Nature Smart

Long before I saw the bird, I heard it.
A hard, dry rattle echoed down the shoreline, like someone shaking a metal can filled with pebbles. Then I spotted a large bird, slightly bigger

Most birds nest in spring or early summer, but some remain busy raising young well into late summer. American goldfinches are a familiar example, timing their nesting to coincide with an abundance of the small

While leading a photo workshop this year, my small group of photographers saw a flock of interesting birds. We had more than 300 individual birds swooping and diving all around us. I instantly recognized them

Did you know the most common and largest family of birds in the world is found right here in North and South America? The crazy part is, you most likely have never heard of these

In the bird world, a few birds really stand out. They stand out so much that even non-birders can identify them or at least are familiar with the species. The peregrine falcon is a good

Each spring I lead photo workshops to capture images of the common loon. This iconic waterbird of the northern lakes looks amazing and when the tiny chicks ride on the adults’ back, the participants are

Every winter I lead a group of photographers to Costa Rica. Birds are usually the main subject in our photographic efforts. We see hundreds of different species, mostly tropical birds that live year-round in Costa