This species has been on my bucket list for years. They aren’t rare, but they are shy, and they hide from sight very well, even in short grass. This one was photographed from behind a blind at the Davis Mountains State Park Interpretative Center, Texas.
Collared Aracari
Collared Aracari 16” x 16” acrylic on wood panel
Collared Aracari have an extensive range throughout Central America. This painting was inspired by a group we watched in Eastern Costa Rica.
Spectacled Redstart (Myioborus melanocephalus)
A pretty warbler we saw on our Manu Road birding trip. We stopped the car near Atalaya to look for birds on the road’s edge, and this one popped out of the thicket to stare at us for several seconds.
Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida)
A plain, but yet beautiful sparrow. Seen at El Charco del Ingenio Jardín Botánico, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna)
A male Anna's Hummingbird is a striking sight, known for its vibrant gorget and forehead colors. This species can be found year-round in the Western United States. It is particularly famous for its impressive mating dives, which can exceed 100 feet (35 meters). Originally, Anna's Hummingbird occurred only in Northern Baja California, but it has since dramatically expanded its range. Today, it can be found along the West Coast up to Southern British Columbia and has also spread southeast into Arizona and, to a lesser extent, Texas. This significant range expansion over roughly a century is attributed to human population growth, which has brought cultivars and hummingbird feeders that support their existence. This species also has an ability to greatly slow its metabolism during cold periods to help it survive in the winter. Unlike other U.S. hummingbird species, Anna’s Hummingbird does not migrate latitudinally.
Avocet at Low tide
Avocet at Low Tide - 16” x 8” acrylic on wood panel
I feel a sense of wonder seeing an avocet in winter plumage striding across the mudflat at low tide in the Palo Alto Baylands, California
Golden-olive Woodpecker (Colaptes rubiginosus)
A widespread, neotropical woodpecker. Its range extends from NE Mexico, through Central America and down the Andes Mountains to northern Chile. This is a female because it’s missing the red cheek band that occurs on the male of this species. I saw this one in the Monte Verde area of Costa Rica.
Lemon-throated Barbet (Eubucco richardsoni)
The barbets are truly beautiful. When I look at them, I think to myself that there is a bird with an attitude.
Toucanet Painting
Blue-banded Toucanets 8” x 8” acrylic
We saw these toucanets in the Andes in Peru
Northern Emerald-Toucanet
Seen feeding on flowers in our yard, near the Curi Cancha Preserve, Costa Rica.
Turquoise-browed Motmot (Eumomota superciliosa)
Passionfruit and Warblers
Passionfruit and Warblers 16” x 16” acrylic on wood panel
I designed this piece for a ‘Purple’ show at Viewpoints Gallery. I sketched Yellow-rumped Warblers foraging in the passionfruit vines at my daughter’s house in Torrance, CA.
Hooded Mountain Tanager (Buthraupis montana)
A large mountain tanager that occurs over a large portion of the Andes Mountains.
Black-crowned Night Herons
Night Herons and Moon 12” x 36” acrylic on canvas
Night Herons are common in the local Baylands. They make a fun subject to paint because they hang out in groups and they have a somewhat sinister look..
Military Macaws
Military Macaws 16” x 16” acrylic on wood panel
We saw six species of Macaws in Peru. My favorites were the Military Macaws which we saw perched high above the canopy.
Machu Picchu
Visiting Peru and not visting Machu Picchu would have been a tragedy. We did not see a lot of birds there, but who needs birds with scenery like this.
Honeycreepers and a Hummingbird
Honeycreepers and a Hummingbird 16” x 16” acrylic on wood panel
This piece was inspired by birds working a large hibiscus shrub outside the dining hall in La Milpa Lodge, Belize last March.
Grass-green Tanager (Chlorornis riefferii)
A striking green tanager that is found in the Andes from Colombia to Bolivia. It is the only extant member of the genus Chlorornis.
Spotted Tanager (Ixothraupis punctata)
A pretty tanager found in the Andes of Peru. It’s closely related to the Speckled Tanager also in this blog.
Golden-naped Tanager (Chalcothraupis ruficervi)
A common Tanager on the eastern slopes of the Andes in Peru.