https://www.stephentarnowski.com/blog daily 0.75 2026-06-24 https://www.stephentarnowski.com/blog/kmwqzktu0aqn2b7d8tnra0trgqotfz monthly 0.5 2026-06-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/ca95a078-d7a0-4a88-b41c-033e48c73796/Screenshot+2026-06-23+at+7.07.42%E2%80%AFAM.png Blog - Colorado Rosy-Finches - Make it stand out This is a screenshot from my ebird Trip Report - the blue and red dots are the locations from my checklists. We like to hike a section before the actual trailhead through some ponds and wet forest on the Aspen Loop trail that is mostly flat and usually has a lot of bird activity, then the actual Sharkstooth Trail and up to higher elevations in the ‘alpine zone’ above treeline. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1782240696050-572SB8DVWE0DI5OQMSFU/D8182B2F-799B-41E5-B946-AF44A7C66F0C.jpeg Blog - Colorado Rosy-Finches https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1782240682852-UL5L4XK2453DWL2MAIS1/54D6FA06-2A22-4AD4-91E6-CA2D6B1D0602.jpeg Blog - Colorado Rosy-Finches https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/76fa7dfa-8056-47cb-8fcc-6c30cea09b79/_6210145-2.jpg Blog - Colorado Rosy-Finches - Make it stand out I had some luck in finding this Dusky Grouse in the forest - it came flying into where I was standing! This picture shows how well its feathers camouflage against the forest floor https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/b680497a-ceb6-4b24-b87e-fc1b24c8e65e/_6210138.jpg Blog - Colorado Rosy-Finches - Make it stand out One of the great things about this hike is that you go through several talus slopes which are home to pika, very cute rabbit-like mammals who live in higher elevation environments. They make an adorable “meep” alarm call. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/ac8ec7c5-6e50-412c-9436-7ec5641fb38f/_6210162-2.jpg Blog - Colorado Rosy-Finches - Make it stand out Another high elevation breeding bird I encountered was the American Pipit. This one was carrying food across the alpine tundra - probably to young birds nearby! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/77d2c431-3239-4a75-92fd-5bbf43592c8a/PB230303.jpg Blog - Colorado Rosy-Finches - Make it stand out This winter (November 2025) a mixed flock of all three North American Rosy-Finch species was found here in Montezuma County along the park road in Mesa Verde National Park (Black Rosy-Finches and Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches in addition to the local breeding Brown-capped Rosy-Finches). These other species breed in Utah / the Tetons, and all the way up into Alaska but migrate to the Southern Rockies in winter. These winter encounters are also fun, but it is not easy viewing either. This flock was found in a snowstorm hanging around a road cut in the cliff face, and they stuck around for about a week. It was windy and cold! I came to see them a few times with Emilee and also once with my friend Glenn. The flock would fly around and disappear into the sky or around the corner whenever cars passed by on the park road. When things settled down they would fly back onto the cliff face, into the nearby trees, or onto the shoulder of the road to feed on rabbitbrush and other shrubs growing along the road. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/aff53379-95ac-48ae-b7b2-fd925609803b/PB230394.jpg Blog - Colorado Rosy-Finches - Make it stand out Here is a better look at a small subset of the flock - the darker birds are Black Rosy-Finches mixed in with the Brown-capped Rosy-Finches. Eventually, the snow piled up high enough that the seeds these birds were eating were covered up and the flock moved on. I would guess the park road is somewhere around 8,000 feet elevation through here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/cd476c15-854a-45fb-be2f-d20622a1b6db/B7AAF33C-E1B3-4CC7-A529-09CB7AC5D585.jpeg Blog - Colorado Rosy-Finches - Make it stand out This is the North slope of Centennial Peak at around 12,500 feet elevation where I encountered several groups of Brown-capped Rosy-Finches. These are some extremely hardy birds! I first noticed them on the snowfield but later encountered several more groups in the rocks and on the cliffs. With a high in the mid-80s in Cortez, it was very sunny but still chilly up here through the morning- especially when the wind got going! It was 38 degrees when I left my car back at the trailhead at around 7 a.m. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/f6f840b0-c202-44f7-a020-d19bacfe968a/_6210289-2.jpg Blog - Colorado Rosy-Finches - Make it stand out This bird was working his way though the rocks on the slope near the trail. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/688dd5ac-a245-4e22-9317-81a1fb18c385/_6210244-2.jpg Blog - Colorado Rosy-Finches - Make it stand out The rosy highlights on these birds are spectacular! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/061f0c93-12d1-41b8-bb4b-3ccd89c7aacc/_6210233-2.jpg Blog - Colorado Rosy-Finches - Make it stand out Portrait of a Brown-capped Rosy-Finch. These birds don’t encounter that many people or other threats up here so they are pretty bold. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/64089106-c8f8-44df-abdf-b707bd3ee15c/E7495549-27D4-4860-B5A7-638FF31A9EE5.jpeg Blog - Colorado Rosy-Finches - Make it stand out I took a selfie at my high point about halfway up Centennial Peak with Hesperus Mountain in the background. I was hoping to run into some White-tailed Ptarmigans in the tundra so I spent more time in there rather than climbing the final rock ridge to the summit of Centennial Peak. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/e23cfe88-1317-4c3a-bdd6-e6f68e167cc0/_6210293-2.jpg Blog - Colorado Rosy-Finches - Make it stand out Yellow-bellied Marmot is another animal you encounter up in the alpine zone! From here I hiked back out to my car and beelined it to a family barbecue in Durango. I hope to make it back out here to the Sharkstooth Pass area at least once more this summer in my pursuit of the White-tailed Ptarmigan. The Bear Creek basin to the East of Sharkstooth Pass is North-facing and holds more snow than the West side, so I am hoping that in this dry year that will be a good area for them! Of course I look forward to seeing the Rosy-Finches again too. https://www.stephentarnowski.com/blog/mdw-2026-bosque-del-apache-nwr-and-more monthly 0.5 2026-05-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1779930918273-RECTLXSAVMT87H7651S5/E149F9AC-6A1D-40CB-BBAD-439E34847FA1.JPG Blog - MDW 2026: Bosque del Apache and more https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1779930922977-4BOT3EYSORHAJLTBSZQ2/7BFA5A03-EB55-441B-A7E9-DD18AC11BB94.JPG Blog - MDW 2026: Bosque del Apache and more https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/8f63af8d-1211-4642-befd-c7a4f4e1a358/_5230400.jpg Blog - MDW 2026: Bosque del Apache and more - Make it stand out You know you’ve found some wetlands when you see this guy: the Red-winged Blackbird! This one was bold displaying just a few feet off the boardwalk! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/84e81a22-c423-43b8-8a00-238dd324f66f/_5230408.jpg Blog - MDW 2026: Bosque del Apache and more - Make it stand out We were also treated to this group of American White Pelicans at the Marsh Boardwalk early one morning. Magnificent! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/88af459c-ef8a-4fd6-9d2e-e0cf6d29770e/_5230608.jpg Blog - MDW 2026: Bosque del Apache and more - Make it stand out My friend Kurt Hillman captured a great portrait of a Western Cattle Egret earlier this year, so when this one was strutting its stuff around the refuge, I was inspired to do the same. These funky egrets scream CREAMSICLE to me in their breeding plumage with their orange accents. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/dd774905-1cdc-47c1-9bd6-ff61ea72fd87/_5230527.jpg Blog - MDW 2026: Bosque del Apache and more - Make it stand out We encountered a pair of these crazy looking lizards near the Visitor Center: Greater Earless Lizards! I couldn’t remember seeing these before so I looked them up - they are the only species in their genus Cophosaurus. The black bars on the sides of this guy and his bright colors indicate this is the male of the pair. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/e62d38f8-c3f1-4649-9db1-1a17b05bd622/_5230715-2.jpg Blog - MDW 2026: Bosque del Apache and more - Make it stand out Another animal we were surprised to see on the refuge was elk! We saw five over our three day weekend. In Colorado, the elk are altitudinal migrants who have moved up to cooler forests in the mountains this time of year. This was the best look we got - Emilee our elk expert thought this guy was looking healthy and happy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1779929993638-ZRBKXZGAQ6NA8E3I817H/_5230564.jpg Blog - MDW 2026: Bosque del Apache and more https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1779930045207-IQ12F0FFPV1NBZVE2L99/_5240737-2.jpg Blog - MDW 2026: Bosque del Apache and more https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1779932811833-SKUNGLZV0FPNHL1WAWRC/2A2AE98C-CB25-4AD5-AEAB-9A3619A39014.JPG Blog - MDW 2026: Bosque del Apache and more https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1779932875538-ZAPG8TQMX5QKE7YIPPA9/IMG_7900.jpg Blog - MDW 2026: Bosque del Apache and more https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/482a2a25-321f-4cbd-8b96-d9a4d8bd3950/_5240746.jpg Blog - MDW 2026: Bosque del Apache and more - Make it stand out This Sunday, we were already having a fun hike with lots of bird activity when we heard a rising buzzy song - vvvrrrrrrrrzzzzzeeettt! “Northern Parula?” we looked at each other excitedly and opened Merlin to confirm. Merlin also reported Northern Parula! Not a bird we were expecting to find here - this is one of the Eastern Warbler species but probably more common in central New Mexico than at home in the Four Corners. After following the song we did get eyes on the bird - a beautiful little thing! It seemed to stick to the cottonwood trees in this canyon as we watched it move between a few different ones, mostly hidden behind a screen of leaves. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1779933299757-FNI7Q6H2R6LFGIMLJU6D/_5240789.jpg Blog - MDW 2026: Bosque del Apache and more https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1779933302167-YFY9HA7VZYGAHROQDN9F/_5240775.jpg Blog - MDW 2026: Bosque del Apache and more https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1779850530903-JCHTLM9TLQBLA8SKHEM5/_5250881.jpg Blog - MDW 2026: Bosque del Apache and more https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1779850534930-JAB08D1Y5WH5ZQXMOYY6/_5250867.jpg Blog - MDW 2026: Bosque del Apache and more https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1233868d-c66c-4a11-a863-27e920056dc4/5ed017f5-7deb-4b88-ad67-eef66c19549c.JPG Blog - MDW 2026: Bosque del Apache and more - Make it stand out Emilee took this photo as we got into Albuquerque - this was fairly representative of the driving conditions for this part of the drive. We were lucky that visibility never got truly dangerous - later we read that in some areas there were accidents due to limited visibility! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/f61afcf4-cbc7-4b0f-ada9-52e8b1656ec6/P5110251.jpg Blog - MDW 2026: Bosque del Apache and more - Make it stand out I took this photo of a Fork-tailed Flycatcher in a field in the Cayo District in Belize in 2023. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1779853459916-00IKEQCL1QSFL3EVVA3R/CEF517D1-3055-4F0C-B150-CFE879414E2C.JPG Blog - MDW 2026: Bosque del Apache and more https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1779853468439-7I5EV995E32OSROMZT80/F49DF6B5-259C-45B9-A265-E601CC2684E1.JPG Blog - MDW 2026: Bosque del Apache and more https://www.stephentarnowski.com/blog/mesa-verde-national-park-the-knife-edge-trail monthly 0.5 2026-05-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/c4f3cec2-2698-4c80-a66c-588bdc551025/IMG_7847.jpg Blog - Mesa Verde National Park: the Knife Edge Trail - Make it stand out Views from the Knife Edge trail back towards Point Lookout https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/c49ec081-003e-4b12-b153-20e693eab0fe/IMG_7828.jpg Blog - Mesa Verde National Park: the Knife Edge Trail - Make it stand out The Knife Edge trail sign at the trailhead gives a good overview of the entire area. The Prater Ridge Loop is also a fun outing - much longer and some elevation gain involved to the top of the mesa. The Point Lookout trail is a little bit of a suffer fest of mostly switchbacks with only a short hike on top. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/92589aa3-e565-4062-ada6-67e3b20c8d6f/P5170076-2.jpg Blog - Mesa Verde National Park: the Knife Edge Trail - Make it stand out The Green-tailed Towhee - a great looking sparrow! I took this photo on a tour for the Ute Mountain Mesa Verde bird festival in 2024. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/d86fb214-4c00-4371-b4c3-445e703e69a1/_5160094.jpg Blog - Mesa Verde National Park: the Knife Edge Trail - Make it stand out The Spotted Towhee - also a very sharp looking bird! It is more common in our area than the Green-tailed Towhee. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1778978325146-VWNVEWDAOZC5BLZGREHZ/_5160079.jpg Blog - Mesa Verde National Park: the Knife Edge Trail https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1778978318476-4W3QKTRSM8IF3QT1GSTO/_5160132.jpg Blog - Mesa Verde National Park: the Knife Edge Trail https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/bdba21cc-0de9-4c2b-a268-7f265f263e4e/_5170349.jpg Blog - Mesa Verde National Park: the Knife Edge Trail - Make it stand out Virginia’s Warbler - very cute! I took this photo on the Point Lookout trail on the other side of the campground https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/560056b1-5e29-435f-9a1b-c1e8963f8d57/_5160067-2.jpg Blog - Mesa Verde National Park: the Knife Edge Trail - Make it stand out We also got a nice look at another small gray bird today - the Bushtit! A lot of personality in a small package. These tiny birds give frequent tinkling and buzzing vocalizations but rarely pose for a photo https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/7efad854-bc19-4b3c-a969-16a99d4e91e1/IMG_7830.jpg Blog - Mesa Verde National Park: the Knife Edge Trail - Make it stand out The tall pines ahead are a rare feature these days in the park with so much of it recently burned. I don’t know the history of this area well enough to know, but due to the mix of living and dead trees I suspect this patch also burned but at a lower intensity due to the shade and moisture boost from its Northern aspect. These trees always seem to hold a few unique species for the day. In particular, they seem to be a good spot for Western Tanagers. Today we also heard a singing Hermit Thrush in there. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/12f0a125-c122-4969-9202-dca24c4381a7/_5160143-2.jpg Blog - Mesa Verde National Park: the Knife Edge Trail - Make it stand out We had a close observation of this female Western Tanager today who came down to the shrubs below the tall pines. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1778981946067-EA47YG3I14TQK37EBBSK/_5160040.jpg Blog - Mesa Verde National Park: the Knife Edge Trail https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1778981945298-U1422QXIG48WDNPBL8C7/_5160042.jpg Blog - Mesa Verde National Park: the Knife Edge Trail https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/a7f11d8d-2bd5-4191-81cf-152d2163f82c/_5170320.jpg Blog - Mesa Verde National Park: the Knife Edge Trail - Make it stand out Black-throated Gray Warbler. We also heard the scratchy songs of this warbler, who is also a local breeder. These birds live on juniper and oak hillsides and Mesa Verde is a good place to find them. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/11e64c30-f324-4b96-8b61-d3d4b5d495a7/IMG_7840.jpg Blog - Mesa Verde National Park: the Knife Edge Trail - Make it stand out This rockslide buried the trail! I was glad to be able to hike as far as we did as we got about 80% of the way around and traversed through all the major habitat features. https://www.stephentarnowski.com/blog/santa-fe-in-spring monthly 0.5 2026-04-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/7a9ea705-38f3-41cd-ad3f-76c6f4add8f7/860850F3-347A-46F2-8C39-F5599D767D82.JPG Blog - Santa Fe in Spring - Make it stand out The Randall Davey Audubon Center https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/e44ef115-20a7-4ab2-8a8e-6eea87a89141/_4250312.jpg Blog - Santa Fe in Spring - Make it stand out This drab gray coloration is shared by a few of the pinyon / juniper specialists (Gray Vireo, Gray Flycatcher, and also some more generalist birds like Bushtits who live in this habitat). Juniper Titmouse is by far the best singer of the bunch. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1777300980484-TPQYAIXUXNL6PANONSC1/82D62A7B-6264-4DFF-81D3-D756882D4101.JPG Blog - Santa Fe in Spring https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1777301277103-2RZG5N53QV8J9VB8GMHU/IMG_7684.jpg Blog - Santa Fe in Spring https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1777301284322-E233CQ0BY2GVO1V0TF4T/IMG_7693.jpg Blog - Santa Fe in Spring https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1777425712848-7IWV773V50IFEZ7NAIJE/IMG_7696.jpg Blog - Santa Fe in Spring https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/e0d90419-af8c-42ef-8852-36c11692fe33/_4250268.jpg Blog - Santa Fe in Spring - Make it stand out We had luck on our side as this Grace’s Warbler plopped down onto this low branch of a ponderosa pine just a few yards off the trail! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/965c7bab-392f-48b8-8c66-3dc8e0e209d5/_4250245.jpg Blog - Santa Fe in Spring - Make it stand out We got to observe it at close range as it sang its heart out. Even though we would hear this song throughout the rest of our hike, this was the only bird we saw of about 10 we reported. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/d4e15961-3d19-4142-bb4e-984b6ac55d51/_4250234.jpg Blog - Santa Fe in Spring - Make it stand out We even watched it preen away that pesky stray feather on its left flank https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/6f89a450-e640-40c1-ab69-46b21e62c605/_4250301.jpg Blog - Santa Fe in Spring - Make it stand out What a stunner! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1777425904457-TP0IBBAZVFPGN2GWGZO7/_4250286.jpg Blog - Santa Fe in Spring https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1777419331433-PX0PJNX16FPQHJNJV3OU/IMG_7703.jpg Blog - Santa Fe in Spring https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1777419330905-K6EC5G4EJOSQKXIW5YG1/IMG_7713+2.jpg Blog - Santa Fe in Spring https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1777419336852-11JB1VCWM3JOWNSQTO92/IMG_7710.jpg Blog - Santa Fe in Spring https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1777420065960-XELZJBGBTJ7GXH1BVH8N/IMG_7722.jpg Blog - Santa Fe in Spring https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1777420429511-WSDH203FJQOIT5D858HZ/_4260363-4.jpg Blog - Santa Fe in Spring https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1777420156416-RJ9KL58CWOSOBRCLH8G2/_4260381.jpg Blog - Santa Fe in Spring https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1777420066178-9SYG7ID2B4G3GG1ZV2EZ/IMG_7727.jpg Blog - Santa Fe in Spring https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/6ed3e880-a5f0-4897-af2d-9dfb4d789e64/_4260472.jpg Blog - Santa Fe in Spring - Make it stand out This Red-breasted Nuthatch was a fun highlight. On both days we had nuthatch ‘grand slams’ (observing all 3 nuthatch species: White-breasted, Red-breasted and Pygmy Nuthatches). They are all rather vocal and seem to defy gravity the way they move around tree trunks and branches. The Red-breasted Nuthatch has the most nasal call of the bunch: a nasal knaa knaa https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/4135e270-2a52-4fa4-a948-fac427e56b9a/IMG_7733.jpg Blog - Santa Fe in Spring - Make it stand out Along the trail we saw and heard many woodpecker species and signs of woodpecker activity. We are not sure who excavated these holes but they were huge! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/39a18e9a-310c-4134-a0ad-8fa161fa409e/_4260420-2.jpg Blog - Santa Fe in Spring - Make it stand out Perhaps THE stand-out bird on our hike was this American Three-toed Woodpecker. We found it excavating a nest cavity which made for a neat and extended observation. These birds primarily live in the spruce forests of Canada, but they also come down into the Rocky Mountains at higher elevations where there are similar forests. We don’t see a ton of these birds - usually only seasonally when we can get into the higher elevation habitats. It is the only woodpecker in the Four Corners where male has a yellow crown - the males of most other woodpecker species have a red crown. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/fa024351-31d9-4d4f-886c-a74ce8456b33/_4260383-3.jpg Blog - Santa Fe in Spring - Make it stand out In this photo you can see that this woodpecker indeed has three toes on each foot. Most woodpeckers have four toes - two pointed forward and two backward! Woodpeckers also use their stiff tail feathers for support against trees. I think that must be especially true for these guys with all their toes pointing the same direction. I tried to read more about their unusual toe arrangement but it appears we don’t fully understand why this species and its close relative the Black-backed Woodpecker only have three toes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/2d59c99a-d475-4910-b049-654e93fc99ed/_4261262.jpg Blog - Santa Fe in Spring - Make it stand out It was cool to see this guy working on his nest hole. There were so many birds along the trail, we did not make it very far! After about an hour and a half we turned around, having only made it a few miles of the 5 mile loop. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1777425044148-2UBSPQHO1CEJGSEWOTPL/IMG_7743.jpg Blog - Santa Fe in Spring https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1777425043619-XAKXGN6OJ2EPK0XN11IX/IMG_7754.jpg Blog - Santa Fe in Spring https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1777425047019-CQA1HEVO49ZA59CL5Z88/IMG_7755.jpg Blog - Santa Fe in Spring https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1777425146899-10YEUVR379JOIQSLAUD9/IMG_7757.jpg Blog - Santa Fe in Spring https://www.stephentarnowski.com/blog/talking-birding-and-the-durango-bird-club-on-kdur-durango monthly 0.5 2026-04-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/bc9d9c9e-cbb2-48f2-aa82-09e1f9bf59e0/DB07CC19-59D8-4331-9A90-EE777DA86C4F.JPG Blog - Talking Birding and the Durango Bird Club on Common Air - Make it stand out Lisa and I in the recording studio in the Media Center at Fort Lewis College https://www.stephentarnowski.com/blog/monte-vista-crane-festival monthly 0.5 2026-04-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/309a4df5-e50c-4bc4-9762-e3273a2808e4/P1200185.jpg Blog - 2026 Monte Vista Crane Festival - Make it stand out One of my first photographs of Sandhill Cranes from our January 2020 trip to Bosque del Apache https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/30f75a45-0ef4-4637-8a7a-f6dd10e6b3a7/_3071610-2.jpg Blog - 2026 Monte Vista Crane Festival - Make it stand out Sandhill Cranes dancing, bugling, and flying with the snow-capped Sangre de Cristo mountains in the background - a great representation of the whole experience https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/62d17b84-b07c-4dec-88eb-a130c9b00c00/_3071591-2.jpg Blog - 2026 Monte Vista Crane Festival - Make it stand out This ended up being my favorite image of the trip: Sandhill Cranes form a new peak on the skyline of the Blanca Massif https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/6edc885b-186e-4feb-b680-86ea231320d4/_3071509-2.jpg Blog - 2026 Monte Vista Crane Festival - Make it stand out And finally, the picture I had in mind all along: Sandhill Cranes fly against the Sangre de Cristo mountains covered in snow https://www.stephentarnowski.com/blog/chicago-the-gull-frolic monthly 0.5 2026-04-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/a2c94c6c-5943-422c-9b38-d67cb97d209f/P2250394.jpg Blog - Chicago: The Gull Frolic - Make it stand out One of the more interesting assortments of gulls we have had at Farmington Lake. February 2023 this first winter Glaucous Gull (the big white one) in center was the star of the show - a rare visitor from the far North. Also present are California Gulls, Ring-billed Gulls and the very dark birds center-left, Lesser Black-backed Gulls. The second bird from the left facing left with the black bill and ‘checkerboard’ pattern on its back is a first winter bird - I think a Lesser Black-backed Gull. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/c47ee73c-7444-4062-acdc-cc83bd7d0ff8/_1310288-2.jpg Blog - Chicago: The Gull Frolic - Make it stand out My 2025 winter documentation shot of the '“Calico Gull” at Farmington Lake - this unique bird is famous, making an appearance in the “Aberrations” section of the Gull Guide. Photographs of what is almost certainly the same bird date back to 2013 or so as far away as Nova Scotia. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/a6420e7f-bb4a-4e28-b199-788f87ca47a7/_2151380.jpg Blog - Chicago: The Gull Frolic - Make it stand out Emilee loved the Snowy Owl so much she got a stuffed animal Snowy Owl as a memento https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1774231773834-Z5JVP8HTMR8FZ03RWK5A/IMG_5768.jpeg Blog - Chicago: The Gull Frolic https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1774231790263-SVOVKGNXWXVBY6P8VDU8/AC2966A9-E328-4629-B636-CEE6D8FFABBC.jpeg Blog - Chicago: The Gull Frolic https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1774231793469-7FU5QOVIY85FFT12PIHW/32DAB086-1BDF-4A19-9560-DD05D00F55DC.jpeg Blog - Chicago: The Gull Frolic https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1774231773786-PZ8YY4AGPYNV0BO6EC7K/10047704-5841-40DB-B628-63092D4B263E.jpeg Blog - Chicago: The Gull Frolic https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/3abb4f5c-336d-4149-8a5c-cc23fe496d5c/_2151230.jpg Blog - Chicago: The Gull Frolic - Make it stand out One of my better comparison photos from the frolic: the left bird is a ‘white winger’ - an Iceland Gull. The limited black in the wingtip (the white wing) is a trait that the spotters could pick out in a large mixed flock of gulls whirling around. The Herring Gull on the right has more individual primary feathers with black tips, and the black is a true black. Iceland gull’s dark tips vary in darkness from white to dark gray depending on which subspecies it belongs to. This one I believe was in the range for Kumlien’s type, which reportedly breeds in North Atlantic Canada. We had never seen this type before so it was very cool to study them at fairly close range (and it was unbelievably helpful to have the spotters call out their location within the whirling gull flock: “flying left, banking, flying away…) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/71d04703-4717-44a8-9144-5cf68dae799b/_2151270.jpg Blog - Chicago: The Gull Frolic - Make it stand out Another Kumlien’s type Iceland gull shot - very limited dark tips. And look at those bubblegum pink legs! One interesting thing was that the adult Iceland gulls we saw overwhemingly had light eyes. Thayer’s type, which we see one or two of each winter, more commonly have dark eyes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/7a951fe9-2284-4bfe-8148-b9d5f7b440e5/_2151298.jpg Blog - Chicago: The Gull Frolic - Make it stand out One more Kumlien’s Iceland Gull for good measure https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1774234016440-S1OJF6DGUXITP878RRNJ/_2140516.jpg Blog - Chicago: The Gull Frolic https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1774234060215-AERAX9K28O4O5OYHMCU9/_2151330-2.jpg Blog - Chicago: The Gull Frolic https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1774235127772-IYGR463DUMQ6SF996F1Q/_2141026.jpg Blog - Chicago: The Gull Frolic https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1774235123854-7SQS9L96CMFVZ2B12ZR2/_2140738.jpg Blog - Chicago: The Gull Frolic https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/708ba63c-6c7a-4583-94e3-43c02b7f61af/_2140841.jpg Blog - Chicago: The Gull Frolic - Make it stand out Look at those talons! You can see here this bird is a banded bird. I reported it to the Bird Banding database and hope to learn more about it! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/2d7cff3d-7990-478b-ad0c-fc15704a5776/_2140969.jpg Blog - Chicago: The Gull Frolic - Make it stand out Majestic! https://www.stephentarnowski.com/blog/thanksgiving-in-the-chiricahuas monthly 0.5 2026-04-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/76593d4e-b644-42e1-8b33-fc05e8e02e85/5063F865-21B1-4A24-8F77-95287DCEFFD4.jpeg Blog - Thanksgiving in the Chiricahuas - Make it stand out Our view as we arrived into Cave Creek Canyon in the evening- known as the “most scenic canyon in Arizona”, or “Arizona’s Yosemite”. Spectacular! My cameras were buried in the trunk, so this shot was taken with my cell phone https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1774194012338-AX14AM94XWRXH71KXP1T/39C3811F-07C9-4215-9189-A69DB2CD9088.jpeg Blog - Thanksgiving in the Chiricahuas https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1774194015879-4YBJ3JOEDKLAWP8FN5RA/DDAD8DDA-A7B9-4A9B-9A48-70D80590C3A1.jpeg Blog - Thanksgiving in the Chiricahuas https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/b389b94d-e988-410e-99c0-176eb46dd17c/PB260601-2.jpg Blog - Thanksgiving in the Chiricahuas - Make it stand out It was cold in the deep, shady, North-facing canyon! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1774195005202-INBBRWBZWHK00POA4LAE/PB260593.jpg Blog - Thanksgiving in the Chiricahuas https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1774195005729-3QT7BGTS1DAT8VYZM3FC/PB270589-2.jpg Blog - Thanksgiving in the Chiricahuas https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1774195008560-2DMOASQZFAQ43AVGCORU/PB270591-3.jpg Blog - Thanksgiving in the Chiricahuas https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1774195008957-3UMVW28FVSVGWNPLH5SL/PB270594-2.jpg Blog - Thanksgiving in the Chiricahuas https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/0bd2d21d-205b-4ce1-b29a-183a6e156e63/PB270492-Enhanced-NR.jpg Blog - Thanksgiving in the Chiricahuas - Make it stand out One of my favorite Arizona specialty birds - the Bridled Titmouse https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1774195954224-XP2MBNHYQASWFVCTEGCG/PB280700.jpg Blog - Thanksgiving in the Chiricahuas https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1774195954791-BXW6FQ4C68E07H2G0KES/_B280712.jpg Blog - Thanksgiving in the Chiricahuas https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/d5d81376-0be9-4a3e-8557-88d1abaf1adb/PB280678.jpg Blog - Thanksgiving in the Chiricahuas - Make it stand out The Coatimundi, a relative of the raccoon, is another beautiful and charismatic animal living in the Sky Islands. This one had a pretty good thing going making early morning visits to the feeder setup at Cave Creek Ranch. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/3af0fbe0-278c-4263-9439-1ce64be19c24/PB270599.jpg Blog - Thanksgiving in the Chiricahuas - Make it stand out Mexican Chickadee with a view of its extensive black throat - the main field mark for distinguishing it from Black-capped Chickadee https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1774197804017-5FQ9KGFL0U1SXLDIC6Y8/PB280652.jpg Blog - Thanksgiving in the Chiricahuas https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1774197801305-4TEC3AA3MOA2EUAZNUJP/PB280637.jpg Blog - Thanksgiving in the Chiricahuas https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1774197800918-VBMON3BJ7870N9D9CA6E/PB280635.jpg Blog - Thanksgiving in the Chiricahuas https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1774198369927-WZU2Y0FUD0C527JWKASR/_B290813.jpg Blog - Thanksgiving in the Chiricahuas https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/1774198398935-1XFAQJIKKZYGPL5I4EQR/PB290659.jpg Blog - Thanksgiving in the Chiricahuas https://www.stephentarnowski.com/home daily 1.0 2026-04-12 https://www.stephentarnowski.com/about daily 0.75 2026-04-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/2813d463-d40b-4d5e-b995-15c6150662bd/P5190237.jpg https://www.stephentarnowski.com/contact daily 0.75 2026-03-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69bf472bbf7771506fab4b25/b5fd09b1-2923-4aa9-916c-fe610cc49820/PB260601.jpg