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Ken Goering @kengoering.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Thanks, AB — migration season is pretty exciting!

Ken Goering @kengoering.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Good morning to all! The settings on my camera somehow got temporarily messed up and the images from one morning last week at John Martin Reservoir State Park in southeastern #Colorado aren't great. However, this was the first sandhill crane I'd seen in several years. #Birds #Migration #StateParks

A very tall bird with a long neck and red coloration on its forehead is standing in the tall grass of a marshy area. Sandhill cranes (Antigone canadensis) are roughly the same body size as a great blue heron. Their length is about 47 inches (120 cm), weigh 120-172 ounces (3,400-4,900 g), and they have wingspans of 78 inches (200 cm).

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Ken Goering @kengoering.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Whether it was a greater yellowlegs or a lesser yellowlegs (I didn't have a size comparison, but I'm going with the former), this migrating bird on the shore of Lake Hasty in southeastern Colorado was a lifer for me last week. #Waders #BirdOfTheDay #Migration #Birds

A long-legged wading bird is walking in shallow water of a lake. It has a long bill and neck, with a brown body. Its legs are yellow. Ripples from its wading can be seen. Greater yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) are 11.4-13.0 inches (29-33 cm) long, weigh 4.5-7.7 ounces (128-219 g), and have wingspans of 23.6 inches (60 cm). Measurement information from Cornell Lab of Ornithology's AllAboutBirds.org.

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Ken Goering @kengoering.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

This cactus wren was serenading the town of Deming, #NewMexico, one morning last spring. They're very loud #Crooners. #BirdOfTheDay #Birds

A bird is perched on a manmade structure. The bird is tan and brown and white, and its beak is open in song. Cactus wrens (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus) have body lengths of 7.1-8.7 inches (18-22 cm) and weigh 1.1-1.7 ounces (32-47 g). Measurement information from Cornell Lab of Ornithology's AllAboutBirds.org.

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Ken Goering @kengoering.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

A migrating American avocet stands in Lake Hasty's #BlueWater in southeastern #Colorado last week. The lake is on the east side of the dam within John Martin Reservoir State Park. This was the first time I'd seen an one of these lovely birds in non-breeding colors. #BirdOfTheDay #Birds #StateParks

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Ken Goering @kengoering.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

I've liked the pose on this black-billed magpie since I took the photo several years ago at Lathrop State Park in southern #Colorado. #BirdSupermodel #BirdOfTheDay #Birds #StateParks

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Ken Goering @kengoering.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

The monarchs were on the move at John Martin Reservoir State Park in southeastern #Colorado last weekend; we saw hundreds of them fueling up to continue their #migration. #butterflies

A large orange, black, and white butterfly is perched in side view on the yellow blossom of a wild sunflower.

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Ken Goering @kengoering.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

A pine siskin enjoying the #BlueSkies at John Martin Reservoir State Park in southeastern #Colorado last Saturday. I thought these little birds were house finches until I had a closer look; the coloration is different, and a pine siskin's beak is more slender than a finch's. #BirdOfTheDay

A small light-brown bird with a pale yellow streak on its belly is perched at the top of a tree branch; the Colorado sky beyond is clear and blue. Pine siskins (Spinus pinus) measure 4.3-5.5 inches (11-14 cm) in length, weigh 0.4-0.6 ounces (12-18 g), and have wingspans of 7.1-8.7 inches (18-22 cm). Measurement information from Cornell Lab of Ornithology's AllAboutBirds.org.

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Ken Goering @kengoering.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Sunset on the Comanche National Grassland in southeast #Colorado. We were searching for the not-so-elusive brown tarantula. We saw four! #Stunday

Multi-colored (pink, orange, and shades thereof) clouds above a gravel road.

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Ken Goering @kengoering.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Currently attempting a crossing of the mighty Arkansas River on Colorado State Highway 71, just north of Rocky Ford in southeast Colorado.

A river is shown, with a paved bridge crossing it. The sky is cloudy.

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Ken Goering @kengoering.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

This red-tailed hawk was not-so-subtly escorting the bald eagle out of the hawk's territory near Fort McDowell, #Arizona, last spring. I cropped the photo to include a natural satellite. #BirdOfTheDay #Raptors #Birds

Two birds are pictured in flight; the one in front is smaller and reddish-brown, and the one in back is dark brown with a white head. The moon is pictured in the lower right corner. The Arizona sky is clear and blue.

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Ken Goering @kengoering.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Depending on their diet, male house finches can have yellow or orange feathers on their heads and chests, but they are most often #Redheads. This fellow was in Grants, #NewMexico, a couple of springs ago. #BirdOfTheDay #Birds

A small gray bird with red feathers on its head and chest is perched in side view in a tree. It has a fairly robust beak for its size. House finches (Haemorhous mexicanus) are natives to the American southwest and Mexico, but they were also introduced to the east coast of the United States. Their bodies measure 5.1 to 5.5 inches (13-14 cm), weigh 0.6 to 0.9 ounces (16 to 27 grams), and have wingspans of 7.9-9.8 inches (20 to 25 cm). Measurement information from Cornell Lab of Ornithology's AllAboutBirds.org.

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Ken Goering @kengoering.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Good morning to all! This Swainson's hawk was keeping an eye on things from its perch atop a utility pole along a state highway just north of Arriba, Colorado, earlier this month. We've seen quite a few of these lovely raptors this summer. They migrate to Argentina for the winter. #Birds #Colorado

A larger hawk is perched on a horizontal utility pole brace, generally facing the camera. It is mostly tannish-white, with darker brown feathers on its wings and neck. Swainson's hawks (Buteo swainsoni) have body lengths of 18.9-22.1 inches (48-56 cm) and weigh 24.4-48.2 ounces (693-1,367 g). Measurement information from Cornell Lab of Ornithology's AllAboutBirds.org.

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Ken Goering @kengoering.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

As the sun was setting, this mute swan was quietly making its way around a western #Michigan lake last month. This species is not native to the United States: it was introduced from Europe in the 19th and early 20th centuries because the birds look good on water. #BirdOfTheDay #LightAndShadow #Birds

A large nearly all-white swan is swimming in a body of water. It has black markings adjacent to its bill, which is orange. Mute swans (Cygnus olor) have body lengths of 50.0-59.8 inches (127-152 cm), weigh 194.0-504.4 ounces (5,500-14,300 g), and have wingspans of 81.9-93.7 inches (208-238 cm). Measurement information from Cornell Lab of Ornithology's AllAboutBirds.org.

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Ken Goering @kengoering.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

A sharp-lookin' juniper titmouse greets the day at Lathrop State Park in southern Colorado. #BirdOfTheDay #Paridae #StateParks #Colorado

A small, all-gray bird with a distinctive head crest is perched at the top of an evergreen juniper tree. Juniper titmouses (Baeolophus ridgwayi) have body weights of 0.3-0.8 ounces (10-22 g).

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Ken Goering @kengoering.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #ODG, any owl, duck, or goose. This was my first common goldeneye, seen swimming in the Las Vegas Wash last winter. This is a hen; the drakes have emerald-green heads. #Birds #LasVegas

A medium-sized duck is swimming in a watercourse. It has a brown head, white and gray body, and a bright yellow eye. Common goldeneyes (Bucephala clangula) have body lengths of 15.8-20.1 inches (40-51 cm), weigh 21.2-45.9 ounces (600-1,300 g), and have wingspans of 30.3-32.7 inches (77-83 cm). Measurement information from Cornell Lab of Ornithology's AllAboutBirds.org.

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Ken Goering @kengoering.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

The lighting was terrible and the bird was a long way off, but I still held on to this photo taken in Mesilla, #NewMexico, last spring. Even without any color, its profile easily identifies it as a curve-billed thrasher, and it's appropriate for today's #BirdOfTheDay theme, #Silhouette. #Birds

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Ken Goering @kengoering.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

This pair of ring-necked ducks was hanging out on the shoreline of the Las Vegas Wash in southern Nevada. #BirdOfTheDay #Mamas&Papas #Birds

A pair of ducks is standing in very shallow water. The drake, in front, has a black head and chest, with a gray undercarriage. The hen, in back, has a mostly brown body with some white on her undercarriage. Ring-necked ducks (Aythya collaris) have body lengths of 15.3-18.1 inches (39-46 cm), weigh 17.3-32.1 ounces (490-910 g), and have wingspans of 24.4-24.8 inches (62-63 cm).

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Ken Goering @kengoering.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Thanks, AB -- it's a pretty incredible place to be.

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Ken Goering @kengoering.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

The American robins were helping themselves to chokecherries in the shadow of Wyoming's Devils Tower (yes, no apostrophe) when we visited the national monument last year. #Mouthful #BirdOfTheDay #NationalParks

A laccolithic butte comprising hexagonal columns is pictured against a mostly cloudy sky, with pine trees in the mid-foreground. Devils Tower National Monument. The butte is 867 feet above the ground.

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Ken Goering @kengoering.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

This white-faced ibis was strolling about Cochise Lake in Willcox, located in southeastern Arizona, last spring. Very interesting #Birds, with a bit of #Iridescence on their wings and tail. #BirdOfTheDay #Arizona

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Ken Goering @kengoering.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #ABCD, or any bird whose name begins with one of those letters: here's a black-billed magpie checking in from Lathrop State Park in southern Colorado. This photo was taken in one of the park's campgrounds a couple of years ago. #Birds #StateParks

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Ken Goering @kengoering.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Today's theme of #BirdBuddies, two species of birds sharing the same space; here's a northern shoveler couple with an American wigeon in the background. In the foreground, a bonus American coot is doing coot things. These #Birds were at Lake Cochise near Willcox, Arizona, last spring. #BirdOfTheDay

In the middle ground of the photo, two large-billed ducks are swimming in shallow water. The male one in front has a green head and white chest, and a nearly black bill. The female one has a brown head and an orange bill. Behind those two ducks is a different species of duck; this one has a grayish head and a blue bill. In the foreground, a dark-gray waterbird has its head submerged.

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Ken Goering @kengoering.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

I have a BIL from western Michigan with whose family I've spent quite a lot of time. I was at a museum in Las Cruces, New Mexico, several years ago, and I heard a docent speaking; I guessed from the way he said the word "house" that he was from Grand Rapids, and he later mentioned that he was.

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Ken Goering @kengoering.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

I enjoyed spending a few hours at the 32-acre ABQ BioPark's botanic garden last April, and saw this male wood duck catching a few winks near the park's big pond. #BirdOfTheDay #BirdNaps #Albuquerque #NewMexico #Birds

A male duck with an emerald-green head, brown chest, white stripes on its head and outlining its chest has its bill tucked inside its right wing. The duck's eye is closed, because he's sleepin'. Wood ducks (Aix sponsa) have body lengths of 18.5-21.3 inches (47-54 cm), weigh 16.0-30.4 ounces (454-862 g), and have wingspans of 26.0-28.7 inches (66-73 cm).

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Ken Goering @kengoering.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Good morning to all! A couple of years ago, this cactus wren in Kingman, Arizona, was atop a utility pole and regaling the neighborhood around our campground with its morning song, which sounds like someone trying and failing to start a car. Cactus wrens are the state #Birds of #Arizona.

The head and chest of a smaller bird perched at the top of a wooden utility pole. The bird is light tan and gray, with darker speckles of brown feathers and brown stripes on its head. Its beak is open and its throat feathers are ruffled as it sings. Look up the sound of a cactus wren if you've never heard them! Cactus wrens (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus) have body lengths of 7.1-8.7 inches (18-22 cm) and weigh 1.1-1.7 ounces (32-47 g). Measurement information from Cornell Lab of Ornithology's AllAboutBirds.org.

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Ken Goering @kengoering.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Thank you for your kind words, Cassie!

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Ken Goering @kengoering.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

One of my favorite birds of the southwestern United States, phainopeplas usually stand out pretty distinctly against their desert environments – including the #Arizona sky. This one was at McDowell Mountain Regional Park east of #Phoenix. #BirdOfTheDay #Contrast #Birds

An all-black bird with a red eye and jaunty head crest is perched on a juniper branch. The Arizona sky in the background is clear and blue. Phainopeplas (Phainopepla nitens), sized between a house sparrow and a robin, have body lengths of 7.1-8.3 inches (18-21 cm), weigh 0.6-1.0 ounces (17.9-28.1 g), and have wingspans of 10.6-11.4 inches (27-29 cm). Measurement information from Cornell Lab of Ornithology's AllAboutBirds.org.

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Ken Goering @kengoering.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

This beautiful great egret was on the hunt at our Tucson, Arizona, campground in March of 2023. #ItsAllWhite #BirdOfTheDay #Birds

A large white wading bird is on the shore of a small body of water. The bird, which has a long neck, long yellow bill, and long black legs, is crouched intently and looking at something in the water. Great egrets (Ardea alba) have body lengths of 37.0-40.9 inches (94-104 cm), weigh 35.3 ounces (1,000 g), and have wingspans of 51.6-57.1 inches (131-145 cm). Measurement information from Cornell Lab of Ornithology's AllAboutBirds.org.

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Ken Goering @kengoering.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Good morning to all, and I hope everyone has a great September! I enjoyed watching this Gambel's quail while on a walk in Deming, #NewMexico, this past April. #Birds.

A mostly gray bird with a scaly-appearing neck, a black face, russet-brown head cap, and a black forelock is perched in some desert shrubbery. Gambel's quail (Callipepla gambelii) live in the southwestern United States. They have lengths of 9.8 inches (25 cm) and weigh 5.6-7 ounces (160-200 g), with wingspans of 13.4-14.2 inches (34-36 inches).

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Ken Goering @kengoering.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

This house finch was having breakfast in Deming, #NewMexico, this past April. The ocotillo, a plant native to the deserts of the American southwest and Mexico, was in bloom during our stay in Deming. The plants also attracted hummingbirds. #FlowerPower #BirdOfTheDay #Birds

A small brown bird is perched on a long thorny shrub stem. The stem has a blossom of bright-red blooms at the top of the photo. House finches (Haemorhous mexicanus) are natives to the American southwest and Mexico, but they were also introduced to the east coast of the United States. Their bodies measure 5.1 to 5.5 inches (13-14 cm), weigh 0.6 to 0.9 ounces (16 to 27 grams), and have wingspans of 7.9-9.8 inches (20-25 cm).

The same small brown bird as in the previous photo, but she is now adjusting her position on the stem by taking a brief flight; her wings are outspread.

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Ken Goering @kengoering.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Yep — we’ve been in an eastern Colorado campground all summer; there are killdeer here, but they fly off at the slightest approach.

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Ken Goering @kengoering.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

This killdeer was running around the campground when we first arrived in Seligman, #Arizona, in April of 2025. #BirdsUpClose #BirdOfTheDay #Birds #Route66

The head and chest of a shorebird that stays mostly on dry land. The bird is mostly light brown, with white and black stripes across its head, neck, and chest. It has a bright-orange ring around its eye. Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) have body lengths of 7.9-11.0 inches (20-28 cm), weigh 2.6-4.5 ounces (75-128 g), and have wingspans of 18.1-18.9 inches (46-48 cm). Measurement information from Cornell Lab of Ornithology's AllAboutBirds.org.

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Ken Goering @kengoering.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Thanks, Doug -- I took it while sitting in my brother-in-law's pontoon boat.

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