I found this Southwestern bird near Sierra Vista, AZ. It was not singing; rather it was scurrying about on the ground and perching in twiggy branches. At this point, he/she (the sexes are quite similar) stepped into a bit of light.

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The Cactus Wren is one of the two most prolific birds at the southern end of the Baja Peninsula. The second is the Hooded Oriole. This bird is singing everywhere: in palm trees, on railings, on mesquite trees, on cactuses. They are everywhere.

They are also quite charming. They don't seem to mind people and they readily make themselves available for viewing and photography. I was very happy to find the bird perched on its name sake vegetation.

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The ever vocal Marsh Wren is a resident and seasonal resident across most of the US and Prairie Canada. They are not hard to find in the reeds of marshes. Sometimes they are more often heard than seen with a clear view. However, with a little patience they can be seen easily.

I have, though, never gotten a particularly good photo of one because they are often perched on reeds too many yards away to get a detailed photo, or they are darting around too quickly.

At this particular marsh in Colorado, MWs were plentiful, although still not easy to shoot until I noticed this guy hanging out on the same few reeds while singing loudly. Just stand, aim, and shoot until something good happens. And hope for the
best :)

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The House Wren is one of the most common songbirds in North America. They can be found in backyards and forests wherever you care to look during nesting season.

However, capturing an image that I like is never as easy as catching a glance of one of these omnipresent birds.

One afternoon at Kurt Gondry State Park in Wyoming, I went wandering for anything that looked good. Several species were present in huge numbers, so I thought I would try to capture some images of the high visibility birds after spending the morning looking for warblers.

Suddenly I looked to my side and spotted this guy perched so wonderfully against a hilly backdrop of sage brush and rock. I like that the wren looks relaxed as the grasshopper appears deceased. The little guy can enjoy a minute before taking it to its house which is mounted on a tree to the left.

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The Rock Wren is not a difficult bird to find if you look in the right spots. Often these spots are near rocks and boulders as this little songbird likes to nest in rock crevices near hills, forest edges, or open land.

I had never seen or photographed this bird on previous trips out West. On those early trips, I didn't know to seek out birds. I would simply shoot what I came across. But over the past few years, I learned to seek out species to photograph, and then shoot until I could leave with an image I liked, or at least one as good as the bird would allow.

The fun and challenge of wildlife photography is shooting a target that is not subject to direction or even pleading.

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