birds, bird photos, bird photographs

What's New:

NOTE: all pics are taken in Texas unless stated otherwise:-

July 29, 2015: Added a new section for our recent trip to Chiapas and Oaxaca Mexico (most of the specialties - take a look!) - in the Birding Trips section..

December 17, 2014: Added a new section for our recent trip to Honduras (Great Tinamous; Lesser Roadrunner, Guatemalan Screech-Owl, Green-breasted Mountain-Gem, Honduran Emerald, etc.) - in the Birding Trips section..

December 01, 2014: Added a lovely American Dipper from GMNP, Texes - in the Misc. Birds section.

updated Common Eider variation - in the Bird ID section.

November 30, 2014: Added photo of the hatching-year Red-legged Honeycreeper from the LRGV, Texes - in the Misc. Birds section.

November 24, 2014: Added a female Cassin's Finch from Lubbock, Texes; updated Bewick's Wren - in the Bird ID section.

Added photos the TWO! Common Cranes from Muleshoe, Texas - in the Misc. Birds section.

Added photos to the following entries: Regal Darner, Needhams' Skimmer , Red Rock Skimmer, and Autumn Meadowhawk - in the Dragonflies section.

November 11, 2014: Added photos of the NW Atlantic form to the Common Eider page from Massachusetts; a Common Loon with a white lower flank patch from Massachusetts; a Scopoli's-type Cory's Shearwater; a smashing dark morph Swainson's Hawk; a flight comparison of first-winter Common and Forster's Terns; an Eastern Wood-Pewee with all-pale mandible; a Hammond's Flycatcher from Bracketville, west of San Antonio; a presumed Willow Flycatcher with some odd features, from west Texas; a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher with an apparent narrow bill and giving the winter call; two rather different Hermit Thrushes at the same location; - in the Bird ID section.

Added a confiding - but upstaged - Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl; updated pics of a Sagebrush Sparrow that has thick (too thick?) malar streaks; - in the Misc. Birds section.

November 06/07, 2014: Added new, much better photos of the Texas Bar-tailed Godwit; a Russet-backed Swainson's Thrush from Texas - in the Bird ID section.

Pics of both Texas Collared Plover records - and pics of Collared Plovers from Chile that do not have complete chest bands; my best pic yet of Magnificent Hummingbird, from Arizona; an unexpected Lucy's Warbler from coastal Texas (with Bar-tailed Godwit and Magnificent Frigatebird the same day); an unusual female Mourning Warbler (bottom of page) with complete gray chest band - in the Misc. Birds section.

Added recent pics of Caribbean Darner and Pale Green Darner from Sabal Palm Sanctuary; a female Black Pondhawk from Corpus Christi; finally I got to see Red-faced Dragonlets in Texas!; a flight shot of two in-focus Band-winged Dragonlets; the first White-tailed Sylphs for Texas (3rd U.S. record) - in the Dragonflies section.

Added a recent photo of Tropical Greenstreak from southern Texas; my lifer Xami Hairstreak, Yojoa Scrub-Hairstreaks and Pearly-gray Hairstreaks (three!) from southern Texas; four Starred Skippers from southern Texas; a rather worn Orange-edged Roadside-Skipper from Arizona; nice shots of my first Giant-Skipper - a Yucca G-S from Austin - in the Butterfly section.

Added a new section with old slide photos from a 1990 trip to Morocco (Kittlitz's Plover; Slender-billed Curlew, Thick-billed Lark, Tristram's Warbler, Desert Sparrow, etc.) - in the Birding Trips section.

September 30, 2014: Yikes - it's been more than a year since I maintained this log of changes. There have been far too many additions and changes for me to list here. My apologies, and I will try harder to maintain this log...

September 11, 2013: Recently added pics of: Plain-capped Starthroat, Broad-billed, Magnificent, and Black-chinned Hummingbirds, first-summer and juvenile Gray Hawks (Arizona), dueling Solitary Sandpipers, and two Prairie Warblers from Texas - in the Misc. Birds section. Added juvenile Sandwich Terns and yet another unusual (to me!) Empidonax Flycatcher from coastal Texas - in the Bird ID section

September 10, 2013: Recently added pics from Texas, Arizona and New Mexico of: Desert Shadowdamsels, Mexican Wedgetails, Black-and-white Damsels, California, Coppery, Spine-tipped, Amethyst, Springwater, Sabino, Tarascan and Tonto Dancers, Familiar Bluet (odd abdominal pattern), perched and flying Giant Darner, Riffle Darner, Malachite Darner, Yellow-legged, Dashed and Serpent Ringtails, Arizona Snaketail, Gray Sanddragon, Laura's Clubtail, Apache Snaketail, Bronze and Swift River Cruisers (in-hand comparison), Eight-spotted Skimmer, Striped and Spot-winged Meadowhawks - in the Dragonflies section.

August 07, 2013: Added a recent Short-tailed Hawk from South Texas - in the Misc. Birds section. Added another "White-throated Flycatcher-like" Willow Flycatcher from west Texas - in the Bird ID section. In the Birding Trips/Places section I have added a few unusual birds to the pre-digital Ecuador pages, and a few unusual birds to the Chile pages. In the Butterfly section I have added a recent Tailed Cecropian from south Texas and a White-angled Sulphur and Statira Sulphur from San Antonio.

July 15, 2013: I've been tardy in keeping this up-to-date:
The following entries have been added to the Misc. Birds section: recent pics of Rufous-necked Wood-Rail, western Purple Martins, Red-faced Warbler - all from New Mexico; a Peregrine carrying a Cattle Egret, and Fish Crows - from east Houston; Clark's Grebe, Common Merganser, Crissal Thrasher, Colima Warbler, Sage Sparrow - all from west Texas; a Scarlet Tanager with golden wing-bars, a western type Summer Tanager, a "black-throated" Tennessee Warbler - all from the central coast of Texas; all three species of Ptarmigan - from Colorado and Alaska.
A Eurasian Whimbrel from the upper Texas coast has been added to the Bird ID section.
The following entries have been added to the Birding Trips/Places section: A number of new birds for the Colombia in December 2009 section; a new section with a handful of birds from a West Mexico 2005 trip; a presumed Eastern Wood-Pewee to the Rio Azul, Para section of Brazil 2008; Yellow-billed Loon, gulls, and various passerines added to the North Slope Alaska 2006 section.
Recent pics of Dashed Ringtail and Arizona Snaketail from southeastern New Mexico, and another Texas Tule Bluet have all been added in the Dragonflies section.
The following entries have been added to the Butterfly section: Melissa Blue, Red Satyr, and Vesta Crescent(in flight) from western Texas; a south Texas Jalapus Cloudywing; Persius Duskywing from Colorado; Green Skipper, Texas Roadside-Skipper from western Texas; Dion Skipper, Northern Broken-dash from eastern Texas; Disparate Forester Moth from southern Texas.

March 25, 2013: Added Black Crescent from south Texas and many Frosted Elfins from east Texas; added butterflies from trips to southern Ecuador and two to central and northern Colombia - all in the Butterfly section. Added pics of Streaked Flycatcher to the Peru Photo Gallery - in the Birding Trips/Places section.

March 04, 2013: Added a new bird photo gallery from our recent Owling trip to Duluth, Minnesota. Started a new work-in-progress bird photo gallery from two older birding trips to Chile featuring 2 rare and local hummingbirds. Added poor but IDable pics of Peruvian Tern from Peru pelagic to the Peru Photo Gallery - all in the Birding Trips/Places section.

February 07, 2013: Two interesting Lesser Black-backed Gull types and a candidate first cycle Slaty-backed Gull from Brownsville - in the Gulls section. A February Hammond's Flycatcher in San Antonio; another light-morph Harlan's Hawk and close flight shots of a Krider's Hawk - in the Bird ID section. Four species of hummingbird including Allen's and Calliope from San Antonio - in the Misc. Birds section. A very rare Mexican Silverspot from San Antonio - in the Butterfly section.

January 19, 2013: I've made a number of recent additions:- Two pale (one very pale) Thayer's Gull types - in the Gulls section. A female Evening Grosbeak, a ghostly pale Great Horned Owl and a very rare Northern Shrike from west Texas; three of SIX Northern Shrikes that we saw in the Texas Panhandle in just three days... - in the Misc. Birds section. An unusually dark juvenile Common Tern from Port Aransas; an oddly warm-toned Semipalmated Sandpiper from San Antonio; a candidate Cassin's Vireo from Port Aransas; a very bright yellow Orange-crowned Warbler from south Texas - in the Bird ID section.

October 31, 2012: Added old slide scans of a King Rail from west Texas that looks quite white-bellied... - in the Bird ID section.

October 14, 2012: From a recent trip to the LRGV:- Added an Aellopos Sphinx Moth that looks most like tantalus - which is undocumented for Texas - at the bottom of the Butterfly section. Added a male Black Pondhawk - in the Dragonflies section.

September 15, 2012: added pics by Alan Wormington of his adult Kelp Gull from Ontario, Canada - in the Gulls section.

September 03, 2012: added all the butterflies photographed on our birding trip to northern and central Peru in 2010 - in the Butterfly section.

August 24, 2012: added the two North American "suffusa" butterflies - found flying next to each other: Dark Buckeye and "White-frosted" Northern Cloudywing; added a new Two-spotted Forester Moth - in the Butterfly section.

August 06, 2012: Finally added a few butterflies from Suriname in November 2011 (including the fabulous Evenus sponsa) - in the Butterfly section. At long last, I am able to add photos of a naturally-perched Texas Emerald. Added a single photo containing all three Brachymesia pennants. Added a photo of a female Seaside Dragonlet with strong wing spots. Added pics of mature female and teneral male Jade-striped Sylphs. Added photos of a series of male Orthemis that have a red frons. Corrected ID of a female forktail from Eastern Forktail to Plains Forktail - in the Dragonflies section .

July 24, 2012: Added a few lepidoptera, including Zebra Longwings, Dury's and Palmer's Metalmarks, and Disparate Forester (moth) from Big Bend, The newly-published name for Big Bend Hairstreak (Strymon solitario), and a spectacular Urania Moth from south Texas - in the Butterfly section.

June 11, 2012: Added not-good pics of immature Violet-green Swallows to demonstrate what they can look like in such circumstances - in the Bird ID section. Added not-good pics of a Violet-green Swallow from Fort Worth - in the Misc. Birds section.

June 04, 2012: Added pics of today's fabulous Black-tailed Godwit at Brazoria, Texas - in the Bird ID section.

May 01, 2012: Added pics of the current enigmatic Tropical Mockingbird - in the Misc. Birds section. Added pics of Orange Shadowdragon - in the Dragonflies section .

April 08, 2012: Added pics of "dusky" Glaucous Gulls from northwest Alaska - in the Gulls section.

March 14, 2012: Added pics of recent strong candidate for Slaty-backed Gull - in the Gulls section. Added pics of a Disparate Forester moth from south Texas - in the Butterfly section.

February 22, 2012: Added pics of today's San Antonio Western Bluebirds - in the Misc. Birds section.

February 21, 2012: Added pics of the recent Texas Snowy Owl - in the Misc. Birds section.

February 08, 2012: Added a new bird photo gallery from our recent birding trip to Puerto Rico featuring 31 species, 13 of which are endemic to the Island - in the Birding Trips/Places section. Also added butterfly and odonate photo galleries from the Puerto Rico trip - in the Butterflies and Dragonflies sections.

January 16, 2012: Added some Smith's Longspurs in the Bird ID section. Added Brown-headed Nuthatch, Pygmy Nuthatch (from Colorado), and Brown Creeper - in the Misc. Birds section.

January 10, 2012: Added the Nutting's Flycatcher from BBNP... - in the Bird ID section.

January 05, 2012: Added a "fuscous" Grey-cheeked Thrush from May 2005; also updated the possible Bicknell's Thrush from the same day with a reference to Pyle's newer ID guide that shows a strikingly similar wing formula... - in the Bird ID section.

December 07, 2011: Added a coastal migrant Bewick's Wren - in the Bird ID section. Added a flying Least Bittern, a flying Ringed Kingfisher, a flying female Calliope Hummingbird, a perched and flying Violet-crowned Hummingbird, a perched and flying Violet-crowned Swallow (from Colorado), perched and flying Phainopeplas, and a record shot of a Golden-crowned Warbler - in the Misc. Birds section.

November 29, 2011: Added a new odonate photo gallery from our recent birding trip to Suriname - in the Dragonflies section .

November 23, 2011: Added a new bird/monkey photo gallery from our recent birding trip to Suriname and Curacao - in the Birding Trips/Places section.

October 29, 2011: Added a detailed analysis of the current state-of-play for separating non-Definitive-Alternate Golden-Plovers - in the Bird ID section.
Added a page featuring all three species of Aellepos Sphinx Moths known from Texas, with notes on their identification and distribution - in the Butterflies section.

October 20, 2011: Added immature Reddish Egrets with large yellow triangles on the lores - in the Bird ID section.

October 16, 2011: Added two sparrows from coastal Texas that might cause confusion: an orange-buff-headed Savannah Sparrow and a Clay-colored Sparrow with some retained juvenile traits that are Brewer's-like - in the Bird ID section.

October 13, 2011: Added an apparent Western Wood-Pewee arrival event plus a Cassin's Vireo both from coastal Texas - in the Bird ID section. I've added a Bell's Vireo from the Texas coast and new Fall images of Palm and Mourning Warblers - in the Misc. Birds section.

September 07, 2011: Added a striking-looking Willow-type Flycatcher from west Texas - in the Bird ID section. I've added recent Fall-flying Sandia and Poling's Hairstreaks, plus from previous years, Strophius Hairstreak, Long-tailed Aguna, and Mercurial, Obscure, Pale-rayed, Violet-patched, and Hidden-ray Skippers in the Butterflies section.

August 22, 2011: From a 2009 trip to NW Arkansas I've added Diana Fritillary, Great Spangled Fritillary, Northern Pearly-eye, Coral Hairstreak and Mottled Duskywing in the Butterflies section.

August 21, 2011: Lots of butterflies have been added recently into the Butterflies section:- I've added a few butterflies from the LRGV, including Ruddy Daggerwing, Angled Leafwing, Faceted/Malicious Skippers, a recent Florida Purplewing and some Statira Sulphurs. Also from West Texas I've added a fresh Orange-headed Roadside-Skipper and from East Texas a Lace-winged Roadside-Skipper and a Little Glassywing, plus a Green Skipper from San Antonio. From Missouri are a Harvester and some Regal Fritillaries, while from NE Mexico a Godart's White and a Narrow-banded Dartwhite. A mid-July trip to central Colorado produced lots of photos of leps, including the following: Magdalena Alpine, Melissa, Chrysus, and Uhler's Arctics, Rockslide, Ancilla, and Arachne Checkerspots, Calippe, Coronis, and Aphrodite Fritillaries, Satyr, Hoary, and Oreas Anglewings, Ancilla, Silvery, Artic, Greenish, Boisduval's and Eastern Tailed- Blues, Gray and Ruddy Coppers, Rocky Mtn Parnassian, Nevada, Draco, Taxiles, and Tawny-edged Skippers, Queen Alexandra's and Mead's Sulphurs, Western Green(=Bramble) and Striped Hairstreaks,, among others.

June 22, 2011: I've added a selection of photos of aberrant, extranea-like Springwater Dancers - in the Dragonflies section .

June 20, 2011: I've added a selection of photos of odonates from Eastern/Northern Colombia and from Northern Peru - in the Dragonflies section .

June 18, 2011: I've added Byssus Skipper in the Butterflies section. I've added Atlantic Bluet, some unusual Stream Bluets, and more photos for Two-striped Forceptail, Swift River Cruiser, Spangled Skimmer, and Little Blue Dragonlet (in flight) - all from Texas - in the Dragonflies section .

June 12, 2011: I've added a young Frigatebird from Florida that has cinnamon on the chest - in the Bird ID section.

June 05, 2011: I've added Meske's Skipper and more photos of Yehl Skipper in the Butterflies section. I've added Smoky Shadowdragon and Double-ringed Pennant, and more photos for Regal Darner, Mocha Emerald, Texas Emerald - all from Texas - in the Dragonflies section .

May 29, 2011: I've added King's Hairstreak in the Butterflies section. I've added Big Bluet and more photos for Southern Spreadwing, Fawn Darner, Swamp Darner, Mocha Emerald, Texas Emerald, Arrowhead Spiketail, and Tawny Pennant (the latter documenting the different female wing pattern), in the Dragonflies section .

May 23, 2011: I've added more New Mexico Rosy Finch photos, plus pages for Mourning Warbler, Palm Warbler, and Williamson's Sapsucker - all from Texas - in the Misc. Birds section.

April 12, 2011: I've added a summer Brant - in the Bird ID section.

April 05, 2011: I've added a Golden-Plover with odd-looking molt patterns and a strikingly pale-looking hudsonicus Whimbrel - in the Bird ID section. I've added a south Texas Short-tailed Hawk from 2004 and a variety of Rosy-Finches from New Mexico - in the Misc. Birds section. From east Texas I've added a new page on Harlequin Darner, and added more photos of Banner Clubtail, Twin-spotted Spiketail, and the undescribed new Spiketail - in the Dragonflies section.

February 14, 2011: From the south-central Texas coast I've added a male Yellow-faced Grassquit plus other unexpected "photo-mates" from the same day (Long-tailed Duck, Plumberous Vireo, Anna's Hummingbird, Whooping Crane, Pine Warbler, and Hammond's Flycatcher) - in the Misc. Birds section.

February 04, 2011: I've added two first-cycle gulls: one a candidate Yellow-legged Gull from Florida; one a recent candidate Slaty-backed Gull from Texas - in the Gulls section. Also added a breeding-plumaged Mountain Plover from January and Texas's only Wandering Tattler - in the Misc. Birds section.

January 28, 2011: I've amended the wording in my Header Bar above: I realized that "Places" was rather obscure, so I've changed it to "Birding Trips" since that page lists indeces to photo galleries of most of my birding travels. NOTE: It will take some time to ripple this change through the thousands of pages on my site, so until then note that the link under "Places" and under "Birding Trips" goes to the same web page. If you've not been to this section of my site, give it a go by clicking on "Birding Trips" in the header Bar above!

January 11, 2011: added some unusual Scottish Common Eiders - in the Bird ID section. Added recent Texas Greater Pewee, White-throated Thrush, and Black-vented Oriole, to the Misc. Birds section.

December 23, 2010: added a comparison of adult Eastern and Western Willets in Texas in the same photo - in the Bird ID section.

December 21, 2010: added a probable Variable Darner (in 2004) from northwest Texas, in the Dragonflies section .

December 17, 2010: added a Ruddy Ground-Dove and Sage Sparrow, both from Texas, to the Misc. Birds section. Added a lawrenceii Dusky-capped Flycatcher and a couple of instructive/confusing(!) Winter Wrens - all from Texas, - in the Bird ID section.

December 03, 2010: added a male Claw-tipped Bluet from south Texas in the Dragonflies section; added a male Common Banner and a page showing eleven Pierids in flight from one day, both from south Texas in the Butterflies section. .

October 18 , 2010: added a series of first-cycle Great Black-backed Gulls from Massachusetts and Scotland in the the Gulls section; added a male Claret Pondhawk from a new location in Hidalgo county in the Dragonflies section; added a Ruby-spotted Swallowtail and an Isabella's Heliconian in the Butterflies section.

October 08 , 2010: added a female Mexican Scarlet-tail in the Dragonflies section; added a flying Yellow-angled Sulphur in the Butterflies section.

September 14 , 2010: added a new page showing two adult Snowy Egrets (from many miles apart in the Gulf of Mexico) that have dark head plumes - in the Bird ID section.

September 03 , 2010: added a new page for Telebasis digiticollis from Cameron County (NEW U.S. RECORD) ; added flight shots of male and female Giant Darner from New Mexico, more pics of Blue-spotted Comet Darner, Blue-faced Darner, Pale-green Darner, Tamaulipan Clubtail, Bronzed River Cruiser, Claret Pondhawk, Caribbean Dasher, Mexican Scarlet-tail, all from Texas ; see the Dragonflies section

September 01 , 2010: added a male Yellow-legged Ringtail from New Mexico and a male Serpent Ringtail from Texas ; see the Dragonflies section.

August 15 , 2010: added an apparent adult blue-morph Ross's Goose, a GWGOxSnow Goose hybrid, some new GWGO that may be two different subspecies, and another japonicus-ish American Pipit - in the Bird ID section. Added a male Rose-throated Becard to the Misc. Birds section.

August 13 , 2010: added another recent unusual-looking Semipalmated Plover type - in the Bird ID section.

August 03 , 2010: added more than 100 butterfly photos from central Brazil - in the Butterflies section.

June 06 , 2010: added more than 125 bird species (including Chatham Albatross, Rufous-browed Hemispingus, Marvelous Spatuletail, Chestnut Antpitta, Mishana Tyrannulet, Royal Sunangel, Bar-winged Wood-wren, Sulphur-bellied Tyrant-Manakin, Cinereous-breasted Spinetail, White-chested and White-chinned Swifts, Tumbes Swallow, Bay-vented and White-cheeked Cotingas, Diademed Sandpiper-Plover, Lulu's Tody-Tyrant, Black-breasted Hillstar, Black and Coppery Metaltails, Cactus Canastero, Rufous Flycatcher, Peruvian Plantcutter, Piura Chat-Tyrant, Maranon Crescentchest, Rufous-capped Antshrike, Lanceolated Monklet, Speckle-chested Piculet, Vermilion and Yellow-throated Tanagers, Chestnut-tipped Toucanet, Yellow-cheeked Becard, White-throated Woodpecker) from our recent central/northern Peru trip - ; - see Places section.

June 04 , 2010: added a male Micrathyria dissocians (NEW U.S. RECORD) and a page showing all four U.S. Micrathyrias at one spot, and a page showing eight species of clubtail on one day, plus a male Claret Pondhawk, all from south Texas; see the Dragonflies section.

May 31 , 2010: added a male Plains Forktail from west Texas; see the Dragonflies section. Added multiple Chisos Metalmarks and Sandia Hairstreaks from west Texas - in the Butterflies section.

May 26 , 2010: added male and female Tamaulipan Clubtail from south Texas today, and better flight pics of Texas Emerald plus a teneral Laura's Clubtail from east Texas; see the Dragonflies section.

April 28 , 2010: added male and female images of what appears to be an undescribed species of Spiketail (Cordulegaster) from east Texas last week; see the Dragonflies section.

April 27 , 2010: From the central Texas coast:- Added pics of an unusual Forster's Tern and a Plumbeous Vireo - in the Bird ID section. Added pics of Ruddy Duck, Northern Parula, Hooded, Prothonotary, Yellow-throated, Worm-eating, Kentucky, MacGillivray's and Hermit Warblers, Yellow-headed Blackbirds, and Varied Bunting ; - in the Misc. Birds section.

April 27 , 2010: added males of Yellow-sided Skimmer, Arrowhead Spiketail, Twin-spotted Spiketail - all from east Texas last week; see the Dragonflies section.

April 02 , 2010: added a male Tourmaline Sunangel pic to the species page in Colombia August 2009, and corrected an ID there - not an Oleaginous Hemispingus but actually a Richardson's (Citrine) Warbler... ; - see Places section.

March 29, 2010: added 50+ first-cycle European HERGs from NE Scotland - in the Gulls section. Added a series of images of Pacific Golden-Plover (from Laurie Knight in Australia) - in the Bird ID section.

March 24, 2010: added two more species from to eastern Andean and northern Colombia : Short-tailed Emerald and a presumed Yariguies Yellow-breasted Brush-Finch ; - see Places section.

March 02, 2010: GULL STUFF:- I've finally added some links into the "Gull Links" page. I've added many birds from my trip to the North American Gull Conference in Florida in late January 2010 ("F05" - the banded LBBG from Maine that nests with a Herring Gull!; a few LBBGs that have traits of heuglini (including odd molt timings); three 2nd-cycle lookalikes that might be YLGUs, heuglinis or hybrids; one first-cycle that's either a YLGU or argentatus(?!); one LBBG-type that has features of heuglini or even cachinnans; a couple of first-cycle HERGs that have Old World rear-ends). I've added a pair of 2nd-cycle HERGs - one from Chicago and one from Scotland - that look like they've swapped places...); a 3rd-cycle HERG-type with yellow legs and a ringed bill. All in the Gulls section.

January 14, 2010: An interesting recently-fledged American Pipit from the Aleutians - in the Bird ID section.

January 02, 2010: A great start to the year! - I've added pics of Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, Northern Wheatear, and Northern Jacana - all in the Misc. Birds section.

December 24 , 2009 : I've added many bird pics (including Bogota Rail, Noble Snipe, Black Inca, Chestnut-bellied Hummingbird, Apolinar's Wren, Mountain Grackle, Chestnut Piculet, White-whiskered Spinetail, and many more from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta) - from our recent trip to eastern Andean and northern Colombia ; - see Places section.

November 06 , 2009 : From Texas I've added two more Wasp Moths, plus Boisduval's Yellow, Silver-banded Hairstreak, Clench's Greenstreak, Red-lined Scrub-Hairstreak, Gray + Clytie Ministreaks, Dury's and Walker's Metalmarks, Banded Patch, Guava and Hermit Skippers - in the Butterflies section.

October 23, 2009 : I've added a page showing an apparent Pauraque migrating in the daytime via thermaling - ? - to the Bird ID section. Ive added a couple of cool Wasp Moths and a Sphinx Moth, plus Yellow-angled Sulphur, Many-banded Daggerwing, and some probable Purple-washed Skippers - in the Butterflies section.

October 07, 2009 : I've added a pages for an apparent hybrid male hummingbird and a presumed aberrant male Purple Martin - to the Bird ID section.

September 08, 2009 : I've added a page on Colombian odonates - in the Dragonflies section.

September 01, 2009 : I've added many bird pics (including Cauca Guan, four Antpittas, Gold-ringed and Purplish-backed Tanagers, Indigo Flowerpiercer, Flame-winged Parakeet, Red-bellied Grackle, Chestnut-crested Cotinga, Red-ruffed Fruitcrow, and many more) from our recent trip to central Colombia ; - see Places section.

August 12, 2009 : I've added a page for Libellua gaigei which I found in south Texas yesterday - it's a rare eastern Mexican species never before seen in the United States - in the Dragonflies section.

July 27, 2009 : I've added a male Arroyo Darner - in the Dragonflies section.

July 19, 2009 : All from Texas:- I've updated information on the unusual Purple Sandpiper; I've added a striking Least Sandpiper-type, a western Willow Flycatcher, a deformed possible Black-whiskered Vireo, a close Yellow-green Vireo, and a fledgling Western Tanager - all to the Bird ID section. I've added two Harriers: one rather like the Old World form and one taking a Ring-billed Gull, a white Killdeer, a megaflock of Buff-brreasted Sandpipers, a gray-morph Chuck-will's-widow, a cooperative male Black-throated Blue Warbler, male and female Cape May Warblers, and male and female Western Tanagers (from the coast) - all in the Misc. Birds section.

July 10, 2009 : I've added some recent ode images from south Texas(L. vacillans, Darner sp., Turquoise-tipped Darner, Metallic Pennant, unusual Eastern and Slough Amberwings, an odd-looking Great Pondhawk, a pair of Red Saddlebags, and yet more Arch-tipped Gliders) - in the Dragonflies section.

June 29, 2009 : I've added some ode images from a brief trip to Arkansas (Azure Bluet , Interior Least Clubtail, Ozark Emerald, Clamp-tipped Emerald) - in the Dragonflies section.

June 20, 2009 : I've added some ode images (Cream-tipped Swampdamsel, L. vacillans, Attenuated Bluet, Blue-spotted Comet Darner) - in the Dragonflies section.

June 11, 2009 : I've updated many of the Odonate pages (Elegant Spreadwing, Southern Sprite, Blue-spotted Comet Darner, Texas Emerald, Seaside Dragonlet, Bar-winged Skimmer, Spot-tailed Dasher, Mexican Scarlet-tail) and added new pages for Amanda's and Ornate Pennants - in the Dragonflies section.

June 10, 2009 : I've added another page for the enigmatic Claret Pondhawk from Santa Ana - in the Dragonflies section.

June 08, 2009 : I've added a new damselfly for Texas (and the 2nd record west of Alabama), Nehalennia gracilis Sphagnum Sprite found by Greg Lasley - in the Dragonflies section.

June 01, 2009 : I've added a few more interesting odes:- a new damselfly for the U.S., Leptobasis vacillans; more Blue-striped Spreadwings and a female Plateau Spreadwing ; a flying Cream-tipped Swampdamsel; a male Blue-faced Darner in flight; added male and female Band-winged Dragonlets with atypical wing veination; a very mature female Three-striped Dasher; two new records of male Vermilion Saddlebags in flight - all in the Dragonflies section.

May 11, 2009 : I've added a few interesting odes:- a Familiar Bluet with an unusual abdominal pattern; a Red Rock Skimmer hanging from a twig!; a second "Spot-tailed Dasher" with two sets of spots...; added male and female Jade Clubtails from my former yard in Fort Worth; added a typical Sulphur-tipped Clubtail to compare to the odd one from west Texas; added close flight pics of a feeding male Turquoise-tipped Darner - all in the Dragonflies section.

May 03, 2009 : I've added a Texas Surfbird and male Black-throated Blue Warbler in the Misc. Birds section. I've added another tantalizing Empid to the Bird ID section.

April 04, 2009 : I've added to the central Panama section a page about the fine Burbayar Lodge near Nusagandi - in the Places section.

March 31 , 2009 : I've added dragonflies and birds from a very brief visit to central Panama last week - in the Dragonflies and Places sections. I've also added a page showing images of a possible melanistic Chimney Swift specimen - in the Bird ID section.

March 11 , 2009 : I've updated the page for the candidate Chaetura meridionalis swift from south Texas, plus added a linked page comparing specimens of meridionalis to relevant taxa; in the Bird ID section.

March 08 , 2009 : I've added pics of the undescribed Hairstreak/Strymon from Big Bend - - in the Butterflies section.

March 04 , 2009 : I've added a page about Purple/Rock Sandpiper identification in the Bird ID section. I've added two thought-provoking Herring Gulls from my trip to Chicago and Scotland to the Gulls section.

January 29, 2009 : I've added a pages from our quick trip to Massachusetts for Ivory Gull and a Mew-like Ring-billed Gull to the Gulls section.

January 13, 2009 : I've added a page on odonates from Matto Grosso (Chapada and Amazonia), Brazil to the Dragonflies section.

December 25 , 2008 : I've added Mike Rickard's Bromeliad Scrub-Hairstreak (NEW U.S. RECORD) from last week - in the Butterflies section.

December 19 , 2008 : From today I've added a presumed first-cycle Kelp Gull to the Gulls section.

December 03 , 2008 : I've added many bird pics (including Amazonian Antpitta, Harpy Eagle, White-browed Hawk, Biscutate Swifts, the undescribed "Marsh" Antwren , etc.) from our recent trip to South-central Brazil; - see Places section.

December 02 , 2008 : Updated page on the mystery Chaetura swift from south Texas, having seen Sick's Swifts in Brazil recently; in the Bird ID section.

November 02 , 2008 : Added pics from south Texas of Regal Darner, a likely Macrothemis pseudimitans, and a presumed variant Thornbush Dasher that looks oddly like M. dissocians, to the Dragonflies section.

October 24 , 2008 : From a recent quick trip to the LRGV, south Texas, added a Variable Swallowtail (NEW U.S. RECORD), presumed Hecebolus Skipper, three Pavon Emperors and a male Silver Emperor , a weird Zilpa-type Longtail, Barred Yellow, Green-backed Ruby-Eye, Evans' Skipper, Potrillo Skipper, Violet-banded Skippers and a Gilbert's Flasher in the Butterflies section.

October 11 , 2008 : Added pics from south Texas of Blue-spotted Comet Darner, a mature female Cream-tipped Swampdamsel, three more male Caribbean Darners, unsual Broad-striped Forceptail, Black Setwings, Band-winged Dragonlets, Spot-tailed and Thornbush Dashers, and a mature male Evening Skimmer to the Dragonflies section.

September 23 , 2008 : Added pics from south Texas of another male Blue-striped Spreadwing, male and female Caribbean Darner, and a male Evening Skimmer to the Dragonflies section.

September 20 , 2008 : Added pics of some Texas Sandwich Terns with unusual bill patterns in the Bird ID section.

September 19 , 2008 : Added pics from south Texas of Blue-striped Spreadwing (new for Texas) , female and imm. male Cream-tipped Swampdamsel, male Pale Green Darner, and a female Evening Skimmer to the Dragonflies section.

September 09 , 2008 : Updated data on the pink-billed Frigatebird - I now think it is more likely to be a variant Magnificent... in the Bird ID section.

September 08 , 2008 : Added a juvenile Long-tailed Jaeger in the Bird ID section. Added a non-breeding Ruff in the Misc. Birds section. Added a presumed Aellopos Sphinx Moth, male Ornythion Swallowtail, two Red-crescent Scrub-Hairstreaks, two presumed Marius Hairstreaks, two Curve-winged Metalmarks, a really striking variant Bordered Patch, Erato Heliconian, Hermit Skipper, female Liris Skipper and a mystery grass skipper in the Butterflies section.

September 03 , 2008 : Updated data on the Lesser Frigatebird - it's been refound and much better photos obtained (a link is provided), in the Bird ID section. Added pics of two Fork-tailed Flycatchers, an adult Northern Jacana, plus a close Sooty Tern and distant inland Storm-Petrel curtesy of Hurricane Dolly, in the Misc. Birds section.

August 26 , 2008 : Updated data on the pink-billed TX frigatebird - it's been identified as a Lesser Frigatebird (in the Bird ID section). Added a new pic of the gray-lored Snowy Egret in the Bird ID section. Added pics from a November 2007 birding trip to Ecuador in the Places section

August 21 , 2008 : Added pics of an orange-footed Brown Booby, and photos of a recent pink-billed frigatebird plus a second somewhat unusual frigatebird from 2006 to the Bird ID section.

August 18 , 2008 : Added Mead's Wood-Nymph, Carus Skipper, a possible Clouded Sulphur, and a presumed Two-spotted Forester (a diurnal moth), in the Butterflies section.

August 12 , 2008 : Added Mexican Silverspot, Pavon Emperor, Glassy-winged Skipper, a new Common Mellana, and updated the 2006 Tamaulipas, MX section, in the Butterflies section.

August 08 , 2008 : Added Saucy Beauty (a diurnal moth), Rosita Patches, Isabella's Longwing, Dingy Purplewing and a mystery grass skipper from Texas to the Butterflies section.

August 03 , 2008 : Added White-angled Sulphurs and Statira Sulphurs from Texas to the Butterflies section.

July 09, 2008 : Added Pine White, Margined White, Queen Alexandra's Sulphur, Blue Copper, Mexican/Southwestern Azure, Spalding's Blue, Arctic Blue, Melissa Blue, Greenish Blue, Weidemeyer’s Admiral, presumed Atlantis Fritillary, presumed Northwestern Fritillary, Milbert's Tortoiseshell, Anicia/Variable Checkerspot, Silvery Checkerspot, Field Crescent, Common Alpine, Common Ringlet, Chryxus Arctic, Uhler's Arctic, Mexican Cloudywing, Garita Skipperling, presumed Nevada Skipper and Taxiles Skipper from New Mexico and southernmost Colorado to the Butterflies section.

July 08, 2008 : Added pics from east Texas of Bar-winged Skimmers and from New Mexico of Riffle Darner, Pale Snaketail and Pacific Spiketails to the Dragonflies section.

June 25 , 2008 : Added pics from south Texas of male Chalky Spreadwing, female Blue-faced Darner, male and female Argo Gliders, male Scarlet-tailed Spiderlegs, male Metallic Pennant, female Three-striped Dasher, and a female Black Pondhawk to the Dragonflies section.

June 20 , 2008 : Added pics from south Texas of mature female Ringed Forceptail, Argo Glider, another female Claret Pondhawk, and an oddball Dragonlet and Amberwing to the Dragonflies section.

June 16 , 2008 : Added pics from Texas of another Black Pondhawk to the Dragonflies section.

June 15 , 2008 : Added pics from Texas of male Argo Glider, female Claret Pondhawk, and male Metallic Pennants to the Dragonflies section.

June 07 , 2008 : Added pics of the recent Texas Metallic Pennant and Scarlet-tailed Spiderlegs , plus a medley page of special odes from one day in Hidalgo county, Texas to the Dragonflies section. Updated the IDs for the butterfly pics from Alaska in the Summer 2007 and June 2008 sections, in the Butterflies section.

June 04 , 2008 : Added five butterflies from Alaska to the Butterflies section.

May 19 , 2008 : Added pics of Seepage Dancer, Attenuated Bluet, and Slender Bluet to the Dragonflies section.

May 19 , 2008 : Added pics of Mexican Wedgetail to the Dragonflies section.

May 15 , 2008 : Added pics of a male Black Pondhawk found today in the LRGV to the Dragonflies section.

May 13 , 2008 : Added pics of a San Antonio Arctic Tern to the Bird ID section. Added a very dull female coastal Texas Black-throated Blue Warbler to the Misc. Birds section.

May 05 , 2008 : Added pics of the recent Texas Piratic Flycatcher (with notes on separation from Variegated Flycatcher) to the Bird ID section.

April 23 , 2008 : Added a small section of Odonates from northwest Mexico, a new image for Caribbean Yellowface , a new mystery Dancer (plus new pics of earlier mystery Dancer) and new images of the recent Coryphaeschna Darner to the Dragonflies section.

April 16 , 2008 : Added an exciting female Coryphaeschna Darner to the Dragonflies section.

April 14 , 2008 : Added Pronghorn Clubtail and a female Springtime Darner to the Dragonflies section. Added recent Creole and Southern Pearly-Eyes, Eastern Pine Elfin, some rather different presumed Celia's Roadside-Skippers, and a presumed variant male Whirlabout to the Butterflies section.

April 10 , 2008 : Added the first Texas Furtive Forktail in more than forty years (and only the second ever) to the Dragonflies section.

April 05 , 2008 : Added a central Texas Hutton's Vireo to the Misc. Birds section. Added Zebra Swallowtail to the Butterflies section.

April 02 , 2008 : Added more Sparkling Jewelwings and an Arrowhead Spiketail to the Dragonflies section. Added Pepper and Salt Skipper and Lace-winged Roadside-Skipper to the Butterflies section.

March 26 , 2008 : Added Banner Clubtails and Robust Baskettails to the Dragonflies section.

March 24 , 2008 : Added two odd first-cycle LBBG-types to the Gulls section. Added a puzzling Argia dancer and Cobra Clubtails to the Dragonflies section.

March 07 , 2008 : Added a first-cycle Iceland Gull to the Gulls section. Added a perched Twin-spotted Spiketail to the Dragonflies section.

February 28 , 2008 : Added first-cycle and adult LBBG-type gulls that show features of heuglini, an extreme(?) dark-end adult Thayer's-type Gull, and a striking leucistic Ring-billed Gull to the Gulls section. Added pics of Northern Pygmy-Owl and Golden-crowned Kinglet to the Misc. Birds section.

February 27 , 2008 : Added more-recent pics of the first-cycle LBBG-type gull that shows some features of heuglini, and a first-cyle HERG-type that has a Vega Gull-like tail to the Gulls section. Added an Eastern Pine Elfin to the Butterflies section. Added Selys' Sundragons to the Dragonflies section.

February 14 , 2008 : Added a somewhat controversial Little Gull (from Florida) and a series of unusual Ring-billed Gulls to the Gulls section.

February 13 , 2008 : Added a recent first-cycle LBBG-type gull that shows features of heuglini, an advanced first-cycle Thayer's Gull, and an adult Vega Gull type to the Gulls section.

February 11 , 2008 : Added the following recent butterflies from Texas: male Blue Metalmark, Fawn-spotted Skippers, and Evans' Skipper - to the Butterflies section.

February 10 , 2008 : Added pics and audio of presumeably the AOU's first White-crested Elaenia to the Bird ID section.

January 25 , 2008 : Added pics from England of European Herring Gulls (including a very dark one), michahellis Yellow-legged Gulls, and a fuscus-like LBBG to the Gulls section.

January 21 , 2008 : Added female Teal and Goldeneye from England with unusual features to the Bird ID section.

January 14 , 2008 : Added pics of eight adult-type American Herring Gulls with argentatus/cachinanns-like wing tips to the Gulls section.

January 09 , 2008 : Added pics of an unusual Frigatebird from Florida, an adult rufous-morph Red-tailed Hawk, some comparative Vaux's Swift images from Guatemala, and some Black Brant from Alaska (including one that may not be nigricans) to the Bird ID section. Added two good flight pics of a Vega-type first-cycle gull to the Gulls section.

January 07 , 2008 : Added pics of an American Pipit suggestive of the Siberian form japonicus to the Bird ID section.

December 31 , 2007 : Added pics of a non-typical Tropical Parula from central Texas coast to the Bird ID section.

December 30 , 2007 : Added three recent LBBG-type gulls that variously show features of heuglini,Yellow-legged Gull and/or Kelp Gull to the Gulls section.

December 25 , 2007 : Added pics of Golden-crowned Sparrow to the Misc. Birds section, and a presumed White-winged Junco to the Bird ID section.

December 18 , 2007 : Added pics of imm. heuglini and Baltic Gulls from Finland, plus a new Yellow-footed Gull from California to the Gulls section.

December 11 , 2007 : Added two interesting Chaetura swifts from Texas to the Bird ID section.

December 11 , 2007 : Added a few odes from SE Ecuador, and updated the IDs on the odes from north Ecuador (added one new species) and Mexico, in the Dragonflies section.

December 08 , 2007 : Added a possible adult heuglini and more pics of a possible adult Yellow-legged Gull from Texas in March 2007, to the Gulls section.

December 03 , 2007 : Added another dark-morph Ferruginous Hawk from Texas, plus an adult orange-billed Greater White-fronted Goose to the Bird ID section. I discovered and added more pics of a possible adult Yellow-legged Gull from Texas in 2006 to the Gulls section.

November 06 , 2007 : Added another Tawny Pennant, and from Mexico two mature female Black-winged Dragonlets and a female Three-striped Dasher, to the Dragonflies section. Added a Russian argentatus Herring Gull to the Gulls section.

October 27 , 2007 : Added the following butterflies from Texas: Lacey's Scrub-Hairstreak, Silver-banded Hairstreak, East-Mexican White-Skipper, and Erichson's White-Skipper - to the Butterflies section.

October 23 , 2007 : Added the following butterflies from Texas: Bay Skipper, Aaron's Skipper, and Salt Marsh Skipper - to the Butterflies section. Added pics of a presumed hybrid warbler from the upper Texas coast to the Bird ID section.

October 17 , 2007 : Added all these butterflies from Texas: Lacey's, White, Strophius, Telea, and probable Ruddy Hairstreaks, Rawson's Metalmarks, Zilpa Longtail, East-Mexican White-Skipper, Apache Skippers, an unusual Southern Broken-Dash, Common Mellanas, and Purple-washed Skipper - to the Butterflies section.

September 09 , 2007 : Added an unusual Aztec-type Dancer, Lilypad Forktails and Duckweed Firetail to the Dragonflies section. Added Bronze and Celia's Roadside-Skippers to the Butterflies section.

September 04 , 2007 : After a quick trip to West Texas, Arizona, and California, added Mountain Pygmy-Owl and Painted Redstart to the Misc. Birds section. Added Canyon Rubyspot , Black-and-white Damsel, Sierra Madre, Springwater, Tonto, and Vivid Dancers, Riffle Darner, White-belted and Serpent Ringtails, and Mexican Amberwing to the Dragonflies section. Added Arizona Metalmark, California Sister, California Patch, Nabokov's Satyr and Toltec Roadside-Skipper to the Butterflies section.

August 21, 2007 : added pics of a subadult Long-tailed Jaeger from San Antonio to the Bird ID section.

August 15 , 2007 : After a trip to Alaska, added Northern Spreadwing, Taiga, Boreal, and Northern Bluets; Lake, Variable, Sedge/Rush, Paddle-tailed, Azure, and Zigzag Darners, American, Ringed and (presumeably) Kennedy's Emeralds; Boreal, Hudsonian, and Belted/Red-waisted Whitefaces, in the Dragonflies section.

August 13, 2007 : Added butterfly pics from Alaska in the Summer of 2007 to the Butterflies section.

July 01, 2007 : Added pics of White M Hairstreak , Metalmark sp., Gemmed Satyr, and Nysa Roadside-Skipper to the Butterflies section.

June 28 , 2007 : Added pics of Red-banded Hairstreak , Metalmark sp., and Bell's Roadside-Skipper to the Butterflies section.

June 27 , 2007 : Added pics of Azure sp. (purple) , Painted Crescent, Mylitta Crescent, Canyonland Satyr, Acacia Skipper, and Umber Skipper to the Butterflies section.

June 21 , 2007 : added a mature male Golden-winged Skimmer and corrected the Ringtails Erpetogomphus on the Dragonflies section.

June 15 , 2007 : added another male Three-striped Dasher and female Bar-sided and Turquoise-tipped Darners to the Dragonflies section.

June 11 , 2007 : two more Emeralds and a female Yellow-sided Skimmer added to the Dragonflies section. A striking "Ashy Cattle Egret" added to the Misc. Birds section.

June 06 , 2007 : Added an unusual Theona Checkerspot to the Butterflies section.

June 01 , 2007 : From Mississippi added Sparkling Jewelwing, Blackwater Bluet, and Spangled Skimmer; from Texas added Texas Emerald and an unusual Libellula sp. with very strong wing "bars", in the Dragonflies section. Added Yehl Skipper to the Butterflies section.

May 29 , 2007 : Added pics of Sandia Hairstreak, Poling's Hairstreak, Fulvia Checkerspot, Chisos Metalmark, Golden-headed Scallopwing, Streaky-Skipper sp. (probably Scarce), Cassus and Texas Roadside-Skippers to the Butterflies section.

May 19 , 2007 : Added Gulf Coast Clubtail, Golden-winged Skimmer, plus new pics of Gray Petaltail, Stillwater Clubtail, Laura's Clubtail and Carmine Skimmer, in the Dragonflies section.

May 13 , 2007 : Added a pair of Masked Ducks to the Misc. Birds section.

May 04 , 2007 : Added new pics of Bayou Clubtail and Little Blue Dragonlet, and revised the Ringtails from west Texas, all in the Dragonflies section.

May 04 , 2007 : Added Slender Bluet, plus new pics of Painted Skimmer, Burgundy and Turquoise Bluets, Royal River Cruiser, Swamp and Regal Darners to the Dragonflies section.

May 01, 2007 : Added Pale Green Darner, the first record for Texas and second for the United States, to the Dragonflies section.

April 25, 2007 : Added a Swainson's Warbler to the Misc. Birds section.

April 22, 2007 : Added Painted Skimmer , plus new pics of Stillwater Clubtail, Blue Corporal and Regal Darner to the Dragonflies section.

April 18, 2007 : Added Bayou Clubtail and Carolina Saddlebags, plus new pics of Stillwater Clubtail, Little Blue Dragonlet and Calico Pennant to the Dragonflies section.

April 11, 2007 : Added a photo from Japan of a Slaty-backed Gull that is almost identical to the gull I found in Houston on February 21 - click here to see this updated page in the Gulls section.

April 11, 2007 : Added a striking first-cycle YLGU-like gull and a first-cycle SBGU-like gull to the Gulls section.

April 08, 2007 : Added a second-cycle YLGU-like gull to the Gulls section.

April 03, 2007 : Added two first-year Kelp-like gulls and two possible first-year GWGU hybrids to the Gulls section.

April 01, 2007 : Added Cocoa Clubtail and some Baskettails to the Dragonflies section.

March 31, 2007 : Added Ashy and Stillwater Clubtails, and flight shots of Twin-spotted Spiketail to the Dragonflies section. Added an unusual subadult LBBG and a very dark adult LBBG to the Gulls section.

March 30 , 2007 : Added four first-cycle-type birds from Texas that are suggestive (to varying degrees) of Yellow-legged Gull to the Gulls section.

March 13 , 2007 : Added six rather different first-cycle-type American Herring Gulls from the same day in January to the Gulls section.

March 08 , 2007 : Added loads more Azorean Yellow-legged Gulls plus Catalonian Yellow-legged Gulls to the Gulls section, again thanks to Pep Arcos.

March 06 , 2007 : Added a couple of Armenian Gulls (thanks to Colin Bradshaw), and more pics of a 2nd-cycle bird that suggests YLGU to the Gulls section.

March 05 , 2007 : Added twenty-one Azorean Yellow-legged Gulls to the Gulls section, thanks to Pep Arcos.

Feb 23 , 2007 : oops-: this time I did add the Glaucous Gull to the Iceland Gull page; also added a new image of the SBGU-type - both from Feb 21 '07.

Feb 21, 2007 : Added eight more interesting gulls from Texas to the Gulls section (in "WHAT'S NEW"), including more pics of the Iceland Gull (plus a GLGU), the same/another? GBBG, an adult VEGA-like bird, a candidate first-cycle SBGU, four LBBG-types suggesting either heuglini or YLGU.

Feb 07 , 2007: I've added some pics of "target" species from years ago covering my ten trips to Ecuador prior to the digital camera revolution (including Lyre-tailed Nightjar, White-faced Nunbird, Masked Mountain-Tanager, etc.); - see Places section;

Feb 01 , 2007: added two more interesting gulls (one VERY YLGU-like) from Texas to the Gulls section (in "WHAT'S NEW").

Jan 15 , 2007: added three more interesting gulls from Texas to the Gulls section (in "WHAT'S NEW").

Jan 08 , 2007: added two more interesting gulls from Texas to the Gulls section (in "WHAT'S NEW"), including an odd Vega-like adult, and an unusual LBBG-type, plus a new photo of last season's Galveston YLGU-type.

Jan 08 , 2007: added more interesting gulls from Texas to the Gulls section (in "WHAT'S NEW"), including Vega-like, and YLGU-suggestive birds.

Jan 04 , 2007: added more interesting gulls from Texas to the Gulls section (in "WHAT'S NEW"), including Iceland-like, Kelp-ish, heuglini-type, and YLGU-suggestive birds.

Jan 01 , 2007: Added flight shots of the Lewisville, Texas Snow Bunting to the Misc. Birds section.

Dec 29 , 2006: Added ten more interesting gulls from Texas to the Gulls section (in "WHAT'S NEW"), including an Iceland Gull, GBBG, some VEGA-like and some YLGU-like birds.

Dec 15 , 2006: I've re-designed the "WHAT'S NEW" page in the Gulls section to include at the top an index by species/type. This allows you to look at just those unusual/unidentified gulls of a particular type - e.g. YLGU-like, or SBGU-like.

Dec 12 , 2006: I've added some bird pics (Jocotoco Antpitta; Long-wattled Umbrellabird, El Oro Parakeet, etc.) from my recent trip to Southern Ecuador ; - see Places section; bills of a few young juvenile Glaucous Gulls added to the Gulls section.

Nov 28 , 2006: Added comparison of three first-cycle YLGU-like gulls from three different years, from Texas to the Gulls section (in "WHAT'S NEW").

Nov 25 , 2006: Added two more odd, dark-winged first-cycle gulls from Texas to the Gulls section (in "WHAT'S NEW").

Nov 21, 2006: I've added some TOO CLOSE! pics of Bowhead Whale from my trip to the North Slope of Alaska; - see Places section;

Nov 13 , 2006: Added six late-molting adult LBBG-type gulls from Texas to the Gulls section.

Nov 01, 2006: I've added some close-up Bowhead Whale pics from my trip to the North Slope of Alaska; - see Places section; added more Tiny Checkerspots from McMullen County - an NCR; see Butterflies section.

Oct 23, 2006: I' added some bird pics from my trip to the North Slope of Alaska; - see Places section; added Zilpa Longtail from San Antonio and melanistic Tiny Checkerspots from Kingsville to the Butterflies section.

Oct 04, 2006: I've just returned from six weeks working on the North Slope of Alaska; numerous bird pics to come soon, plus a few neat mammals...

July 30, 2006: Added photos of a prolonged encounter with a Black Bear in west Texas to the Other Wildlife section.

July 16, 2006: Added three candidate adult heuglini-type gulls from Simon Thompson to the Gulls section.

July 15, 2006: Added comparison pics for the odd Argia/Dancer to the Dragonflies section; added pics of Southern Pearly-Eye and Silver-banded Hairstreak to the Butterflies section.

July 14, 2006: Added more pics of Ringed Forceptail to the Dragonflies section; added pics of Ornythion and Broad-banded Swallowtails to the Butterflies section; added two (more) perplexing first-cycle gulls from last Fall to the Gulls section (in "WHAT'S NEW").

July 05, 2006: Added a number of new dragonfly and damselfly images to the Dragonflies section.

June 28, 2006: Added pics of Elegant and Swamp Spreadwings, male Fawn Darner, Two-striped Forceptail, Laura's Clubtail, and Yellow-sided Skimmer, all from east Texas, to the Dragonflies section.

June 13 - 22, 2006: Added pics of Chalky Spreadwing, Powdered Dancer (southeastern form), Attenuated Bluet, Burgundy Bluet, Big Bluet, Skimming Bluet, Arroyo Bluet, Lillypad Forktail, Southern Sprite , Duckweed Firetail, Common Green Darner (in flight), Springtime Darner (in flight), Fawn Darner, Cyrano Darner (in flight), Stillwater Clubtail, Oklahoma Clubtail, Bronzed and Illinois River Cruisers, and Spot-tailed Dashers, - all from Texas, plus Black-winged Dragonlets from Mexico, to the Dragonflies section.

June 02, 2006: Added pics of Paiute and Apache Dancers, Black-fronted Forktail, and an odd Sulphur-tipped Clubtail to the Dragonflies section.

May 31, 2006: Added pics of a number of scarce and rare butterflies from one memorable day - December 04, 2005 - in the Valley, to the Butterflies section.

May 25, 2006: Added pics of two very different-looking Solitary Sandpipers, and a dark-lored Snowy Egret, to the Bird ID section

May 24, 2006: Added pics of a possible Rawson's Metalmark, Tropical Least Skipper, Edwards' Skipperlings, and four species of Roadside Skippers to the Butterflies section, plus an intriguing "Commic" Tern and a "white-headed" Black Tern to the Bird ID section

May 18, 2006: Added pics of Twin-spot Skipper, Creole Pearly-Eye, and a Little/Viola's(which?) Wood-Satyr to the Butterflies section

April 29 , 2006: Added another batch of interesting gulls from the Houston area- see the Gulls section (in "WHAT'S NEW").

April 24 , 2006: Added pics of the recent Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher to the Misc. Birds section, and a new Black-whiskered Vireo to the Bird ID section, plus yet another puzzling non-HERG gull from the Texas coast - see the Gulls section (in "WHAT'S NEW").

April 14 , 2006: Added more pics of the recent Pacific Golden-Plover, plus six more Pluvialis plovers from that same day that challenge Conventional Wisdom on IDing this difficult species-pair - see the Bird ID section

April 12 , 2006: Added a page for today's Pacific Golden-Plover to the Bird ID section

April 03 , 2006: Added pages for lots more interesting gulls (two Vegas; odd white-winged gull; odd LBBGs; KEGU?; SBGU; YLGUs?; GBBG hybrids?) to the Gulls section (in "WHAT'S NEW"). Added three recent American Golden-Plovers demonstrating unusual(?) variation in wing and tertial length to the Bird ID section. Added a somewhat unusual Yellow-billed Loon to the Bird ID section.

March 23, 2006: Added a new travelog for my Mar '06 trip to NE Mexico to the Places section; also added a page for a new location near Mindo in Ecuador: Mindo Loma, to the Places section ; also updated the page for Lindo Loma in Ecuador, in the Places section; also added some new bird pics to a number of the pages in the Ecuador 2006 entry in the Places section.

March 20, 2006: Added sections for my Feb '06 trip to Ecuador, March '06 trip to Guatemala, and March '06 trip to Mexico to the Butterflies section and the Dragonflies section.

March 18, 2006: Added pages for more interesting gulls (odd LBBGs; KEGU?; SBGU; YLGU?) to the Gulls section (in "WHAT'S NEW").

March 9, 2006: Added a new travelog for my Mar '06 trip to Guatemala to the Places section; also added a page for a great new location near Quito in Ecuador: Verde Cocha, to the Places section.

March 8, 2006: Added a new bird photo pages to our Feb '06 trip to Ecuador, in the Places section.

February 25, 2006: Added a new travelog for our Feb '06 trip to Ecuador to the Places section.

February 24, 2006: Added pages for four more good gulls (SBGU; SBGU?; GBBG; YLGU?) to the Gulls section (in "WHAT'S NEW").

February 02, 2006: Added pages for three more unusual first-cycle gulls (YLGU? SBGU? KELP?) to the Gulls section (in "WHAT'S NEW"), and a pale-legged American Pipit to the Bird ID section.

January 24 - 28, 2006: Added pages for five more unusual gulls (YLGUs? Vega? Western?) to the Gulls section (in "WHAT'S NEW").

January 10, 2006: Added pages for more apparent YLGUs to the Gulls section (in "WHAT'S NEW").

January 04, 2006: Added pages for a Tropical Parula to the Misc. Birds section, and put comparison pics of Tropical and Northern Parulas onto the possible hybrid Parula page in the Bird ID section.

January 02, 2006: Added pages for a rather pale 2nd-cycle LBBG-type, a (two?) YLGU-like gull(s) and a very SBGU-like gull to the Gulls section.

December 27, 2005: Added pics of a (returning?) Cassin's Vireo to the Bird ID section.

December 22, 2005: Launched new version of web site!

December 16, 2005: Added a first-cycle VEGA-like gull, and a baffling "dark-backed gull" to the Gulls section.

December 16, 2005: Added new page comparing the controversial Nov 2004 Texas skua/jaeger to the recent Tenn. Spoth Polar Skua , to the Bird ID section.

December 11, 2005: Added page comparing freshly-molted Tricolored and Red-winged Blackbirds to the Bird ID section.

December 10 - 16, 2005: Re-added pages for Ross's Goose, Pacific/Arctic Loon, Dalmatian Pelican, Great Blue Heron , American/Lesser Golden Plover (including audio clips and analysis), Least Sandpiper, Red-necked Stint, mystery Semip-type Peeps, audio comparison of Cassin's and Blue-headed Vireos, Chestnut-collared vs Smith's Longspur, Common Redpoll, Pine Siskin variation and comparison to Eusasian Siskin, lilliani-like Eastern Meadowlark, to the Bird ID section.

December 10 - 16, 2005: Re-added pages for swimming Great Blue Heron , "fly-fishing" Snowy Egrets , bragging Norther Harriers , immature Northern Goshawk, Sempalmated Sandpiper in Texas in December, juvenile Little Gull, displaying "mixed pair" Flickers , leucistic Loggerhead Shrike, to the Misc. Birds section.

December 02, 2005: Added two first-cycle gulls that strongly suggest YLGU to the Gulls section.

November 18, 2005: Added four new pages of first-cycle gulls to the Gulls section.

July 05, 2005: Added pics of a possible Liris Skipper Lerema liris to the Butterflies section. Added pics from west Texas of Russet-tipped Clubtail Stylurus plagiatus, female Red Rock Skimmer Paltothemis lineatipes, female Arroyo Darner Aeshna dugesi, Bleached Skimmer Libellula composita, Fiery-eyed Dancer Argia oenea, and Gray Sanddragon Progomphus borealis to the Dragonflies section.

June 27, 2005: Added more pics from central Texas of Jade-striped Sylph Macrothemis inequiunguis to the Dragonflies section.

June 26, 2005: Added pics of Brown Noddy from South Padre Island to the Misc. Birds section.

June 22, 2005: Added pics from south Texas of Cream-tipped Damsel Leptobasis melinogaster, Blue-faced Darner Coryphaeschna adnexa, Dark-tailed Forceptail Phyllocyla breviphylla, and Turquoise-tipped Darner Aeshna psilus to the Dragonflies section.

June 17, 2005: Added pics of a distant peep from Port Aransas to the Bird ID section.

June 14, 2005: Added pics from central Texas of Jade-striped Sylph Macrothemis inequiunguis to the Dragonflies section.

June 11, 2005: Added pics of a Gray Ministreak Ministrymon azia to the Butterflies section.

June 10, 2005: Added pics from south Texas of Vermilion Saddlbags Tramea abdominalis, Three-striped Dasher Micrathyria didyma, Comet Darner Anax longipes, and Turquoise-tipped Darner Aeshna psilus to the Dragonflies section.

June 07, 2005: Added more pics from south of San Antonio of an egg-laying Carmine Skimmer Orthemis discolor to the Dragonflies section.

May 23 - June 07, 2005: Added many more pics of all three U.S. species of Threadtail to the Dragonflies section.

June 05, 2005: Added pics from south of San Antonio of Antillean Saddlbags Tramea insularis, Ivory-striped Sylph Macrothemis imitans leucozonaemis, Bronzed River Cruiser Macromia annulata, Amelia's threadtail Neonura amelia, and Coral-fronted threadtail Neonura aaroni to the Dragonflies section.

June 03, 2005: Added pics from west Texas of Apache Dancer Argia munda to the Dragonflies section.

June 02, 2005: Added pics from central Texas of Giant Darner Anax walsinghami and Comet Darner Anax longipes flying together, to the Dragonflies section.

May 31, 2005: Added pics of Olive Warbler and Buff-breasted Flycatcher from the Davis Mtns to the Misc. Birds section. Also from there I've added pics of Cardinal Meadowhawk Sympetrum illotum, Plateau Dragonlet Erythrodiplax basifusca, and Painted Damsel Hesperagrion heterodoxum to the Dragonflies section.

May 25, 2005: Added a page of Catharus thrush specimen spread wingtips to the Bird ID section.

May 23, 2005: Added pics of a pale-rumped Chaetura swift to the Bird ID section.

May 22, 2005: Added pics of a Cyna Blue Zizula cyna to the Butterflies section.

May 21, 2005: Added pics from east Texas of Ebony Jewelwing Calopteryx maculata and pics from Central Texas of Ivory-striped Sylph Macrothemis imitans to the Dragonflies section.

May 17, 2005: Added pics of a Azure Celastrina sp. to the Butterflies section.

May 16, 2005: Added pics of Tamaulipas Crow, Black-capped Vireo, Gray-crowned Yellowthroat, Golden-cheeked Warbler to the Misc. Birds section. Added pics of a leucistic Loggerhead Shrike and a probable hybrid Parula to the Bird ID section.

May 10, 2005: Added pages for a Semip. Plover with some Common Ringed-Plover features from the Texas coast to the Bird ID section.

May 10, 2005: Added pages for a number of Hairstreaks and Skippers from west Texas to the Butterflies section.

May 09, 2005: Added pics of Hermit Warbler from the coast to the Misc. Birds section. Added pics of an imm. swan from Newfoundland and an unusual Catharus thrush from the coast to the Bird ID section.

May 4/5, 2005: Added pics of a selection of recent Catharus thrushes from the coast to the Bird ID section.

May 01, 2005: Added pages for a number of Skippers from west Texas to the Butterflies section.

April 26, 2005: Added pics of an imm. Northern Goshawk from south of San Antonio to the Bird ID section.

April 25, 2005: Added pics of Black-whiskered Vireo(s) from the coast to the Misc. Birds section.

April 21, 2005: Added pics of a fault-barred 1st-spring Am. Herring Gull, and some Mystery gulls to the Gulls section.

April 18, 2005: Added pics of an extreme female Checkered White Pontia protodice from San Antonio to the Butterflies section. Added pics of a new Yellow-legged Gull-like Mystery gull from Galveston to the Gulls section.

April 16, 2005: Added more pics of Definite Patch Chlosyne definita to the Butterflies section.

April 12, 2005: Added pics of Banded Patch Chlosyne endeis to the Butterflies section.

April 11, 2005: Added pics of Dusky Roadside Skipper Amblyscirtes alternata from south of San Antonio to the Butterflies section.

April 08, 2005: Added more pics of a Yellow-legged Gull-like Mystery gull to the Gulls section.

March 31, 2005: Added pics of three first-spring Vega-like Gulls, more pics of the Kelp-like first-spring gull, and lots of Yellow-legged Gulls from the Azores to the Gulls section.

March 21, 2005: Added pics from Newfoundland of a very fuscus-like subadult LBBG and a 2nd-winter canus Common Gull to the Gulls section.

March 20, 2005: Added pics of a Slaty-backed Gull-like first-winter gull to the Gulls section.

March 16, 2005: Added more pics of a Yellow-legged Gull-like Mystery gull to the Gulls section.

March 13, 2005: Added pics of Southwestern [Sara] Orangetip Anthocharis [sara] thoosa, Spring White Pontia sisymbrii elivata, Desert [Pearly] Marble Euchloe [hyantis] lotta, and Acmon Blue Plebejus (Icaricia) acmon texana from El Paso to the Butterflies section.

March 11, 2005: Added pics of a Red-breasted Sapsucker from the Davis Mtns to the Misc. Birds section.

March 06, 2005: Added close-ups and flight pics of Mountain Plovers to the Misc. Birds section.

February 27, 2005: Added pics of an imm. Brown Booby from the coast to the Misc. Birds section.

February 24, 2005: Added more pics of a Yellow-legged Gull-like Mystery gull, plus an adult Thayer's Gull and a probable 1st-spring Nelson's Gull to the Gulls section.

February 21, 2005: Added pics of a Hammond's Flycatcher from south of San Antonio to the Bird ID section.

February 18, 2005: Added pics of a new Yellow-legged Gull-like Mystery gull, plus some unusual adult Am. Herring Gulls, a Vega-like first-spring gull, and an argenteus-like first-spring gull to the Gulls section.

February 11, 2005: Added pics of a 2nd-winter Yellow-legged Gull to the Gulls section.

February 06 - 09, 2005: Added pics of a new Yellow-legged Gull-like Mystery gull, plus more pics of the possible first-winter California X Ring-billed Gull to the Gulls section.

February 07, 2005: Added a picture story of an impressive Peregrine Falcon to the Misc. Birds section.

February 06, 2005: Added a pic of the San Ygnacio imm. Roadside Hawk to the Misc. Birds section.

January 27, 2005: Added pics of a Vega-like adult gull to the Gulls section.

January 23, 2005: Added pics of two gulls from a year ago that suggest first-spring Yellow-legged Gull to the Gulls section.

January 21, 2005: Added pics of a possible 2nd-winter Nelson's Gull and a first-winter Yellow-legged Gull-like bird to the Gulls section.

January 18, 2005: Added pics of two first-winter Vega-like Gulls and two first-winter Yellow-legged Gull-like birds to the Gulls section.

January 16, 2005: Added a pic of the San Ygnacio male Blue Bunting, plus a male Crimson-collared Grosbeak from Weslaco, to the Misc. Birds section.

January 09, 2005: Added pics of the Bentsen Social Flycatcher to the Misc. Birds section.

January 07, 2005: Added pics of a very dark adult California Gull, a heavily-marked first-winter HERG-like gull, an adult possible Kelp hybrid, and a pale first-winter Thayer's Gull to the Gulls section.

January 05, 2005: updated page on the wintering Western Flycatcher from south of San Antonio in the Bird ID section.

Click here for the Halff Brothers Ranch