The Zone-tailed Hawk is an Arizona target species, with a distribution limited to the most southern states of the US. Here it is harrassed by another southern bird, the Chihuahuan Raven. This picture was taken at Nogales Sewage Works in south east Arizona (7-5-99).

Not uncommon but hard to obtain when time is limited like during a vacation: the Prairie Falcon. This bird with a squirrel as prey was photographed in Joshua Tree National Park, California (20-5-99). On this picture the dark underwing shows well.

A rather poor scan of two characteristical desert species of Arizona, Gambel's Quail and Pyrrhuloxia, the latter restricted to the southernmost part of the US. Photographed near Tucson, Arizona (11-5-99).

Two rather different relatives of the same familie of recurvirostridae: American Avocet and Black-necked Stilt. The avocets were photographed at Wilcox Twin lakes, Arizona (10-5-99) and the stilt in Salton Sea, California (13-5-99).

This Spotted Sandpiper was alarming its chicks to take a hide from that intruder trying to take photographs. Photographed in a riverbed north of San Fransisco, California (24-6-02).

In my opinion the Heerman's Gull is amonst the most charming gulls of the world. This adult allowed close approach in a park in San Diego, California (9-7-02), until small kids chased the whole group away. Heermans Gulls proofed pretty common along the California coast during my stay.

Hard to find in Arizona, the Burrowing Owl proofed very common in the Salton Sea region in California (13-5-99).

Four examples of the great diversity of the hummingbirds of the United States.
Upper left: Rufous Hummingbird, the most agressive of a group of different hummingbird species on feeders in Pinos Mountains, California (12-7-02).
Upper right: Anna's Hummingbird on the same feeders in Pinos Mountains, a common bird in coastal areas of California
Down left: Violet-crowned Hummingbird on a feeder in the garden of the Paton's family (birders welcome) in Patagonia, Arizona (8-5-99), this is one of the specialties of south east Arizona being about the only place in the US to find this bird.
Down right: Costa's Hummingbird in Madeira Canyon, Arizona (4-5-99), a typical desert hummer of Arizona and California

The American Robin is common all over most of the regions I visited. This bird was photographed at a campsite in Brice Canyon, Utah (3-7-02).

Another campsite bird, this Bewick's Wren was nesting in this hollow tree near our tents at the campsite in Madeira Canyon, Arizona (6-5-99).

Speaking of campsite birds, a lot of birds like to hang around campsites making your temporary residence a great place to start birding or to shoot a few pictures. This Bridled Titmouse was one of our favorite guests in Madeira Canyon, Arizona (6-5-99).

Two more campingguest hunting for some left overs, Steller's Jay and Scrub Jay, the first common in most Californian spots visited and the last only seen in California's interior. Steller's Jay was photographed in Brice Canyon, Utah (3-7-02). The Scrub Jay was photographed in O'Neill Regional Park, California (19-5-99).

This juvenile Williamson's Sapsucker was a more unexpected camping guest of the Brice Canyon camping (Utah, 3-7-02). The bird showed very well and allowed me to get my camera in the first place, my tripod in the second place and it even waited patiently while I was changing my slides.

The Evening Grosbeak was the highlight of my second trip to California. I was lucky to find a few groups of about 10 birds each feeding along a road near Yubba Pass in the Sierra Nevada mountains in California (26-6-02).

The Green-tailed Towhee is one of my favorite north American sparrows/buntings. This one was photographed in the ghost town Bodie, California (29-6-02).