The Great Smoky Mountains are living up to their name in the sunset shot with the hazy smokiness in the valley.

This was taken at sunset on a chilly morning at Assateague National Shore. It was an incredible moment to share with this amazing creature. Because this owl was on a section of beach that allows vehicles, I was able to use the vehicle as a blind and not disturb the owl.

Taken at lake Artenesia, this wood duck showed off all the amazing colors it has. This is by far one of my favorite ducks that visit the Maryland area but they can be quite skittish so it is not always so easy to get a nice close up like this.

This eastern screech owl popped his eyes open to figure out the sound of the train whistle that was going by. Once satisfied the train was not a concern it went right back to sleep.

In April, I was lucky enough to visit Costa Rica for the 2nd time. I could probably make an entire Costa Rica calendar. These are some of the many highlights of that visit. The first image in this carousel is of the king vulture. We felt very lucky to find one perched close enough to get all the amazing details. The second image of a collared aracari. This aracari has a broken tip of their beak but seemed to eat just fine. The third image is a peaking howler monkey over the leaves. The 4th image is of mixed breed scarlet and green macaws. The colors are just so intense. The 5th image was taken while shaking around on a full suspension bridge over the jungle. This slaty tailed trogon put on a show for us. The last image is the pale-billed woodpecker, which looks strikingly similar to the now extinct ivory billed woodpecker. 

The year before I found a pileated woodpecker nest right before the babies fledged. This year I was lucky enough to discover a pair of pileated woodpeckers building their nest and I watched the process from start to finish. It was incredible to watch the dad excavate and mom check the progress. Then, to watch them swap out to share the incubation process. When I saw the first little baby pop their head out of the cavity when a parent arrived with food it was magical. Seeing the entire process unfold was an absolutely incredible experience.

Indigo buntings on sunflowers in the summer has become a yearly tradition of mine. McKee Beshers plants many fields of sunflowers every year and the indigo buntings will come and perch on top. Seeing this is not for the faint of heart though. The bugs at McKee Beshers can be unruly and the heat is often brutal. 

Another yearly tradition is to visit Huntley Meadows in Virgnia to find these tiny little gems. Huntley Meadows has a wonderful boardwalk and if you walk slowly around the boardwalk in July, August and September, you can spot these tiny creatures along the way. 

In Auguest I often to my attention to the bug world. Butterflies and dragonflies are great subjects when the birds are few and far between. We are lucky enough to get a fair amount of butterflies that visit Maryland. A couple of great local places for spotting butterflies are Glendening Butterfly Garden and Brookside Gardens. 

Speaking of hiding in plain sight. This ruby crowned kinglet blends in so well with the foliage. The camouflage of nature is one of my favorite things. I find it truly remarkable to the symbiotic nature of the flora and fauna at work.

This Barred owl looks over at their partner. Owls mate for life and this couple often has snuggles and squabbles like any married couple. The leaves had just started changing color behind.

This beautiful female cardinal is leucistic. Leucism is a genetic condition causing a partial loss of pigment in an animal, resulting in white or patchy coloration of the feathers, hair, or skin, while its eyes and nose retain their normal color. I feel very lucky that she lives in a park that I visit often.