Brian Smith's Photos

Favourite Birds of the Second Half of 2025

The second half of the year, and a companion to the first — favourite bird photos from July through December. Mostly the local patch around San Rafael and Las Gallinas again, with a few picked up further afield at China Camp, Fort Ross, Point Reyes, and along the coast on the October road trip south.

July

A good start, with Red-shouldered Hawks two mornings running, ducklings on the water, and days out at China Camp, Fort Ross and Point Reyes.

A red-shouldered hawk perches on a mossy tree branch, its brown and white patterned feathers contrasting with the green leaves around it.
Red-shouldered Hawk, Buteo lineatus
A red-shouldered hawk perches on a weathered tree stump, its yellow talons gripping the bark, with green leaves and branches in the background.
Red-shouldered Hawk, Buteo lineatus
Three Black-necked Stilts with long red legs and black-and-white plumage fly in a diagonal line over blue rippling water.
Black-necked Stilt, Himantopus mexicanus
Five fluffy brown and yellow mallard ducklings swim in murky water near a mossy rock.
Mallard ducklings, Anas platyrhynchos
A Great Egret with wings spread wide and legs extended, landing on the surface of a calm body of water.
Great Egret, Ardea alba
Three ospreys stand on a large stick nest atop wooden posts, with calm blue water filling the background.
Osprey, Pandion haliaetus
A white Great Egret with a long yellow beak stands on grassy ground by water, bending its neck to preen its feathers.
Great Egret, Ardea alba, preening
Two bald eagles in mid-air combat, one with wings spread wide and the other tumbling below, set against a clear blue sky.
Fort Ross Bald Eagle
A juvenile Great Blue Heron stands in shallow water, its long beak angled downward as it hunts, surrounded by tall reeds.
Great Blue Heron, Ardea herodias
A Great Egret and a Snowy Egret stand together on a dock by the water, their long necks curved and beaks pointing left.
Great Egret (larger), Ardea alba, and Snowy Egret, Egretta thula
A green heron with a reddish-brown neck and black-and-white striped wings stands in shallow water, its beak holding a small fish.
Green Heron, Butorides virescens
An osprey glides through a clear blue sky, wings spread wide with black-tipped feathers and a white underbelly.
Osprey, Pandion haliaetus

August

A quieter month, close to home — early mornings and late evenings along the San Rafael shoreline.

A Black Turnstone rests on a sunlit rock, its head tucked into its back feathers, casting a sharp shadow.
Black Turnstone, Arenaria melanocephala
A Least Sandpiper with mottled brown and white plumage stands on a wet rock in shallow, clear water, its reflection visible below.
Least Sandpiper, Calidris minutilla
An osprey glides through a clear blue sky with its wings fully extended, revealing the intricate patterns on its feathers.
Osprey, Pandion haliaetus
A Great Egret with one wing raised and neck curved, standing in shallow water with dark green vegetation behind it.
Great Egret, Ardea alba
A Black Oystercatcher with a bright orange beak and pink legs stands on a rock covered in green seaweed near the water.
Black Oystercatcher, Haematopus bachmani
A Song Sparrow perches on a thin green stem, its beak touching a cluster of small yellow flowers.
Song Sparrow, Melospiza melodia
A chestnut-backed chickadee perches on a lichen-covered tree trunk, its head tilted downward as it probes the bark.
Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Poecile rufescens
An Anna's Hummingbird perches on a bare twig, its green back and long beak visible against a soft orange and blue background.
Anna’s Hummingbird, Calypte anna
A red-shouldered hawk perches on a lichen-covered branch, its ruffled chest feathers and yellow talons visible against a blurred forest background.
Red-shouldered Hawk, Buteo lineatus
A Great Egret flies low over a calm lake at sunset, its wings spread wide and long legs trailing behind as it glides past silhouetted reeds.
Great Egret, Egretta thula
A brown pelican lifts off the water with wings raised, kicking up a spray of droplets.
Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis

September

Herons and waders back along the shoreline, and a Yellow Warbler and Forster’s Tern out at Las Gallinas.

A Great Egret with a yellow beak stands in shallow water, its head lowered to the surface as it hunts for food.
Great Egret, Ardea alba
A Forster's Tern with white body and black cap glides through a clear blue sky, wings spread wide in flight.
Forster’s Tern, Sterna forsteri
A yellow warbler perches on a dry, brown plant stem, holding a small insect in its beak.
Yellow Warbler, Setophaga petechia
A Black Oystercatcher with a bright orange beak and legs probes for food among green seaweed on wet rocks.
Black Oystercatcher, Haematopus bachmani and clam lunch
A Black-crowned Night Heron with a black cap and red eye stands on a weathered wooden dock beside green water.
Black-crowned Night Heron, Nycticorax nycticorax
A California Scrub-Jay perches on a twiggy nest, holding a green acorn in its beak.
California Scrub-Jay, Aphelocoma californica – with Acorn
A green heron perches on a mossy rock, its wings folded and yellow eyes alert against a dark background.
Green Heron, Butorides virescens
Four American crows stand on mossy rocks at the water's edge, with one bird pecking at the surface.
American Crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos
A Belted Kingfisher glides through a clear blue sky, its wings spread wide to reveal intricate black and white feather patterns.
Belted Kingfisher, Megaceryle alcyon

October

The road trip south picked up terns, a Black Skimmer and Sanderlings along the Santa Barbara coast, before the local patch took over again for the rest of the month.

A Snowy Egret flies low over a calm blue body of water with its wings spread wide and legs extended behind it.
Snowy Egret, Egretta thula
A Black Skimmer with a long orange beak stands on a sandy beach, with a blurred gull in the background.
Black Skimmer, Rynchops niger
A sanderling walks on wet sand at the shoreline, its thin black legs and speckled grey back contrasting with the bright, reflective water.
Sanderling, Calidris alba
A flock of sanderlings stands on a sandy beach in front of a large pile of tangled seaweed.
Sanderling, Calidris alba
A Hudsonian Whimbrel stands on a sandy beach with three black-bellied plovers blurred in the background near the water.
Hudsonian Whimbrel, Numenius hudsonicus and Black-bellied Plover, Pluvialis squatarola (smaller)
A Royal Tern with its beak open and feathers puffed up stands on a sandy beach.
Royal Tern, Thalasseus maximus
An Elegant Tern soars through a clear, pale blue sky, its wings spread wide and its long, pointed beak angled downward.
Elegant Tern, Thalasseus elegans
A Great Blue Heron stands on a sunlit rock, its long yellow beak pointing right, with wet stones and a small pool of water behind it.
Great Blue Heron, Ardea herodias
Two wild turkeys forage on a patch of dry grass near a wooden picnic table and a large tree.
Wild Turkey, Meleagris gallpavo
A small hummingbird with iridescent green feathers and a rose-magenta crown perches on a thin branch against a blurred green background.
Anna’s Hummingbird, Calypte anna
A Cooper's Hawk perches on a shingled roof ridge, its head turned back over its shoulder to look behind it.
Cooper’s Hawk, Astur cooperii
A black-necked stilt with long pink legs and a thin beak probes the water's edge among reeds, its reflection shimmering below.
Black-necked Stilt, Himantopus mexicanus
A Least Sandpiper with mottled brown and white feathers and yellow legs stands on a mossy rock in shallow, rippling water.
Least Sandpiper, Calidris minutilla
A red-shouldered hawk perches on a leafy branch, its wings folded and head turned to the side against a clear blue sky.
Red-shouldered Hawk, Buteo lineatus

November

The strongest month of the six. A single afternoon on the 6th turned up five keepers, and the bluebirds, grebes and stilts kept coming right through to the end. Was very pleased to capture the Belted Kingfisher, fishing, and giving me the eye to make sure I was capturing it.

A pied-billed grebe with a long neck and dark eyes swims on calm water, its reflection visible below.
pied-billed grebe, Podilymbus podiceps
An American Crow stands on a patch of grass at the edge of a calm body of water.
American Crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos
A white Great Egret with a long yellow beak stands on a mossy rock at the edge of a calm, sunlit body of water.
Great Egret, Ardea alba
A Belted Kingfisher flies low over calm blue water, its reflection visible on the surface below.
Belted Kingfisher, Megaceryle alcyon
American White Pelican glides through a clear blue sky, wings spread wide with black flight feathers and a long yellow beak.
American White Pelican, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
An American Coot with a white bill and red eye glides through rippling blue water, its dark body casting a faint reflection.
American Coot, Fulica americana
A Horned Grebe with a black cap and white cheeks glides across calm, rippling blue water.
Horned Grebe, Podiceps auritus
A Western Bluebird perches on a bare branch, its blue head and rusty chest contrasting with the clear blue sky behind it.
Western Bluebird, Sialia mexicana
A close-up profile of a Western Bluebird's head, showing its dark eye, beak, and blue-gray feathers against a clear blue sky.
Western Bluebird – close up of eye and bill
A Willet with a long, bill stands in shallow water, its reflection visible on the rippled surface.
Willet, Tringa semipalmata, non-breeding adult
A Black-necked Stilt with black and white plumage and pink legs stands in shallow water, its reflection visible below.
Black-necked Stilt, Himantopus mexicanus
An American Avocet with a long, upturned black beak stands in calm water, its white body and black-and-white wings reflected on the surface.
American Avocet, Recurvirostra americanus
A Great Blue Heron with a long yellow beak and piercing yellow eye, its head and neck shown in profile against a soft gray background.
Great Blue Heron
A Great Blue Heron holds a fish in its open beak, water droplets falling from the prey's tail.
Great Blue Heron

December

Closing out the year between Las Gallinas and San Rafael, with a Bald Eagle just after Christmas — and then something new on the last day of the year.

A green-winged teal with a reddish-brown head and green eye patch swims through shallow water bordered by white foam.
Green-winged Teal
A Common Gallinule with a red and yellow beak swims through blue water scattered with floating sticks and leaves.
Common Gallinule
A Bonaparte's Gull glides through a clear blue sky, its wings raised and pink legs tucked beneath its white body.
Bonaparte’s Gull
A Northern Harrier glides through the air with its wings fully spread, revealing the intricate patterns on its feathers.
Northern Harrier
A Pied-billed Grebe swims through calm blue water, its dark head and grey body visible among thin reeds.
Pied-billed Grebe
A Double-crested Cormorant glides low over blue water with wings fully spread and its yellow beak pointing forward.
Double-crested Cormorant
A Least Sandpiper perches on a rough grey rock, its brown and white feathers ruffled as it tucks its head down.
Least Sandpiper
A Black-crowned Night Heron and a Snowy Egret take flight over a shimmering blue water surface, wings spread wide.
Snowy Egret and Black-crowned Night Heron
A turkey vulture with a wrinkled red head and dark brown feathers stands in profile against a soft, out-of-focus gray background.
Turkey Vulture, Cathartes aura
A Black Oystercatcher with a bright orange beak splashes through shallow water, its dark wings spread wide as it moves.
Black Oystercatcher
A Black-bellied Plover stands on a wet, rocky shoreline scattered with green seaweed and small shells.
Black-bellied Plover
A Great Egret with a bright yellow beak stands on a leafy green bush, facing left against a soft, out-of-focus background.
Great Egret
A Great Blue Heron stands in shallow water near rocks, its long legs partially submerged and its neck tucked close to its body.
Great Blue Heron, Ardea herodias
A red-shouldered hawk perches on a curved black metal bar, its golden-brown feathers glowing in warm light against a clear blue sky.
Red-shouldered Hawk
A bald eagle perches on a branch of a conifer tree, looking upward against a clear blue sky.
Bald Eagle

And the last frame of the year is the start of something new — my first with the OM System OM-3, this one taken on the 12-60mm. The 100-400mm Mk II is the reason for the switch though, and should mean a good deal more reach for the birds, which is where most of this is heading in 2026.

A Great Egret with a yellow beak and black legs bends its neck down to the water's edge on a muddy, seaweed-strewn shore.
Great Egret

Seventy-six frames, six months, and a year that finished with a new camera in the bag. On to 2026.

Brian Smith

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