Javin Elliff Photography

January 30, 2025

January Birding

I've been out looking for birds several times this January. It is a fun excuse to get outside and good practice with the camera.

A Golden-crowned Kinglet on a lichen-covered branch.
A gravity-defying brown creeper looking for food on the underside of a mossy branch.
A song sparrow on a frozen pond.
A great blue heron hunting still water on the edge of a river against golden evening reflections.
A plump robin sitting on a branch on a cold winter day.
A flock of geese flying in formation in front of golden clouds at sunset.
Silhouetted geese flying in front of a rainbow near sunset.
A great blue heron portrait in warm evening light.
A drake mallard just after takeoff in warm evening light.
A great blue heron strikes an interesting pose.
A northern harrier hawk just after sunset.

I liked this shot of an immature bald eagle with the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in the distance.

An immature Bald Eagle balances on a tree in an estuary with the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in the background.

My biggest photography goal at the moment is to capture a quality photo of a Northern Harrier hawk. While I see them regularly, it is always in the waning light or too far away for my lens. I know that if I keep at it, eventually I will get a shot that I am proud of.

A northern harrier hunting over wetlands just before sunset.

This red-winged black bird was defending his territory from a Northern Harrier.

A red-winged black bird defends its territory against a Northern Harrier hawk as the sun sets.