White-Throated Treecreeper - Cormobates leucophaeus (Dartmoor, Vic)

#148 March 13, 2006 Eastern Yellow Robin - Eopsaltria australis (Phillip Island, Vic)

#14 May 11, 2005 Northern Mockingbird - Mimus polyglottos (Stateline Lookout, NJ)

#58 August 17, 2006 Ring-billed Gull - Larus delawarensis (North Bergen, NJ)

Gulls are my favorite birds, most are accesible and numerous. They also teach good birding, having many plumages, 4-year gulls like the Great black-backed Gull having the most. Their behavior entices note taking and spurs memory. I have seen 8 spp so far, I hope to see them all one day.

#71 October 23, 2005 Yellow-rumped Warbler - Dendroica coronata (Stateline Lookout, NJ)

Peoplewatcher birds are common, this one was checking us out while we searched for a Capy May Warbler by the Pinetum. It was craining it's little neck, I am sure to get all the field marks for Ben.

YRW are hardy passerines, I have seen them in all weather and all seasons around the NYC-Metro are.

#110 January 28, 2006 Long-tailed Duck - Clangula hyemalis (Barnegat Light, NJ)

Ducks, I love 'em. The way water beads and trails off the feathers, their voice and colors.

I saw LTDs at SH, a cold January which clocked in a few duck spp at the Hook. The plumage is almost like a photo negative than that of breeding specimen, the tail is indeed long, at times curving from duck to air to water, like a dark living rainbow.

#46 June 25, 2005 Black Vulture - Coragyps atratus (Everglades, FL)

#288 January 13, 2007 Snowy Owl - Bubo scandiacus aka. The White Ghost (Piermont, NY)

I saw it, Snowy Owl (first lifer of 2007), it was perched in it's wet regalia, white, like alabaster that has gotten a bit dirty wasted wooden parapets and beaten towers, its infinite realm cloaked in fog and mist.

The picture was left blurry on purpose.

The only birder there, my brother and about a quarter of a mile west 3 fishermen.

Binocs views, they were good, the scope was left in the car it's half useless and the weather would have made it more so. The white ghost was facing south, it turned it's head a few times, nice eyes.

The pictures, dissapointing, raing fog, light, bad photographer, maybe one maybe all.

I am happy though, spent 4 minutes in relative peace with a Snowy owl.

The water had a few Canadas and Mallards, the phragmites on the way back House sparrow and Mourning Dove, above barking as best it could, Ring-billed gulls whirled over the chorus of Red-winged blackbirds and European Starlings.

#163 March 15, 2006 Eastern Spinebill - Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris (Wildood Flowers, Vic)

#144 March 13, 2006 Litle Penguin - Eudyptula minor (Phillip Island, Vic)

#147 March 13, 2006 Australian White Ibis - Threskiornis molucca (Phillip Island, Vic)

#162 March 15, 2006 Crimson Rosella - Platycercus elegans (Wildwood Flowers, Vic)

#182 March 17, 2006 Straw-necked Ibis - Threskiornis spinicollis (Lakes Entrance, Vic)

#155 March 14, 2006 Emu - Dromaius novaehollandiae (Driving East to Lake's Entrance from Phillips Island, Vic)

#198 March 23, 2006 Spotted Turtle-Dove - Streptopelia chinensis (Croydon, Vic)

#23 June 11, 2005 Laughing Gull - Larus atricilla (Sandy Hook, Summer)

A hot summer day in a mosquito paradise. I was walking around, many gulls were there, Laughing and some serious ones as well. I was in the very early stages of bird photography here. Light was bad, the lense was crap (I later got a better lense)

I am better at gull ID now, and saw L. atricilla in winter plumage in Central Park late 2006 with Ben.

#16 May 15, 2005 House Sparrow - Passer domesticus, Male (Central Park, Winter)

Can you believe it?, one of the most common birds was one of the hardest ones for me to ID, the guides do no justice to the variety of plumages for this species. It took me a few days, lots of cursing at the National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds: Eastern Region field guide, whose pictures are as good as stick figures.

In the end, I got it, and now, I can actually say that in a good day, a male P. domesticus is a dapper bird indeed.

I also went to Barnes & Noble and bought A Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern and Central North America it served well in it's year of duty.

#239 May 19, 2006 American Oystercatcher - Haematopus palliatus (Sandy Hook, NJ)

#45 June 24, 2005 Roseate Spoonbills - Ajaia ajaja & White Ibis - Eudocimus albus (Ding Darling, FL)

#41 June 24, 2005 White ibis - Eudocimus albus (Ding Darling, FL)

#124 March 5, 2006 Snow Bunting - Plectrophenax nivalis (Sandy Hook, NJ)

#203 April 12, 2006 Ruby-crowned Kinglet - Regulus calendula (Central Park, NY)

#220 May 6, 2006 Rose-breasted Grosbeak - Pheucticus ludovicianus (Garrett Mountain, NJ)

Hybrid #1 Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos X American Black Duck - Anas rubripes (Central Park, Winter)

#226 May 10 2006 Eastern Kingbird - Tyrannus tyrannus (Central Park, NY)

#112 February 3, 2006 Eastern Towhee - Pipilo erythrophthalmus (Central Park, NY)

#51 July 15, 2005 Gray Catbird - Dumetella carolinensis (Central Park, NY)

#97 January 14, 2006 Brant - Branta bernicla (Barnegat Light, NJ)

#87 January 13, 2006 Ruddy Duck - Oxyura jamaicensis (Central Park, NY)

#224 May 6, 2006 Northern Parula - Parula americana (Garrett Mountain, NJ)

#200 April 12, 2006 Hermit Thrush - Catharus guttatus (Central Park, NY)

#141 March 13, 2006 Rainbow Lorikeet - Trichoglossus haematodus (Phillip Island, Vic)

#138 March 13, 2006 Rufous Night-Heron - Nycticorax caledonicus (Phillip Island, Vic)

#143 March 13, 2006 Pacific Gull - Larus pacificus & Silver Gull - Larus novaehollandiae (Phillip Island, Vic)

#154 March 14, 2006 Grey Shrike-thrush - Colluricincla harmonica (Phillips Island, Vic)

#135 March 13, 2006 Black Swan - Cygnus atratus (Phillips Island, Vic)

#172 March 16, 2006 White-faced Heron - Egretta novaehollandiae (Lakes Entrance, Vic)

#178 March 17, 2006 Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo - Calyptorhynchus funereus (Wildwood Flowers, Vic

#152 March 14, 2006 Galah - Cacatua roseicapilla (Phillip Island, Vic)

#201 April 12, 2006 Purple Finch - Carpodacus purpureus (Central Park, NY)

#29 June 19, 2005 Common Ground Dove - Columbina passerina (Ding Darling, FL)

#89 January 13, 2006 White-breasted Nuthatch - Sitta carolinensis (Central Park, NY)

#74 November 15, 2005 American Coot - Fulica americana (Celery Farm, NJ)

#27 June 18, 2005 Common Moorhen - Gallinula chloropus (Big Cypress, FL)