I have made prints of this gouache painting of a Northern Saw-whet Owl from 2006 (more info about my gouache technique here). This painting also appeared in a weekly newspaper column “Sibley on Birds”, and the original was auctioned to benefit the Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art. A portion of the sale of each […]
Saw-whet Owl print to benefit research Read More »
I have made prints of this gouache painting that I did in 2011 for the cover of the Journal of Raptor Research to highlight a paper on Snowy Owls (more info about my gouache technique here). A portion of the sale of each print will be donated to help fund research, such as the work
Snowy Owl print to benefit research Read More »
The completely revised Sibley Guide to Birds, Second Edition, will be on sale in a matter of weeks – March 11, 2014. You can pre-order the second edition at your local independent bookstore or at Amazon.com or find other online sellers at Random House. Birdwatching interviewed me about the revision, which you can read along
The Second edition is in-hand Read More »
If you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind gift for someone on your list, there are still a couple of days left to order a piece of my original art and have it delivered before Christmas. See the selection available here. And in case you haven’t heard, the completely revised Sibley Guide to Birds, Second Edition, will
Book news and gift ideas Read More »
Auction closed with a winning bid of $1660! Thanks to everyone for your support. And you can still make a donation at the ABC website here. Like so many other birders, I’ve had the great pleasure of sitting and birding in the Paton’s backyard sanctuary in Patagonia, Arizona, where Violet-crowned Hummingbird is one of the
Hummingbird Art Auction to benefit Paton’s Birder Haven Read More »
The most significant change for North American birders in the 2013 AOU Checklist supplement is the split of Sage Sparrow into two species: Sagebrush Sparrow and Bell’s Sparrow. In this arrangement Bell’s Sparrow includes the distinctively dark coastal California subspecies belli, as well as the much less distinctive interior California subspecies canescens. Sagebrush Sparrow is
Peter Pyle on Sage Sparrows Read More »
Recently on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Mary Keleher noticed an egret with two long head plumes, and took a couple of photos. This bird matches well with the ones I discussed in 2011 in a previous blog post Little Egrets have been showing up in the northeast regularly enough for the last couple of decades that
Another odd Snowy Egret, or a hybrid? Read More »
Here are some eBird maps showing all records for the month of April for several species of small flycatchers in eastern North America. A glance at these maps will show which species are possible in your area in the next few weeks, and this greatly simplifies flycatcher identification. For most of the east, through most
Flycatcher identification by the calendar Read More »
It’s one of the first things people notice when they get a good look at a Dipper – the eyelid flashes white when it blinks! This is so different from any other bird that it begs for an explanation. Understandably, many people assume that the flashing white eyelid must have something to do with the dipper’s
The white eyelid of American Dipper Read More »
By the end of February, even in cold and snowy Massachusetts, Red-tailed Hawks are courting and forming pairs in preparation for nesting. It’s common to see the male and female of a pair sitting close to each other in a tree, and this provides a very powerful clue to identification. Hawks are generally solitary and
Pairs as an aid to hawk identification Read More »