Leighton Photography & Imaging

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  • The notorious mountain camp thief, the gray jay is a very clever and charismatic member of the corvid family that includes blue jays, crows, ravens, and magpies. This one seen in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming shows the distinctive regional Rocky Mountain color variation with a nearly white head.
    Gray Jay
  • A mallard drake (male) with paddles around in Soos Creek on a chilly Pacific Northwest winter day in Kent, Washington.
    Mallard Drake
  • A mallard hen swims in Soos Creek in Kent, Washington on a bright summer day.
    Mallard Hen
  • Recently, the western scrub jay was split into two distinct species: the California scrub jay (which is a brighter blue and is found in the coastal regions of the Pacific Northwest) and the Woodhouse's scrub jay (which is a duller blue and found in more interior regions away from the coast.) Much like any jay or other corvid, these often loud and very inquisitive birds will eat just about anything they can overpower or steal. These California scrub jays are easy to recognize from their neighboring cousins by the distinct blue "collar" around the neck. This one was found screeching in a maple tree in Southern King County, Washington on a chilly afternoon.
    California Scrub Jay
  • Recently, the western scrub jay was split into two distinct species: the California scrub jay (which is a brighter blue and is found in the coastal regions of the Pacific Northwest) and the Woodhouse's scrub jay (which is a duller blue and found in more interior regions away from the coast.) Much like any jay or other corvid, these often loud and very inquisitive birds will eat just about anything they can overpower or steal. These California scrub jays are easy to recognize from their neighboring cousins by the distinct blue "collar" around the neck. This one was found screeching in a maple tree in Southern King County, Washington on a chilly afternoon.
    California Scrub Jay
  • The black-chinned hummingbird is a common hummingbird at lower elevations in most of the American Southwest and parts of the Pacific Northwest, occasionally wintering near the Gulf of Mexico, but generally moving much further south along Mexico's Pacific Coast for the colder months of the year. This female was waiting her turn as some of the larger buff-bellied hummingbirds were chasing her away from the wildflowers she was trying to feed from. She finally paused for a moment for this shot in the Lower Rio Grande Valley on a warm winter morning near Weslaco, Texas.
    Female Black-chinned Hummingbird (Ar..dri)
  • Very common and easily recognized across most of the eastern half of North American and along most the US/Mexico border, excluding California, the red cardinal (and in particular - the bright red male as seen here) one of our most common backyard birds. They are often seen in pairs searching for seeds and insects in bushes and on the ground, or frequenting bird feeder. This one was a surprise for me, because I've been unsuccessful in getting a decent shot of a nice bright red male for 20 years until last week in South Texas. This one suddenly landed right in front of me and stayed there for about 5 minutes while I had a blast photographing him from different angles.
    Northern Cardinal
  • One of many bald eagles actively hunting over Lower Klamath Lake on a sunny late winter day in Northern California.
    Bald Eagle
  • This attractive little member of the finch family was photographed against a backdrop of coniferous trees and melting snow just south of Renton, Washington.
    Pine Siskin
  • The black-crowned night heron is one of the most elusive species of heron in North America, and can be found throughout most of the world on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. Active primarily at night and nearly invisible during the day, these ambush hunters fish the water's edge for fish, reptiles, insects, crustaceans, mussels, clams, small rodents and anything else they can overpower. This one was found stalking its prey in the early evening in Fort Myers, Florida.
    Black-crowned Night Heron
  • The black-crowned night heron is one of the most elusive species of heron in North America, and can be found throughout most of the world on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. Active primarily at night and nearly invisible during the day, these ambush hunters fish the water's edge for fish, reptiles, insects, crustaceans, mussels, clams, small rodents and anything else they can overpower. This one was found stalking its prey in the early evening in Fort Myers, Florida.
    Black-crowned Night Heron
  • The uncommon and coldwater-loving American dipper is a secretive dark bird often found perched on exposed rocks in fast-moving mountain streaks and rivers. I've personally seen them in Colorado in the summertime, the Pacific Northwest in the springtime and even in Banff National Park in the middle of January with temperatures around -20°F! What's particular about this strange little songbird is that it can actually  walk underwater, thanks to its incredibly strong toes and feet. This was one actively dipping its head under the water catching small aquatic insects on the edge of the Cle Elum River in Washington State on a very chilly fall morning.
    American Dipper
  • These strikingly beautiful songbirds are favorite among just about every birdwatcher in North America, and the world. Not only are they fun to watch enormous numbers of them attack fruit-laden trees at peak ripeness, they are also one of the few North American species of birds that specialize in eating only fruit. This one was found in the Warm Springs State Wildlife Management Area near Anaconda, Montana.
    Cedar Waxwing
  • This strikingly beautiful member of the tyrant flycatcher bird family was seen protecting its territory and small family group of four individuals in a tree overlooking a pond in the Warm Springs State Wildlife Management Area near Anaconda, Montana. Eastern kingbirds are known for their aggression towards other birds and other animals and will often dive-bomb intruders, like this one did to me while getting this photograph.
    Eastern Kingbird-2
  • This strikingly beautiful member of the tyrant flycatcher bird family was seen protecting its territory and small family group of four individuals in a tree overlooking a pond in the Warm Springs State Wildlife Management Area near Anaconda, Montana. Eastern kingbirds are known for their aggression towards other birds and other animals and will often dive-bomb intruders, like this one did to me while getting this photograph.
    Eastern Kingbird-1
  • This tiny little songbird is constantly on the move. At four and a quarter inches in length, this fast-moving blue-gray gnatcatcher is very common in eastern North American and parts of the Southwest where it forages in high trees for insects. Unusual for what we hear about wildlife and the state of habitat destruction these days, the total number of blue-gray gnatcatchers are on the rise. Not only are they becoming more numerous, they are also extending their range into places they've never been seen before. I was lucky enough to catch this one during it's 2-3 second rest in Fort Myers, Florida.
    Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
  • This tiny little songbird is constantly on the move. At four and a quarter inches in length, this fast-moving blue-gray gnatcatcher is very common in eastern North American and parts of the Southwest where it forages in high trees for insects. Unusual for what we hear about wildlife and the state of habitat destruction these days, the total number of blue-gray gnatcatchers are on the rise. Not only are they becoming more numerous, they are also extending their range into places they've never been seen before. I was lucky enough to catch this one during it's 2-3 second rest in Fort Myers, Florida.
    Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
  • Not commonly seen in southern Florida, the black-throated blue warbler is native to Eastern Canada down to the Carolinas, and is one of the few blue-colored birds in the Southeast. It is usually only seen while it is migrating south to the Caribbean or Central America where it spends its winters. This one was photographed in the Big Cypress National Preserve of SW Florida on a brisk fall morning.
    Black-throated Blue Warbler
  • The black-crowned night heron is one of the most elusive species of heron in North America, and can be found throughout most of the world on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. Active primarily at night and nearly invisible during the day, these ambush hunters fish the water's edge for fish, reptiles, insects, crustaceans, mussels, clams, small rodents and anything else they can overpower. This one was found stalking its prey in the early evening in Fort Myers, Florida.
    Black-crowned Night Heron
  • The black-crowned night heron is one of the most elusive species of heron in North America, and can be found throughout most of the world on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. Active primarily at night and nearly invisible during the day, these ambush hunters fish the water's edge for fish, reptiles, insects, crustaceans, mussels, clams, small rodents and anything else they can overpower. This one was found stalking its prey in the early evening in Fort Myers, Florida.
    Black-crowned Night Heron
  • The black-crowned night heron is one of the most elusive species of heron in North America, and can be found throughout most of the world on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. Active primarily at night and nearly invisible during the day, these ambush hunters fish the water's edge for fish, reptiles, insects, crustaceans, mussels, clams, small rodents and anything else they can overpower. This one was found stalking its prey in the early evening in Fort Myers, Florida.
    Black-crowned Night Heron
  • This fascinating plain chachalaca was found and photographed in the Rio Grande Valley in Hidalgo County with a number of others of its kind one the ground and in the mesquite trees. At the northern tip of its range, this large upland game bird can be found from the southern tip of Texas, throughout Mexico and south to Central America. Noisy as other members of the galliform family (turkeys, chickens, pheasants, grouse, etc.), the name chachalaca means "chatterbox" - a fitting name!
    Plain Chachalaca 1
  • Close-up of an adult female anhinga in the Florida Everglades, near Homestead. There is very clear sexual dimorphisnm in the anhinga: males have a mostly uniform black head and next (besides breeding plumage) while the female had a very pale brown to beige neck and head.
    Female Anhinga
  • Large for a sandpiper, and of the four species of godwits in the world, the marbled godwit is the biggest. This beautiful cinnamon-mottled shorebird breeds in the central North America's Great Plains (Alberta, the Dakotas, Montana, Minnesota and Nebraska) and travels to the coasts to winter where it can be found along the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Mostly associated with marshes, mudflats and sand flats, these uncommon shorebirds can sometimes be seen on the beach, such as this one along with several others in Los Angeles, California near the Del Rey Lagoon.
    Marbled Godwit
  • Large for a sandpiper, and one of the four species of godwits in the world, the marbled godwit is the biggest. This beautiful cinnamon-mottled shorebird breeds in the central North America's Great Plains (Alberta, the Dakotas, Montana, Minnesota and Nebraska) and travels to the coasts to winter where it can be found along the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Mostly associated with marshes, mudflats and sand flats, these uncommon shorebirds can sometimes be seen on the beach, such as this one along with several others in Los Angeles, California near the Del Rey Lagoon.
    Marbled Godwit
  • Also known as the Mexican grackle, the great-tailed grackle is a member of the new world blackbird family (Icteridae) and is very common from the American Great Plains, the American Southwest and all of Mexico south to also include all of Central America. This glossy blue/black male was first noticed making an awful commotion with a number of other males and females in a tree in rural Van Horn, Texas.
    Great-tailed Grackle
  • Often seen diving to depths of more than 40 feet (suspected at going even deeper to 150 feet or more), the Brandt's cormorant is found along North America's Pacific Coast from Alaska to the Gulf of California in Mexico where it hunts for fish above the ocean floor. It is often associated with sea lions. This one was seen near Los Angeles' Del Rey Lagoon on a sunny California spring morning.
    Brandt's Cormorant
  • A male northern red-breasted sapsucker hunts for insects on a maple tree in Kent, Washington on a sunny winter day. This beautiful large woodpecker is found along the Pacific coast of North America from Baja California in Mexico to Alaska.
    Northern Red-breasted Sapsucker
  • A juvenile black-crowned night heron practices to hunt for prey in a tree overhanging a pond in the Big Cypress National Preserve in SW Florida.
    Juvenile Black-crowned Night-Heron
  • An adult barred owl watches from the hardwoods at the northern end of the Fakahatchee Strand early in the morning in Southwest Florida near Golden Gate.
    Fakahatchee Barred Owl
  • A juvenile yellow-crowned night-heron close-up as it hunts for crabs and fish on the mangrove backwaters on SW Florida's Sanibel Island.
    Juvenile Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron
  • Eventually the King of the Florida Everglades ends up getting eaten. This alligator met its demise in the Fakahatchee Strand, and provided a meal, ready to eat for this black vulture. Without carrion birds such as this to keep the ecosystem clean from decay and rot, very little of the habitat would be safe for wildlife.
    Black Vulture
  • Occasionally heard in remote canyons and rocky cliffs, but seldom seen, this curious canyon wren stayed with me for some time as I wound my way up a narrow trail up the steep basalt cliffs of White Pass near Naches, Washington.
    Canyon Wren
  • A wild male California quail hunts for seeds and insects in a disturbed field outside of Yakima, WA in Cowiche Canyon. Although it is California's state bird, this native quail is found from Canada to Mexico along the West Coast in dry, arid habitats.
    California Quail
  • A pair of baby Great Egrets standing on a branch with their nest deep in a Florida swamp.
    Baby Great Egrets with Nest
  • An osprey with a fresh mullet photographed while landing in a pine tree in St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.
    Osprey with Fresh Mullet
  • The smallest of all of North America's woodpeckers, the downy woodpecker is also one of the most widespread with a range covering most of the continent except for the most arid parts of the American Southwest. This adult female was found actively hunting for insects in the trees above Ingalls Creek in Washington's Cascade Mountains on a very cold, snowy January afternoon.
    Downy Woodpecker
  • Common throughout most of the United States and Canada (except the Southeastern states) the horned lark (Eremophila alpestris) is a passerine songbird that holds an enormous range of not only habitat, but also altitude. It can be found from sea level to alpine regions up to thirteen thousand feet. Wherever they may be encountered, they might be considered impossible to see, such as this juvenile that is so perfectly camouflaged in its dry and dusty home in the hills above Cowiche Canyon near Yakima, Washington that I didn't even notice it until it moved.
    Horned Lark-2
  • A rare view of a tree swallow perching in a tree next to its hollowed-out nest above Soos Creek in Kent, Washington.
    Tree Swallow
  • An American robin pauses in the early summer evening while hunting for insects along Soos Creek in Kent Washington.
    American Robin
  • This fascinating plain chachalaca was found and photographed in the Rio Grande Valley in Hidalgo County with a number of others of its kind one the ground and in the mesquite trees. At the northern tip of its range, this large upland game bird can be found from the southern tip of Texas, throughout Mexico and south to Central America. Noisy as other members of the galliform family (turkeys, chickens, pheasants, grouse, etc.), the name chachalaca means "chatterbox" - a fitting name!
    Plain Chachalaca 3
  • A protective mother wood duck hen speeds across a duckweed-covered pond with her chicks hot on her tail by Soos Creek in Kent, Washington on a hot summer day.
    Wood Duck Hen with Ducklings
  • An incredible find! Swallows are among the most difficult birds to photograph because they are so secretive, fast, low-flying and extremely erratic in flight. Not to mention they are very small and almost never land where you can see them. Tree swallows? Even more impossible. I found this tree swallow only after I just happened to notice it fly out of a nearly-invisible hole in a dead tree. I waited and waited in the wetlands of Soos Creek in Kent, Washington until it came back to its nest.
    Nesting Tree Swallow 2
  • An incredible find! Swallows are among the most difficult birds to photograph because they are so secretive, fast, low-flying and extremely erratic in flight. Not to mention they are very small and almost never land where you can see them. Tree swallows? Even more impossible. I found this tree swallow only after I just happened to notice it fly out of a nearly-invisible hole in a dead tree. I waited and waited in the wetlands of Soos Creek in Kent, Washington until it came back to its nest.
    Nesting Tree Swallow 1
  • This beautiful black-and-white warbler is a forest and swamp-loving songbird and is the only member of the genus Mniotilta. Found across most of Eastern North America, it spends its winters in warmer climates from Texas and Florida down to northern South America. This one was found and photographed while it was hunting among the trees insects in Southwest Florida's Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve, in Fort Myers on a chilly November evening.
    Black-and-White Warbler-7
  • This beautiful black-and-white warbler is a forest and swamp-loving songbird and is the only member of the genus Mniotilta. Found across most of Eastern North America, it spends its winters in warmer climates from Texas and Florida down to northern South America. This one was found and photographed while it was hunting among the trees insects in Southwest Florida's Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve, in Fort Myers on a chilly November evening.
    Black-and-White Warbler-6
  • This common, large flycatcher is frequently seen (or just heard) in the Eastern half of North America high in the treetops where it actively and aggressively hunts insects and ripe fruits and even the occasional small invertebrate such as lizards. This one was seen perched out in the open above the black waters of the Corkscrew Swamp on a cool November evening in Southwest Florida.
    Great Crested Flycatcher-5
  • This common, large flycatcher is frequently seen (or just heard) in the Eastern half of North America high in the treetops where it actively and aggressively hunts insects and ripe fruits and even the occasional small invertebrate such as lizards. This one was seen perched out in the open above the black waters of the Corkscrew Swamp on a cool November evening in Southwest Florida.
    Great Crested Flycatcher-4
  • This common, large flycatcher is frequently seen (or just heard) in the Eastern half of North America high in the treetops where it actively and aggressively hunts insects and ripe fruits and even the occasional small invertebrate such as lizards. This one was seen perched out in the open above the black waters of the Corkscrew Swamp on a cool November evening in Southwest Florida.
    Great Crested Flycatcher-3
  • This common, large flycatcher is frequently seen (or just heard) in the Eastern half of North America high in the treetops where it actively and aggressively hunts insects and ripe fruits and even the occasional small invertebrate such as lizards. This one was seen perched out in the open above the black waters of the Corkscrew Swamp on a cool November evening in Southwest Florida.
    Great Crested Flycatcher-2
  • This common, large flycatcher is frequently seen (or just heard) in the Eastern half of North America high in the treetops where it actively and aggressively hunts insects and ripe fruits and even the occasional small invertebrate such as lizards. This one was seen perched out in the open above the black waters of the Corkscrew Swamp on a cool November evening in Southwest Florida.
    Great Crested Flycatcher-1
  • One of the smallest of the songbirds in the eastern half of North America, the highly charismatic and extremely voracious blue-gray gnatcatcher is also one of the hardest to see clearly. The fly at seemly reckless speeds through thick foliage, and rarely stop for more than a second or two before launching into the air for another round of acrobatic avian maneuvers fro tiny flying insects. This one was one of many seen perching among the bald cypress trees just log enough to swallow yet another insect before going off in search for the next victim in Southwest Florida's Corkscrew Swamp near Naples.
    Blue-gray Gnatcatcher-11
  • One of the smallest of the songbirds in the eastern half of North America, the highly charismatic and extremely voracious blue-gray gnatcatcher is also one of the hardest to see clearly. The fly at seemly reckless speeds through thick foliage, and rarely stop for more than a second or two before launching into the air for another round of acrobatic avian maneuvers fro tiny flying insects. This one was one of many seen perching among the bald cypress trees just log enough to swallow yet another insect before going off in search for the next victim in Southwest Florida's Corkscrew Swamp near Naples.
    Blue-gray Gnatcatcher-8
  • One of the smallest of the songbirds in the eastern half of North America, the highly charismatic and extremely voracious blue-gray gnatcatcher is also one of the hardest to see clearly. The fly at seemly reckless speeds through thick foliage, and rarely stop for more than a second or two before launching into the air for another round of acrobatic avian maneuvers fro tiny flying insects. This one was one of many seen perching among the bald cypress trees just log enough to swallow yet another insect before going off in search for the next victim in Southwest Florida's Corkscrew Swamp near Naples.
    Blue-gray Gnatcatcher-7
  • While I was looking up into the trees and marveling at the huge number of moths flying over the black waters of the Corkscrew Swamp just outside of Naples, Florida, this tiny bomber swooped in, grabbed a moth and then began to wolf it down just as soon as it could find a perch to rest. At four and a quarter inches in length, this fast-moving blue-gray gnatcatcher is very common in eastern North American and parts of the Southwest where it forages in high trees for insects. Unusual for what we hear about wildlife and the state of habitat destruction these days, the total number of blue-gray gnatcatchers are on the rise. Not only are they becoming more numerous, they are also extending their range into places they've never been seen before.
    Blue-gray Gnatcatcher-6
  • While I was looking up into the trees and marveling at the huge number of moths flying over the black waters of the Corkscrew Swamp just outside of Naples, Florida, this tiny bomber swooped in, grabbed a moth and then began to wolf it down just as soon as it could find a perch to rest. At four and a quarter inches in length, this fast-moving blue-gray gnatcatcher is very common in eastern North American and parts of the Southwest where it forages in high trees for insects. Unusual for what we hear about wildlife and the state of habitat destruction these days, the total number of blue-gray gnatcatchers are on the rise. Not only are they becoming more numerous, they are also extending their range into places they've never been seen before.
    Blue-gray Gnatcatcher-4
  • While I was looking up into the trees and marveling at the huge number of moths flying over the black waters of the Corkscrew Swamp just outside of Naples, Florida, this tiny bomber swooped in, grabbed a moth and then began to wolf it down just as soon as it could find a perch to rest. At four and a quarter inches in length, this fast-moving blue-gray gnatcatcher is very common in eastern North American and parts of the Southwest where it forages in high trees for insects. Unusual for what we hear about wildlife and the state of habitat destruction these days, the total number of blue-gray gnatcatchers are on the rise. Not only are they becoming more numerous, they are also extending their range into places they've never been seen before.
    Blue-gray Gnatcatcher-3
  • This beautiful black-and-white warbler is a forest and swamp-loving songbird and is the only member of the genus Mniotilta. Found across most of Eastern North America, it spends its winters in warmer climates from Texas and Florida down to northern South America. This one was found and photographed while it was hunting through swarms of flying insects in Southwest Florida's Corkscrew Swamp near Naples on a chilly November evening.
    Black-and-White Warbler-4
  • This beautiful black-and-white warbler is a forest and swamp-loving songbird and is the only member of the genus Mniotilta. Found across most of Eastern North America, it spends its winters in warmer climates from Texas and Florida down to northern South America. This one was found and photographed while it was hunting through swarms of flying insects in Southwest Florida's Corkscrew Swamp near Naples on a chilly November evening.
    Black-and-White Warbler-3
  • This beautiful black-and-white warbler is a forest and swamp-loving songbird and is the only member of the genus Mniotilta. Found across most of Eastern North America, it spends its winters in warmer climates from Texas and Florida down to northern South America. This one was found and photographed while it was hunting through swarms of flying insects in Southwest Florida's Corkscrew Swamp near Naples on a chilly November evening.
    Black-and-White Warbler-2
  • This beautiful black-and-white warbler is a forest and swamp-loving songbird and is the only member of the genus Mniotilta. Found across most of Eastern North America, it spends its winters in warmer climates from Texas and Florida down to northern South America. This one was found and photographed while it was hunting through swarms of flying insects in Southwest Florida's Corkscrew Swamp near Naples on a chilly November evening.
    Black-and-White Warbler-1
  • A reddish egret hunts for fish and crustaceans on Bunche Beach in Fort Myers, Florida.
    Reddish Egret
  • The Mexican jay is a gorgeous member of the crow and jay family that is found throughout Mexico and barely touches into parts of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Very similar to the Florida scrub jays in appearance from my birthplace in SW Florida, these noisy birds are intelligent, curious, and much like their relative - the magpie, are thieves for anything bright, shiny or tasty.
    Mexican Jay
  • This common North American shorebird was found very far from where its summer nesting grounds in the Alaskan tundra. I found and photographed this western sandpiper at the southern tip of the Florida Everglades on a late winter day within sight of the Florida Keys! Sometimes these birds will spend the winter much further south in Central America.
    Western Sandpiper
  • Eastern kingbird seen in the Big Cypress National Preserve. It kept landing near us and seemed to want to be photographed!
    Eastern Kingbird
  • The Pacific wren is a very small songbird with a very loud, beautiful voice and a confusing history. As taxonomy gets better and better with our better understanding of genetics as it applies to wildlife, the Pacific wren was once considered the same species as the winter wren of the east coast. Although they do look very similar, it has been determined that they are indeed a separate species. This little wren was found singing its heart out about halfway up Cougar Mountain just outside of Seattle, Washington on a typically rainy spring day.
    Pacific Wren
  • This enormous great horned owl was spotted from almost a quarter-mile away perched in a cottonwood tree next to Lower Klamath Lake in Northern California.
    Great Horned Owl
  • A pair if white ibises search the shallows of the Sweetwater Strand for aquatic insects and other invertebrates in SW Florida's Big Cypress National Preserve.
    White Ibises
  • Native to the deserts of the American Southwest and northern Mexico, these tiny, noisy relatives of the wrens are completely at home in the driest of deserts where they make their living among the mesquite and cacti and feeding on spiders and insects. This black-tailed gnatcatcher was found in the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument within sight of the Mexican border in Arizona.
    Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
  • An adult male anhinga in breeding plumage drying his wings in the Florida Everglades near Homestead. Because anhingas don't have the oil glands found in other aquatic birds like ducks, gulls, swans, etc, when they come out of the water, they will need to dry their wings in order to fly. The advantage of not having this seeming important oil so essential to buoyancy is that when underwater, the anhinga becomes an extremely fast and agile swimmer and a very efficient fish hunter. Throughout the Gulf Coast, this is a very typical sight: an anhinga perched above water,  wings spread drying in the wind and heat.
    Male Anhinga
  • Related to pelicans and cormorants, this male anhinga is in full breeding plumage in a freshwater lake in Fort Myers, Florida. Common along the wetlands of the Gulf Coast on the United States, this fish-specialist is widely scattered across Central America and can be found throughout the whole of the Amazon River Basin in South America.
    Male Anhinga
  • Also known as the snakebird, the anhinga is a common fish-eating bird found along the coasts and interior of Florida and as far south as the Southern Amazon in Brazil. This female is in full breeding plumage on a warm spring day in the Florida Everglades.
    Female Anhinga
  • Also known as the snakebird, the anhinga is a common fish-eating bird found along the coasts and interior of Florida. This female was perched at the base of an old bald cypress in the heart of the Sweetwater Strand of the Florida Everglades.
    Female Anhinga
  • Because anhingas don't have the oil glands found in other aquatic birds like ducks, gulls, swans, etc, when they come out of the water, they will need to dry their wings in order to fly. The advantage of not having this seeming important oil so essential to buoyancy is that when underwater, the anhinga becomes an extremely fast and agile swimmer and a very efficient fish hunter. Throughout the Gulf Coast, this is a very typical sight: an anhinga perched above water,  wings spread drying in the wind and heat. This one was photographed in the middle of Fort Myers, Florida.
    Anhinga
  • Rocks, cypress stumps and other watery perches are the perfect place for anhingas to keep an eye out for fish, and to stay relatively safe from hungry alligators, crocodiles, wildcats and larger birds of prey. This adult female was photographed from the shore of a lake in Fort Myers, Florida.
    Female Anhinga
  • Because the anhinga lacks the oils for buoyancy in its feathers like other birds, and it has a heavier skeleton than other diving birds, the swimming anhinga is completely submerged except for its head and long flexible neck, earning it the common nickname, "snakebird." This one was spotted in a bream-rich lake in Fort Myers, Florida.
    Anhinga
  • Also known as the snakebird, the anhinga is a common fish-eating bird found along the coasts and interior of Florida and as far south as the Southern Amazon in Brazil. This female is in full breeding plumage on a warm spring day in Fort Myers, Florida. Note that beautiful blue eye-ring!
    Female Anhinga
  • Also known as the snakebird, the anhinga is a common fish-eating bird found along the coasts and interior of Florida and as far south as the Southern Amazon in Brazil. This female is in full breeding plumage on a warm spring day in Fort Myers, Florida. Note that beautiful blue eye-ring!
    Female Anhinga
  • Also known as the snakebird, the anhinga is a common fish-eating bird found along the coasts and interior of Florida and as far south as the Southern Amazon in Brazil. This female is in full breeding plumage on a warm spring day in Fort Myers, Florida. Note that beautiful blue eye-ring!
    Female Anhinga
  • Also known as the snakebird, the anhinga is a common fish-eating bird found along the coasts and interior of Florida and as far south as the Southern Amazon in Brazil. This female is in full breeding plumage on a warm spring day in Fort Myers, Florida. Note that beautiful blue eye-ring!
    Female Anhinga
  • Also known as the snakebird, the anhinga is a common fish-eating bird found along the coasts and interior of Florida and as far south as the Southern Amazon in Brazil. This female is in full breeding plumage on a warm spring day in Fort Myers, Florida. Note that beautiful blue eye-ring!
    Female Anhinga
  • Related to pelican and cormorants, this male anhinga is in breeding full plumage in the Florida Everglades. Common along the wetlands of the Gulf Coast on the United States, this fish-specialist is widely scattered across Central America and can be found throughout the whole of the Amazon River Basin in South America.
    Male Anhinga
  • Related to pelican and cormorants, this male anhinga is in full breeding plumage in the Florida Everglades. Common along the wetlands of the Gulf Coast on the United States, this fish-specialist is widely scattered across Central America and can be found throughout the whole of the Amazon River Basin in South America.
    Male Anhinga
  • Related to pelican and cormorants, this male anhinga is in breeding full plumage in the Florida Everglades. Common along the wetlands of the Gulf Coast on the United States, this fish-specialist is widely scattered across Central America and can be found throughout the whole of the Amazon River Basin in South America.
    Male Anhinga
  • Also known as the snakebird, the anhinga is a common and very effective fish-hunter found along the coasts and interior of Florida and as far south as the Southern Amazon in Brazil. This male was spotted perched in a bald cypress tree in the Big Cypress National Preserve in Southwest Florida.
    Male Anhinga
  • Because anhingas don't have the oil glands found in other aquatic birds like ducks, gulls, swans, etc, when they come out of the water, they will need to dry their wings in order to fly. The advantage of not having this seemingly important oil so essential to buoyancy is that when underwater, the anhinga becomes an extremely fast and agile swimmer and a very efficient fish hunter. Throughout the Gulf Coast, this is a very typical sight: an anhinga perched above water,  wings spread drying in the wind and heat. This adult male was photographed in the Six-mile Cypress Slough in Fort Myers, Florida.
    Male Anhinga
  • A prairie falcon streaks past, pivots and dives while hunting along a large cliff in Northeastern Califonia in rural Modoc County. Very similar yet only slightly diminished in size and speed as its distant cousin, the peregrine falcon, the prairie falcon makes its home in the wide, open prairies and arid deserts of the American West interior.
    Prairie Falcon in Flight
  • A prairie falcon streaks past, pivots and dives while hunting along a large cliff in Northeastern Califonia in rural Modoc County. Very similar yet only slightly diminished in size and speed as its distant cousin, the peregrine falcon, the prairie falcon makes its home in the wide, open prairies and arid deserts of the American West interior.
    Prairie Falcon in Flight
  • A prairie falcon streaks past, pivots and dives while hunting along a large cliff in Northeastern Califonia in rural Modoc County. Very similar yet only slightly diminished in size and speed as its distant cousin, the peregrine falcon, the prairie falcon makes its home in the wide, open prairies and arid deserts of the American West interior.
    Prairie Falcon in Flight
  • A raft of surf scoters drifts by on Washington's Hood Canal on a brisk late afternoon. A type of large diving sea duck, the drakes (males) have beautifully bright orange and white bills with a black spot while typical in most ducks, the hens (females) have a rather drab coloration by comparison. Surf scoters can be found in the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans, where they typically breed in the tundra of Alaska and Northern Canada, and are very occasionally seen on the Gulf of Mexico, the Great Lakes and even the British Isles.
    Surf Scoters
  • A raft of surf scoters drifts by on Washington's Hood Canal on a brisk late afternoon. A type of large diving sea duck, the drakes (males) have beautifully bright orange and white bills with a black spot while typical in most ducks, the hens (females) have a rather drab coloration by comparison. Surf scoters can be found in the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans, where they typically breed in the tundra of Alaska and Northern Canada, and are very occasionally seen on the Gulf of Mexico, the Great Lakes and even the British Isles.
    Surf Scoters
  • Common along the entire west coast of North America, this dark little member of the sandpiper family was found grooming and bathing in a tidal pool among some rocks just outside of Los Angeles.
    Black Turnstone
  • Common along the entire west coast of North America, this dark little member of the sandpiper family was found grooming and bathing in a tidal pool among some rocks just outside of Los Angeles.
    Black Turnstone
  • An osprey sits patiently in its nest in the Florida Everglades while its mate is off hunting.
    Osprey in Nest
  • An osprey in flight over Everglades National Park.
    Osprey in Flight
  • An osprey in flight over Everglades National Park.
    Osprey in Flight
  • A trio of black-necked stilts wading through the salt marshes of North Florida's St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge in search of juvenile fish and small crustaceans, just outside of Tallahassee on the Gulf Coast.
    A Trio of Black-necked Stilts
  • Large for a sandpiper, and of the four species of godwits in the world, the marbled godwit is the biggest. This beautiful cinnamon-mottled shorebird breeds in the central North America's Great Plains (Alberta, the Dakotas, Montana, Minnesota and Nebraska) and travels to the coasts to winter where it can be found along the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Mostly associated with marshes, mudflats and sand flats, these uncommon shorebirds can sometimes be seen on the beach, such as this one along with several others in Los Angeles, California near the Del Rey Lagoon.
    Marbled Godwit
  • Large for a sandpiper, and of the four species of godwits in the world, the marbled godwit is the biggest. This beautiful cinnamon-mottled shorebird breeds in the central North America's Great Plains (Alberta, the Dakotas, Montana, Minnesota and Nebraska) and travels to the coasts to winter where it can be found along the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Mostly associated with marshes, mudflats and sand flats, these uncommon shorebirds can sometimes be seen on the beach, such as this one along with several others in Los Angeles, California near the Del Rey Lagoon.
    Marbled Godwit
  • Large for a sandpiper, and of the four species of godwits in the world, the marbled godwit is the biggest. This beautiful cinnamon-mottled shorebird breeds in the central North America's Great Plains (Alberta, the Dakotas, Montana, Minnesota and Nebraska) and travels to the coasts to winter where it can be found along the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Mostly associated with marshes, mudflats and sand flats, these uncommon shorebirds can sometimes be seen on the beach, such as this one along with several others in Los Angeles, California near the Del Rey Lagoon.
    Marbled Godwit
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