If you don’t know much about birds, maybe it’s time to spread your wings?
A few words on birds…
I was once a person who knew there were birds. I’d seen a few around. Then one day a friend taught me to watch the birds, and to notice how many different kinds you might see just in your own backyard.
So I watched. And became amazed.
And then I started traveling the world to meet the birds in other backyards. It became a passion.
Now my goal is to meet every bird. In the world. One at a time.
Enjoy my gallery of birds photos, each with a caption of who he/she is and where the photo was taken. All of the images are my own.
Click on a topic below to jump.
About the Camera(s)
I’m not a professional photographer. Yet.
My first camera was a Canon PowerShot SX50 HS. I bought it because the internet said it was the best “point and shoot” for birding. It had 50x optical zoom which means you can zoom to get a bird that is very, very far away. If you can see it at all with your naked eye, you can zoom to it.
After many years of use and travel, the viewfinder finally broke – it has an LCD screen and is still usable, but for birding I prefer the old-fashioned viewfinder. So I did some homework and tried a few models. I upgraded to the Nikon Coolpix P900 because it has all the same things I liked on the Canon, but 83x zoom.
Yes, that ‘s right. 83x zoom. Game on.
It also had WiFi which was a game changer when traveling. No plugs for transferring photos ever again, and you can upload throughout a trip so that if you drop or lose Mr. Camera mid-vacation, you don’t lose your photos. Incredible peace of mind!
Making the Leap to DSLR
I started going to the Biggest Week in American Birding (BWIAB) in 2022 and met several bird photographers there who have since become good friends. I started feeling inferior because I didn’t have one of those long lenses that the other birders had. In 2024, I convinced one of my photography friends to help me get started with a DSLR. I was intimidated, but it took one photo and I was sold. I startedusing the Nikon D500, purported to be the best birding camera on the market.
Fast forward 2 years….I still love the Nikon D500 for bird photography and have taken hundreds of stunning photos with it. But the lure of a mirrorless camera was too much and I splurged on a Nikon Z6iii in April just in time for spring migration season. The new camera will be put through its paces locally in Dallas before accompanying me to High Island in April, BWIAB 2026 and Monteverde and Osa Peninsula, Cost Rica, in May.
A Few Seconds of Fame
I cruised the Magdalena River with AMA Waterways in September of 2025 and they did a Facebook feature on me to encourage other birders to take the cruise. They used my photos!
I had seriously debated whether to haul my camera on that trip but thank God I did.
By the end of the cruise, I had turned most of the passengers into novice birders and was invited to do a slideshow of my photographs.
It got back to the cruise line and the rest is history!
Feature: Photos from my Magdalena River Cruise in Colombia — September 2025
Black Collared Hawk 
Black-Crowned Night Heron 
Black Bellied and White Faced Whistling Ducks 
Pied Water Tyrant Crested Caracara 
Ringed Kingfisher 
Cocoi Heron 
White Headed Caracara 
Limpkin 
White-Headed Marsh Tyrant Water Buffalo and Cattle Tyrant 
Neotropic Cormorant 
Crested Caracara, Magdalena River, Colombia, Sept 2025 Smooth Billed Ani 
Amazon Kingfisher 
Rufous Breasted Puffbird 
Snail Kite Amazon Kingfisher 
Snail Kite 
Yellow Headed Caracara 
Brown-Throated Parakeet, Santa Barbara de Pinto, Colombia, Sept 2025 
Olive-Gray Saltator 
Ringed Kingfisher Laughing Falcon Gray-Lined Hawk
A Few More Seconds of Fame
I shared several photos I took of birds on the property of Finca Victoria in Vieques, P.R. during a trip in March of 2026. The property made a BEAUTIFUL post with my photos and included the Spanish names of each bird and fun facts. Slide show of the post below in case you don’t have an Instagram account. Incredibly grateful for this one.
The Birds
I’ve arranged this bird gallery by geographical locations. Click on a location below to jump to the photos for that area plus links to my travel pages for each region.
Birds of Colombia
I took a cruise on the Magdalena River between Cartagena and Barranquilla in September 2024.
Colombia has more birds that Canada, the U.S. and Central America combined.
Click the image to dive in. Click here to read about my trip to Colombia and how I got these photos.
Birds of Costa Rica
Pura Vida!!
I have been to Costa Rica 5 times and have photographed birds in many different places.
The 6th visit is on the books….
Click the image to jump to my Costa Rica gallery.
Birds of Nicaragua
Not a place many dare to travel. I stayed at Jicaro Island Lodge on Lake Nicaragua in August 2024.
The bird photos were all taken on the lake or on the island where the lodge is.
Click the image to travel vicariously to Nicaragua if you aren’t ready to book that ticket.
Birds of Puerto Rico (Vieques Island
I’ve only photographed birds on the tiny island of Vieques in Puerto Rico. Click on the image to see more and get links to my travel pages on visiting this area.
My photos were taken on the property of Finca Victoria or during a hike on the Tapon Bay Trail.
Birds of High Island, Texas
High Island, Texas is one of the quintessential places for birdwatching in the United States, particularly in the spring when many birds are making the treacherous crossing from Central and South America and Mexico.
I was a little early for migration season during my trip in April of 2026 but still got lots of nice pictures!
Click the image for a gallery and for links to more information on birding High Island.
Keep Exploring
Photos Over Time
Pacuare Lodge, Costa Rica Feb 2020
Pacuare Lodge, Costa Rica Feb 2020
Pacuare Lodge, Costa Rica Feb 2020
Pacuare Lodge, Costa Rica Feb 2020
Pacuare Lodge, Costa Rica Feb 2020
Pacuare Lodge, Costa Rica Feb 2020
Pacuare Lodge, Costa Rica Feb 2020
Pacuare Lodge, Costa Rica Feb 2020
Pacuare Lodge, Costa Rica Feb 2020
Pacuare Lodge, Costa Rica Feb 2020
Pacuare Lodge, Costa Rica Feb 2020
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