All alone in Panama
Whistling Herons are not even supposed to be in Panama. But sometimes birds go exploring. Or get swept away by wind and storms. Or, as in this case, went looking for food to… Continue reading
Tag Archive: birdwatching
What a little sunshine will do
Our guide, Beny Wilson, assured me that the birds would be out in abundance after the rain stopped. I grew up in Oregon, so I’m used to rain. Lots of it. So getting… Continue reading
Birding Panama: Don’t let the rainy season deter you
Nothing foils a birding morning like rain. And not a light rain, but this kind of rain: This was our third trip to Panama. Our first trip was during March in 2012, at the peak of… Continue reading
The ecstasy and irony of finally getting that special lifer: the Swainson’s Warbler
The following is a guest post, written by my husband, Stephen Hannington. I have been a keen bird watcher since I was six years old when a cousin introduced me to the world… Continue reading
Chasing Parakeets and Parrots
They don’t necessarily roost in the same corner every night–they move around. At this point we had created a bit of a birder traffic jam in the neighborhood.
Looking for the White Wise Spirit
The milky white of the owl was startling and her yellow eyes locked on us with appropriate caution and concern. I had to remind myself to breathe.
Choices, warnings and surprises: All in a day of birding
I wasn’t expecting the Eastern Phoebe, but there he was, a juvenile, swooping for insects and returning to his same branch.
Where there’s 350,000+ Purple Martins there’s a party
First there were about 50 birds up in the sky circling overhead. Then another group came in—this time a hundred or so. It was still pretty light outside. Then bigger groups of Purple… Continue reading
Nighthawks, Dickcissels and Boat-tailed Grackles at Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge
Nighthawks have been a new bird for me here in Texas. I’ve heard them and seen them overhead as they come out at sunset when I’d leave the grocery store, but I never got a good look at one until this day at Anahuac where we saw around 25.
The Roseate Spoonbill Project
I turned to the open water that revealed hundreds of egrets, herons and Roseate Spoonbills, perched, sitting on nests, flying in, flying out, stretching their wings, squabbling over space on a branch, preening, snoozing, or just looking pretty.