Sharing this Pine Warbler I photographed the first day of 2025. I found a nice flock of Yellow-Rumped Warblers and a few of these guys going through the bald cypress trees of a nearby lake. Loved this connection as the bird briefly paused before moving on with the group. Date Taken: January 1, 2025
Back in the first week of January, I visited a local lake in search of ducks. With beautiful misty conditions, I decided to photograph this Lesser Scaup in a high-key style, leaving plenty of negative space for it to float through. Date Taken: January 4, 2025
Photographing Common Yellowthroats has proven quite the challenge for me. They are not a breeding species in Texas, and I get them in very few spots in the winter. Common Yellowthroats are more often heard than seen, so I tried to incorporate that feel with this image. They are just nonstop with movement and difficult to get out in the open, but I’ll happily take this foreground image. I would love to get these birds on pretty sunflowers one day, but this is the best I could do here lol Date Taken: January 4, 2025
A Pied-Billed Grebe during some early morning orange water. The morning started off with a very calm, and misty haze over the water. As the sun began to clear away the mist, this Pied-Billed Grebe began to show itself on this beautiful morning. Date Taken: February 1, 2025
Now that fun sparrow season is coming to a close, I was able to go through quite a few edits of this very comfortable Field Sparrows in its happy place, a nice open field with Ashe Junipers to perch on! I don’t often go with vertical crops, but this image felt like it was worth using. Date Taken: February 8
Date Taken: February 8, 2025
I have been blessed with the opportunity to participate in an amazing photo contest this year. The @wildlifeinfocus contest pairs up photographers and landowners in a friendly competition, with the mission to promote preservation and conservation of native Texas wildlife and their habitats. The message of this contest is great. We are seeing a rapid change of demographics in Texas. The state’s population is growing at a rapid rate. People are moving out of rural communities and moving in urban areas. Landowners are under constant pressure to convert their ranch land, farm, and wildlife habitat into other uses, such as building apartments and new neighborhoods. Simply put, the goal of the WiF contest is to give inspiration for all to see the true beauty of Texas, I’m all for that! I am paired up with a wonderful family that owns over 2,000 acres of property nestled right in the convergence of 4 eco-regions in southwest Texas, a true hotspot for bird photography! We spent the whole day scouting the area and preparing for the arrival of local breeding birds, which is in just a few weeks. This Woodhouse’s Scrub Jay is one of the many birds I saw over the weekend. Perched atop Ashe Juniper, I could have spent all day photographing these noisy birds. Date Taken: February 22, 2025
Date Taken: March 11th, 2025
A close up of an early arrival around these parts. I was able to get a close look at this bird along a ridge that seems to attract many different songbird species. Date Taken: March 21, 2025
I might have already had my favorite birding moment of 2025. Lately, the wind has been relentless, and bird activity hasn’t been what I’d expect around this time of year. I’ve had several outings with little to no luck finding early spring migrants. Recently, I found a spot bursting with blooming Texas Redbuds and have been visiting often, hoping to catch something passing through, feeding on the insects drawn to the nectar-filled flowers. This morning started off like any other, lots of birds around, not much in front of my lens, until I caught a tiny flash of blue out of the corner of my eye. It darted from dense foliage into a Texas redbud tree. Northern Parula? I waited. Then, it popped out, and in that moment, I was stunned—Tropical Parula! I managed to snap a few quick shots, capturing maybe one or two different poses, and just like that, it was gone. For years, I’ve dreamed of finding the perfect location to photograph birds in Texas Redbuds. For that bird to be a Tropical Parula? Unreal. I’m at a loss for words. This is definitely one of the rarest sightings I’ve had in recent years. These birds can be found in Texas, but way further south. I’m hoping it sticks around my area this week so I can try for it again soon! Date Taken: March 23rd, 2025
Date Taken: March 27th, 2025
Date Taken: March 28th 2025
Got some Northern Parula photos to sift through from an outing a few weekends ago. This one gave me a lot of good looks as it foraged through the Boxelders. I hope you enjoy this habitat-themed image and have a wonderful week! March 28th, 2025
It’s been a beautiful early spring here in the Texas Hill Country. Last weekend, I spent quite a bit of time photographing our local breeding warblers—though only a few species nest here. Our most famous, of course, is the stunning Golden-cheeked Warbler. This little guy was full of energy all morning, hopping from tree to tree, foraging, and occasionally stopping to call. The key to photographing these Golden-Cheeked Warblers, like many songbirds, is getting to eye level. I positioned myself along a ridge with a small pond nearby, waiting for these birds to make their rounds. I was lucky enough to capture a singing pose of this guy. In my favorite location, it’s not uncommon to see/hear 10-20 different Golden-Cheeked Warblers in just 1 morning hike. I’m thankful to have been able to spend the last 5 years studying these birds, learning their habits, and what works best not only for myself, but ultimately, the most important aspect of Golden-Cheeked Warbler photography, the conservation and protection of this endangered species. Date Taken: March 30th, 2025
Date Taken: April 13, 2025
Date Taken: April 22, 2025
The heart stoppin’ tree toppin’ Summer Tanagers are back filling the fresh spring air with their beautiful calls. I see many of these birds during the spring and summer, but don’t usually spend much time with them. Date Taken: April 26, 2025
Spent last week building up a collection of shorebird images to share for the next couple of months. First up, the spotlights shine down on the star of the show, the Black-Necked Stilt. There were quite a few of these guys hanging out in some shallow pools that overlook the city of Corpus Christi Tx. It’s really nice sometimes to just enjoy a peaceful afternoon with no one else around except you and the birds. Date Taken: April 30th, 2025
I capped off a great couple of vacation days last weekend with a shot of a female Scott’s Oriole—a bird that’s not easily photographed! While not as flashy as the male, I’ll gladly take this any day. In my experience, female Scott’s Orioles tend to be more reclusive, often staying tucked away in the trees, while the males are more commonly seen in the areas I frequent. While photographing a Cassin’s Sparrow, I caught a flash of movement out of the corner of my eye—a bird landing on a prickly pear cactus right in front of me. I didn’t have a clear view, so I tried to turn that into an advantage by shooting through the bush in front of me to add some natural texture. If you look closely, you can spot the tiny specks of nectar the oriole was feeding on within the cactus flowers. Overall, I’m pretty happy with this shot. Even though I wasn’t able to include more of the cactus in the frame, I like the added foreground elements and the story they help tell. Date Taken: May 2nd, 2025
Date Taken: May 2nd, 2025