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Take A Hike Photography

A blog dedicated to exploring and documenting our natural world

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This Ring-necked Pheasant made a brief, but noble appearance before quietly disappearing into the woods. Hard to believe this gorgeous bird could vanish from sight so easily. #pheasant #grundycounty #enjoyillinois #wildillinois #birdsofillinois

Tufted Titmouse portrait. What a cutie!

Sometimes finding the perfect berry requires a little creativity and a lot of flexibility!

An over the shoulder glance is a good look for the Fox Sparrow. Identifying #sparrows can be tough, but we've made a lot of progress this year. This fella is slightly bigger than most of his sparrow cousins, and those bold rusty spots are a nice indicator for this handsome species.

Fall colors form the perfect backdrop for the handsome Cedar Waxwing.

Such a pretty bird! Such a messy beak!

This handsome male Belted Kingfisher spent a few days mocking us photographers at Montrose Beach last weekend with his "betcha can't catch me" attitude. It was a personal victory to catch this shot of our neurotic, nemesis bird resting for a moment before taking off again with his crazy cackle!

✅ Respect and enjoyment of the great outdoors

A rare open view of the elusive Nelson's Sparrow. This was our first year ever seeing one. What a gorgeous fella!

Just one of the seven Black-bellied Plovers hanging out at #montrosebeach this weekend. This handsome #shorebird was another #lifer for us, bringing our total number of bird species seen in Illinois this year up to 179. Hoping to make 200 by the end of the year!

A morning stroll on the beach this Labor Day with a gorgeous American avocet visiting Chicago on its migration to warmer climates for the winter. That elegantly curved bill and those thin long legs are to die for!

Shorebirds are a relatively new subject for us, and lately it seems like almost every time we visit Montrose Beach we are getting a new bird to add to our life list. This is the elegant Wilson's Phalarope taking off in the light of the early evening on Thursday night. Taking in a scene like this is such a wonderful way to end the day.

Harvest time! We have been on a mission lately to try to get photos of Cedar Waxwings feasting on the elderberry bushes at #middleforksavanna. We have seen many large flocks of these birds flying overhead and many bushes picked clean, but we haven't been in the right place at the right time yet to see a whole group come down and devour an entire bush. It's bound to happen one of these days, right? In the meantime, we'll keep trying! 🤞

There are some special visitors at Montrose Beach right now. Two Buff-breasted Sandpipers have delighted birders and photographers by making a rare appearance. These birds are usually found in the grasslands of the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma during their migration to and from their being grounds in the dry tundra of the High Arctic, so it's no wonder this beautiful bird is a #lifer for us. They prefer to forage in the sand rather than the water, and their gorgeous warm tones make them a little difficult to pick out on the beach. Once we finally spotted them, we were wowed by their gorgeous delicate plumage.

This handsome juvenile #rubythroatedhummingbird is sporting his "five o'clock shadow." If you look closely at his throat, you can even see one of his sparkly red feathers starting to come in. By the time he returns from his wintering grounds in the tropics next spring, he will have his full red gorget. Good luck to you, little one!

Lesser Yellowlegs strutting along the fluddle in search of a morning meal, showing off those magnificent yellow legs!

A classic pose from the White-breasted Nuthatch

Just a humble Song Sparrow...but something about the light on this particular morning in the meadow makes this bird look like he is in a painting, and I like it. Hope you like it, too?

Top Posts & Pages

JMT, Day 9: Over Glen Pass and Beyond Rae Lakes
JMT, Day 5: The Magnificent Mile
JMT, Day 10: Our Hardest Day Yet!
JMT, Day 6: Up and Over Forester Pass!
JMT, Day 4: Summiting Mt. Whitney
A Guide to Backpacking the Wonderland Trail
JMT, Day 7: Resupply in Onion Valley
JMT, Day 3: Up, Down, Up, Down and on to Guitar Lake
Peaks of the Balkans, Day 6: Reka e Allages to Drelaj
Highs and Lows of Trekking Peru's Cordillera Blanca: Days 1-3

Recent Posts

Superior Hiking Trail: Epilogue
Superior Hiking Trail, Day 10: Oh SHT! Pulling the Parachute Cord
Superior Hiking Trail, Day 9: A Day of Reckoning
Superior Hiking Trail, Day 8: A Welcome Treat for Our Feet
Superior Hiking Trail, Day 7: Grin and Bear It

Archives

Tag: South Kaibab Trail

Grand Canyon, Day 2: Down by the River

February 9, 2020February 9, 2020 · 8 Comments ·

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We don’t set an alarm, and I’m surprised that it is already 6:30 when I check my phone. Time to move! (more…)

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