Our 10 Favorite Bird Photos From 2019

As we’ve said before, we don’t fancy ourselves photographers – simply birders who like to take some photos. Here are 10 of our favorite photographs from 2019, presented in chronological order. In putting together this Top 10, we enjoyed reflecting back on the stories behind each one. All photos were taken using a Canon EOS Rebel T2i with a 55-250mm lens.

1. Marbled Godwit – Bodega Bay, California

Whether they’re actively feeding or roosting during high tide, you’re bound to run into a large flock of Marbled Godwits while birding around Bodega Harbor. While observing such a flock last January, we serendipitously captured this individual mid-wing-shake. We like to imagine the godwit is telling a tall tale to its buddies:

“As God as my witness, I swear the worm was THIS BIG!!!!”

2. Anna’s Hummingbird – Windsor, California

Breeding season for Anna’s Hummingbirds begins earlier than most other birds in the county. As we parked for a day of birding at Foothill Regional Park in early March, we noticed this female Anna’s on her tiny nest on a branch hanging above the hood of our car. It’s incredible how minuscule their nests really are – the opening for mama to sit in is barely an inch wide!

3. Great Egret – Santa Rosa, California

Each spring at the West 9th Street rookery in Santa Rosa, Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Cattle Egrets, and Black-crowned Night-Herons cacophonously nest in one urban block. One afternoon last March, we spent an hour watching the birds go about their business, and photographed this Great Egret bringing a sizable twig to its nest.

4. Green Heron – Monte Rio, California

Birding by kayak is a favorite pastime of ours. Last June on the Russian River, this juvenile Green Heron delighted us with a fishing display as we floated by slowly. We love how the laser-focused youngster’s muted colors blend in so well to its surroundings.

5. Red-breasted Sapsucker – Duncans Mills, California

The Red-breasted Sapsucker is one of our more uncommon woodpeckers, and seeing one always feels special. We love how the sun streaming through the branches created an almost “spotlight” effect on this stunning bird as we observed it at eye-level.

6. Cooper’s Hawk chicks – Windsor, California

In June, we stumbled upon a nest of very young Cooper’s Hawk chicks. Though we kept a respectful distance from the nest, we managed to capture these two youngsters and zoom in on their fuzzy faces in the sunlight. Click here to read the full story of how these chicks fared: New Life in a Cooper’s Hawk Nest.

7. Common Raven – Bodega Bay, California

We watched with interest back in June as two Red-winged Blackbirds mobbed a Common Raven dining on a tasty morsel. We love how this close-up shows the fine details of the raven’s nasal bristles, shaggy throat, and various feather groupings.

8. Steller’s Jay family – Guerneville, California

We had the pleasure of observing a pair of Steller’s Jays raise their young on and around our deck this summer, getting a front-row seat to some intimate moments in the process. If you’re wondering if Steller’s Jay fledglings are just as noisy as their adult counterparts – the answer is a resounding yes!

9. Gray Flycatcher – Duncans Mills, California

While not a great photo, this birding experience was a highlight of our year. In September, while birding in Duncans Mills, we noticed an Empidonax flycatcher repeatedly dipping its tail downwards and dropping to the ground to forage. These would have been unusual behaviors for our expected late-summer flycatchers: the ubiquitous Pacific-slope and less-common Willow.
 
Intrigued, we popped back home to grab our spotting scope, reviewing the empids in our trusty Sibley guide along the way. After closer observation upon relocating the bird, we cautiously concluded we were looking at a Gray Flycatcher – a rarity for the county. It was a thrill to work out the ID of this very unexpected bird, and it turned out to be only the fourth record of the species in Sonoma County!

10. Varied Thrush – Pyramid Lake, Nevada

The Varied Thrushes that winter in the forest around our house are shy, and it’s been difficult to photograph one in good lighting. In October, we happened upon two Varied Thrushes at Pyramid Lake in Nevada. As one foraged boldly close in the cottonwood leaf litter, we finally captured this nice photograph. We love how fluffed-up and round birds get when it’s cold outside – this male certainly qualifies as a “birb”!

Check out last year’s collection of “Our 15 Favorite Bird Photos From 2018.”