A Song Sparrow Named AlphaBits

Longtime readers of this blog will remember Luke, the leucistic song sparrow first photographed in this Appalachian Ohio yard on October 7, 2012. He was spectacular, and beloved, as all my special woodland friends are.

He'd show up for the Big Sit in mid-October, thrill our friends, hang around for a little while, then disappear until around Easter, when he'd set up territory in the side

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Labrador Morning

It was such a beautiful morning. Cold, but every morning has
been cold.

I’m used to cold. 23 degrees meant four layers, gloves,
headband. Everything able to be zipped down or shed should the sun and the heat of running require it. I was really happy because my tiny Swarovski binoculars were finally
back from repair. I’m so tough on binoculars. The bridge hinge was broken again, and they

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Senior Picture Shoot: Heeere's Liam!

Senior pictures. Lots of people spend a lot of money on senior pictures. Which is nice, because photographers have to make a living, too. The best photos of humans, in my opinion, are not the ones that are produced in a ten-minute session in front of a rolldown screen, when the subject is bathed in the glare of hot klieg lights.

Formal photos have one thing going for them. They produce

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Back at It

A collapsed field sparrow nest from 2017 along the driveway. Japanese honeysuckle, already leafing out. Spring is coming, I think. The daffodils are in suspended animation, leaning into the biting wind.




I raised the blind yesterday on two inches of fresh snow. No matter how many times this happens, I am still surprised. Oh! Snow!

Not as surprised as they are in the Boston area I'm

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Plucky's Gift

What ever happened to that half-winged mourning dove?

You know I wouldn't leave you hanging if I could help it.


I had this whole post written on a plane. And the Internet swallowed
it. The photos stayed but the text disappeared. Never had that happen
before. Now I'll probably say something completely different than I did
while hurtling over Kansas at sunset. One of the things I like about

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One Day in Light

March is slapping us around here in Ohio. Hey! Spring's here!! Whoops! Snow! Here are the Three Graces at noon today, on my way into town. I wanted to document their buds and flowers coming out so early in March, even though the light was flat and dull.




And here they are at 5:46 pm. Same day. Same place. Somewhat different light. If you don't think that light changes everything,

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I Love a Survivor

I first saw her come walking in with a flock of mourning doves, to the corn
and sunflower seed I offer ground-feeders. It was February 15, 2018. For a moment
I just stared at her, then I picked up the camera and started shooting. Her left
wing was missing perhaps half its secondaries.









but that was nothing to what I would see next. Her right wing was practically gone. All the flight

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An Underwater Fire

View from my hotel room at The Dana on Mission Bay. Dee-luxe.




I’d never been to San Diego. That needed fixing. I was delighted to finally be able to say yes to the wonderful San Diego Bird Festival the last week of February 2018, where I gave the banquet talk, co-led two Big Days, a lovely hike and bike ride. I'd been asked, but I've always been in Costa Rica that week. This year I went to

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Woodpecker Tracks and The Principle of Situational Awareness

We're still rambling around in the ice, in the gold, blue and white wonderland.







Soon I'd climbed so high the Toothless Lady could no longer be seen.







I saw a familiar bird take off from the snowy road, and stepped off the side so I wouldn't obscure its tracks with mine.

I was talking once with a friend of mine, comparing notes. He said that if he were on a first date and she

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