Bullock's! Mrs. Geotripper Finds an Oriole

Durn it all. While I was busy conducting an outdoor business meeting for our upcoming field studies class, Mrs. Geotripper was serving as the official photographer of the event. But instead of taking pictures of her stunningly handsome husband holding the rapt attention of his students, she was catching a marvelous shot of a Bullock's Oriole (Icterus bullockii) that was taking in the proceedings from a high branch nearby.

We were out in the farmlands east of Turlock and Modesto. The Bullock's Oriole is a bird of open spaces in the American West, although they range south into Mexico.

Bird of the Day: Anna's Hummingbird in Our Front Yard

Digging into the archives today, I came across what I feel is the finest picture of a bird taken by a member of my household, and it wasn't me. Mrs. Geotripper was getting out of her car one afternoon when she noticed an Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna) sitting on some Freesia blooms. She couldn't have been more than a few feet away, but those hummingbirds are fearless.

People wonder why I carry my camera with me everywhere, and this is why. You never know what opportunity will arise.