Snowy Egret

Egretta Thula
Huntington Beach State Park, Pawleys Island, South Carolina

Great Blue Heron

Ardea Herodias
Huntington Beach State Park, Pawleys Island, South Carolina

Great Egret

Ardea Alba
Huntington Beach State Park, Pawleys Island, South Carolina

Great Egret

Ardea Alba
Huntington Beach State Park, Pawleys Island, South Carolina

White Ibis

Eudocimus Albus
Huntington Beach State Park, Pawleys Island, South Carolina

Black-crowned Night Heron

Nycticorax Nycticorax
Brookgreen Gardens, Pawleys Island, South Carolina

Bathing in the Light

Great Egret
Ardea Alba
Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Cambridge, Maryland

Mistress of the Rose Garden

Female Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis Cardinalis)

A Little Bit of Paradise

Ruby Throated Hummingbird (Female)
Archilochus Colubris

Up and Away

Ruby Throated Hummingbird (Female)
Archilochus Colubris
Upstate South Carolina

Still at Last

Ruby Throated Hummingbird (Female)
Archilochus Colubris

South Carolina Botanical Garden, Clemson, South Carolina

Red-shouldered Hawk

Buteo Lineatus
Upstate South Carolina

In the Pink

Canada Goose
Branta Canadensis
Anderson, South Carolina

Swimming Through an Abstract Painting

I discovered this Canada goose in the late afternoon sun on a small lake full of autumn reflections. It provided a surreal sense of the goose swimming across the canvas of an abstract painting.

Swimming for the Gold

Canada Goose
Branta Canadensis
Anderson, South Carolina

Canada Geese at Dusk

The rich colors on the water are reflections from the fall foliage and the sky late in the day.

Young Female Cardinal

Cardinals Cardinals
South Carolina Botanical Garden, Clemson, South Carolina

Northern Flicker (yellow-shafted male)

Colaptes Auratus
Lake Conestee Nature Park, Mauldin, South Carolina

Eastern Towhee

Pipilo Erythrophthalmus
Near Townville, South Carolina

Eastern Meadowlark

Sturnella Magna
Dobbins Farm area, near Townsville South Carolina

Northern Mockingbird

Mimus Polyglottos

Jailbird

Savannah Sparrow
Passerculus Sandwicheysis
Dobbins Farm area, near Townville, South Carolina

Spring is Here

Prothonotary Warbler
Protonotaria Citrea
Lake Conestee Nature Park, Mauldin, South Carolina

Swamp Sparrow

Melospiza Georgiana
Fork School Bridge, near Townville, South Caroina

Perfect Stage for a Small Vocalist

Grasshopper Sparrow
Ammodramus Savannarum
Dobbins Farm area, near Townville, South Carolina

Grasshopper Sparrow

Ammodramus Savannarum
Dobbins Farm area, near Townville, South Carolina

Morning Meditation

Mourning Dove
Zinaida Macroura
Dobbins Farm area, near Townville, South Carolina

Morning Song

Eastern Meadowlark
Sturnella Magna
Dobbins Farm area, near Townville, South Carolina

Wood Duck

Aix Sponsa
Lake Conestee Nature Park, Mauldin, South Carolina

Three of a Kind

Red-winged Blackbirds (females)
Agelaius Phoenixes
Fork School Bridge, near Townville, South Carolina

Bird on a Wire

Grasshopper Sparrow
Ammodramus Savannarum
Dobbins Farm area, near Townville, South Carolina

Savannah Sparrow

Passerculus Sandwichensis
Dobbins Farm area, near Townville, South Carolina

While using my long telephoto to photograph waterfowl in a distant farm pond, this little savannah sparrow peered over a concrete barrier in front of me and allowed me to take a portrait. While the bottom of the image was rendered soft by the barrier, I like the way that the colors and feather structures of this little guy are revealed by the headshot.

Grasshopper Sparrow

Ammodramus Savannarum
Dobbins Farm area, near Townville, South Carolina

Green Heron

Butorides Virescent
Lake Conestee Nature Park,
near Greenville, South Carolina

Brown Thrasher

Toxostoma Rufum

What is it about "solitary" that you don't understand?

Solitary Sandpipers
Tringa Solitaria

This image makes me laugh because I've been on both sides of this situation before. I've been the person whose peace and contentment is suddenly disrupted by an unwanted intruder, and I've also been the person who has inadvertently disturbed someone else's peace and contentment. I suppose I can take solace in the fact that even solitary sandpipers often have difficulty finding solitude.

Solitary Sandpiper

Tringa Solitaria

I've discovered a small pond near Townville, South Carolina, where one or two solitary sandpipers can be seen almost every morning.

Greater Yellowlegs

Tringa Melanoleuca

The greater yellowlegs is similar in appearance to the solitary sandpiper (previous image), though the greater yellowlegs is larger and has a few other unique traits. It's understandable, however, that the solitary sandpiper is sometimes considered a small version of the greater yellowlegs.

American Goldfinch

Spinus Tristis

Diva

Grasshopper Sparrow
Ammodramus Savannarum

The grasshopper sparrow has a weak voice. Indeed, its beak is usually open as if it's singing a few seconds before a small short tweet emerges. This tiny bird has a heart of gold, however, and the passion it brings to each performance is worthy of Caruso or Pavarotti.

The Most Curious of Birds

Northern Mockingbird
Minus Polyglottos

One Solitary Encounters Another (The Photographer)

Solitary Sandpiper
Tringa Solitaria

Early this morning, seconds after the sunrise, I was able to peer through some waving grass to photograph this solitary sandpiper. When I looked across the pond and saw fifteen greater/lesser yellowlegs weaving among five Canadian geese, and then looked down at the little guy in his solitude, I knew instantly where I would fit best in the bird kingdom. Hands down, I would be a solitary sandpiper.

Grasshopper Sparrow

Ammodramus Savannarum

I recently posted other images of grasshopper sparrows, but I especially like the way that this particular image captures the complex and intricate feather structures of this tiny bird. From an aerodynamic point of view, one might have reason to question the design; indeed, it's hard to see how the grasshopper sparrow could ever become airborne. From an aesthetic perspective, however, no one could question the beauty of this species. It's exquisite.

Ready for my Portrait

House Finch
Carpodacus Mexicanus

A New World

White-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia Leucophrys

This white-crowned sparrow is obviously immature, which is probably the reason that it entertained my approach without fear. I wonder if it will remain as calm and self-assured after a few of life's rodeos.

Anhinga Portrait

Anhinga Anhinga

I just returned from a couple of days of birding and photography in Huntington Beach State Park, Pawleys Island, South Carolina. One of the most fascinating birds in that area is the anhinga, which is large, exotic, and beautifully designed. While I have many shots of the full bird, this headshot is the one I like most. For some reason, it reminds me of a stylishly dressed person with a fashionable haircut having lunch with a friend in a local bistro.