Spotted Towhee and Canyon Towhee: Randall Davey Audubon Center, Santa Fe, New Mexico, July 2023 — The Spotted Towhee was among the most common birds at Randall Davey Audubon Center in the foothills above Santa Fe and I saw at least one Canyon Towhee keeping company. As the name suggests, and as you can see from the photos, the two birds share basic body shape and proportions and habits, though they are often separated by habitat. The Spotted has been in the past, considered the same species as the Eastern Towhee…and was called the Rufous-sided Towhee when I first started birding. (Which dates me.) OM Systems OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modification. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 1000 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.

Black-headed Grosbeak: Randall Davey Audubon Center, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, July 2023 — There were at least a couple of pairs, or one male and several female, Black-headed Grosbeaks coming to the feeders at Randall Davey Audubon Center in the foothills above Santa Fe. This is a bird I do not get to see in Maine, though we do have a few Rose-breasted Grosbeaks pass through our yard every year. That beak is just amazingly massive! OM Systems OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Pixomator Pro. ISO 1600 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.

Juniper Titmouse: Randell Davey Audubon Center, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, July 2023 — The Juniper Titmouse has the second largest range of the North American Titmice, second only to the Tufted Titmouse which spreads itself across all of the US east of the great plains. The Juniper Titmouse, as the name suggests, inhabits the dry mid-elevations of the southwest, in oak-juniper or pinion-juniper scrublands. It is less present than the Tufted is in its range and visits feeders less often, so I was happy to see it around the Audubon center in the foothills above Santa Fe. OM Systems OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 1000 @ f4 @ 1/640th.

Western Bluebird: Camino Real Hike and Bike Trail, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, July 2023 — I think these might actually be first and second brood chicks from this year, still hanging around the nesting area in the Cottonwoods along the Santa Fe River channel beside the old Camino Real route through the city. Either that or the more adult looking one is molting. OM Systems OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 200 @ f6.3 and f7.1 @ 1/640th and 1/1000th.

Red Crossbill: Randall Davey Audubon Center, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, July 2023 — Red Crossbills are a rare bird at the Randell Davey Audubon Center in the foothills above Santa Fe, though they are common in the mountains above. Something has brought a few down this July…some combination of food supply and breeding success probably. There is at least one adult feeding a fledgling at the feeders in the gardens at Randall Davey. OM Systems OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 250 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.