photo of the day: butterflies

Early fall. Perfect weather. The butterflies are still here, feasting on nectar to prepare for their journey south. Painted ladies and monarchs in the neighborhood, bees and moths busy beside them. Light breeze on golden flowers.

photo of the day: warblers

It’s the first day of autumn. Birds are beginning their southward migration. Their passage usually goes unnoticed unless the birds in question are geese or ducks flying in classic v-formation, honking in camaraderie. Especially in a city, it’s rare to notice something smaller… unless it’s right in front of us. Today, I found two orange-crowned […]

Birds in Memoriam

Black and White Warbler, 09.18.2018 She was bright yellow and grey and lying on the sidewalk outside my front door. I’d never seen a bird like that before – I was struck by the delicate beauty of this little creature and the fact that she was dead. Traveling south for the winter, she’d had a […]

Photo of the Week: 9/21/2018

Silver-Spotted Skipper, 09.20.2018 Yesterday, as I was out on my walk, I spotted this little darling having a rest outside the Cornhusker Hotel. He kindly allowed me to take his picture. The gusty afternoon must have tired him out. He is a Silver-Spotted Skipper (epargyreus clarus), a tiny butterfly that can be found most places […]

Look Up: an Urban Birder

Photo above: my attempt at photographing a male cardinal on Easter Sunday. Sometimes it is difficult to maintain a sense of wonder in an urban setting. Especially after winter, one gets tired of cement and gutters, asphalt and litter, the screetch of car brakes and the defeaning keen of firetrucks and ambulances. The city is […]