So… hot… in… Tucson. So hot. Nothing to do but hang out by the water fountain.

Tried-and-true @ bird bath:

Lucy’s Warbler @ pond water feed @ Paton Center for Hummingbirds, Patagonia, AZ:

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Back to the desert. Lovely female Scott’s Orioles in Century Plants (Agave americana) @ Box Canyon, Arizona.

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Coming up soon, lots more desert/mountain content (hummingbirds!) + back with a Presque Isle State Park update.

Macro shots @ 105mm of beautiful Halloween Pennant (Celithemis eponina) dragonflies at Presque Isle State Park. Mostly using the ‘controlled fall’ method – (i) get reasonably close, (ii) brace one leg, (iii) deep lean-in + continuous shooting until the insect in question flies away.

From time to time @ Gull Point, Presque Isle State Park = lots and lots of Bank Swallow. These shots from a couple weeks ago, resting + landing/takeoff on the observation platform rope fence.

Recent shots of mostly upside down Baltimore Oriole (m) along the Gull Point Trail, Presque Isle State Park. Upside down = more bugs.

If it’s August, must be time to check back in @ the BIRDS (BirdingPI.com Regional Desert Southwest) field station, for the SE Arizona Birding Festival and otherwise. (With high temps of 41+ deg C in Tucson, Erie is looking pretty good.)

Starting off – and why not? – with nature! #monsoon_lightning

These shots late July @ 28mm, Tucson, AZ, using the 1/8 – 1/10 sec continuous/handheld shooting method. Cropped but not sharpened or colour revised.

Almost always lots of interesting bird activity @ Pine Tree Trail, Presque Isle State Park. These recent shots from July.

First up, beautiful Blue Jay:

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Hairy Woodpecker with a very long beak:

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And lots of nice shots of Downy Woodpecker:

Coming up soon, wild pigs?!?

Great ‘under the radar’ birding in the Jamestown/ Williamsburg, VA area = the 100% free Jamestown-Scotland Ferry. Drive onboard (in nice weather) for cormorants, gulls, terns, and beautiful views of the James River. Depending on waiting time to board, maybe a half-hour commitment each direction.

Great spot to see Laughing Gull:

First winter/juvenile Laughing Gull in flight/landing:

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Very exciting – Season 3, ‘Volume 2’ of ‘The Dowitcher!’ All shots July 2023 @ Gull Point, Presque Isle State Park.

Beautiful Dowitcher (adult breeding plumage) @ foraging/feeding behavior:

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Wrapping it up with a view on a different day of Semipalmated Plover (lower left) + Sanderling, on the north outer beach. Cropped view @ 560mm (?) from ‘stop sign’ at end of beach trail.

Currently enjoying Season 3 (Vol. 1) of ‘The Dowitcher’ at Presque Isle State Park. These recent shots all at Gull Point. Probably Long-billed Dowitcher. (Thoughtful bird ID analysis: “Those bills look pretty long…”)

Wrapping up this post with several shots of Yellowlegs wading x flight:

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Coming up soon, Season 3 (Vol. 2)!