on the window sill? That would be a Blue Jay. See a flash of orange or red with that blue? It could […]

Being an avid bird watcher, some of my favorite moments in life have been up at camp in Maine, canoeing to the small lake islands that were home to giant Bald Eagle’s nests. Towering rugged trees with sprouts of pine needles and limbs stretching to the clouds held colossal nests of branches, sticks, and soft

The Great Horned Owl is in the running for the most well-known owl out there. Great Horned Owls have been the subject of fascination for centuries with their iconic cat-eared silhouettes, huge staring eyes, and resonant hoots. Their caricatures can be found on anything related to the night, and superstition still surrounds them. While they

Few who have heard the loud, baritone hooting of the male Barred Owl issuing deep from the woods on a still night or been startled by the rowdy caterwauling of a pair in the middle of the dark forest are likely to forget the Barred Owl. I certainly remember hearing the whole forest come alive

Few birds match the pluck and charm of the tiny but mighty Anna’s Hummingbird. While many bird species are currently in decline, the Anna’s Hummingbird has adapted to life in urban areas across western North America and expands its range each year. In fact, if you live in the urban west, you’ve probably got one

The American kestrel is a dapper and spunky little falcon. I view kestrels as the most charismatic of the raptors—these birds are brightly colored, easy to spot, fun to observe, and to top it off, downright adorable. As such charismatic birds, kestrels have accumulated several affectionate nicknames through the years: “windhover,” “killy hawk,” and “grasshopper

Golden Eagle is a magnificent bird of prey, widely but sparsely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere and the largest one in North America. I am always reminded of the phrase ‘free as a bird’ while watching a Golden Eagle soar through the sky and scan the terrain from far above like it owns the entirety