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.

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

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.