Peruvian Thick-knee (Hesperoburhinus superciliaris)

We were on a tour of an ancient archeological site near Lima, Peru. It is a drab, sandy area. Several of us saw a bone on the ground (shown). I did not think much of it until one of our party asked what was on the ground next to bone. It took me several seconds to see what she was referring to. This fairly large bird is a master at camouflage. They rest motionless during the day and forage at nighttime.

These photos were taken with a telephoto lens with a limited depth of field to bring out the bird. To the unaided eye, they are difficult to see. The Peruvian Thick-knee.

Lesson's Motmot

Lesson’s Motmot 12” x 12” acrylic on wood panel

It was a treat to come across this wonderful bird again in Belize last March

Red-capped Manakin (Ceratopipra mentalis)

This colorful bird really catches the eye. We saw several of these in forested areas in Belize. This photo shows off the yellow legging of this species. The red head with the yellow and black eye are striking. This one was seen near La Milpa, Belize.

Prairie Warbler (Setophaga discolor)

Prairie Warbler

A life bird for me. This species has a South Eastern U.S. distribution and normally does not occur further west than East Texas. I have been looking for this species for years. In December (2023) we spent a few days in Florida and saw this one at the Military Trail Natural area in Broward County.

Western Tanagers

Western Tanagers 20” x 10” x 1.5” acrylic on wood panel

I look forward to the return of Western Tanagers from Central America each spring.  The males are brilliantly colored but because they like to perch high  in trees and deep in the foliage they are often hard to find.  

Five-striped Sparrow

A few years ago, I posted a photo of this species on our blog. I ran into these and don’t know why I did not include them because they really show off features. This sparrow barely makes it into the United States and has only been found in Arizona, mostly south of Tucson. It mostly occurs in Western Mexico.

Scarlet Macaw

We were visiting Costa Rica to see birds for part of the trip and meet with our daughter’s family later. We were all together on the balcony of a rental house at Punta Leona when these two macaws happened to fly by. Fortunately, my daughter saw them early in their flight as they headed towards our location. This allowed me enough time to get the camera out.