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Chris H Petersen Photography, Elkhorn, NE (2026)

08/27/2026

There is nothing quite like seeing the vibrant colors of a mature male on full display!

The first photo (left) is a juvenile male Rufous Hummingbird captured a week ago in Nebraska. The "plates" of the gorget are just growing large enough to refract color.

The second photo (right) is an unbelievable mature male Rufous from last July in Estes Park CO. That is one colorful gorget that even extends beyone the neck.

I only see Ruby-throated Hummingbirds where I live. Nothing wrong with that. They are mostly green, and the mature males have a ruby colored gorget.

Nothing quite prepared me for the golds and bronzes of the Rufous Hummingbirds! The rufous colors becomes more intense, and almost orange on the mature males.

Those "plate like feathers" are layered like shingles to form the gorget on the throat. The males puff them out to attract females and challenge competitors.

The fascinating thing is that the goget feathers don't contain the bright colors. You can only see the colors when the light strikes at the right angle to refract the colors.

The angle of the light determines the colors seen. The "greens" show when the light is not as direct. More direct light refracts, reds, gold and beautiful bronze!

In the North American hummmingbird species that I know, the mature males migrate south first. Guess they go early to establish winter territories.

If I'm ever to capture the most colorful mature males, I need to start my humminbird season earlier. It also helps to go further west to the mountains.

Photog Nerd Data:
Juvenile Male
Canon R5mkII, 2-00-800@800mm, distance 5.4m, f/9, 1/5000, 0 EV, ISO 5000

Mature Male
Canon R5mkII, 200-800@800mm, distance 12m, f/9, 1/2000, +0.3EV, ISO 6400

08/26/2026

It never gets old! Watching the next generation take flight is an ultimate thrill!

Every time I make a trip out to western Nebraska, I have to check and see if we can find "Angel" - the white, leucistic Red-tailed Hawk with a red tail.

During the nesting season and summer, she plays the "White Ghost". We haven't seen her in six months. Fingers crossed that we'll find her again in the fall.

We did find this magnificent, juvenile Red-tailed Hawk hunting on it's own. From an egg to hunting on its own in 20 weeks is truly a miracle of Nature!

Some northern Red-tailed Hawks migrate south when winters get severe. We have a resident population of Red-tails that produce local offspring every year.

How do we know that this is a very young Red-tailed Hawk? The over all colors are very light. There is no red tail, and there are horizontal bands in the tail.

As the Red-tailed Hawk matures, the spots on the lower belly become a darker "belly band". The light yellow eye will change to a darker amber color.

Angel, or the "White Ghost", is a resident Red-tailed Hawk. We saw her once sitting on her nest 6 years ago. She is very hard to spot through all the summer leaves.

We keep hoping that she will pair up with another hawk carrying the leucistic gene, and that they will produce another white offspring to carry on the legacy of "Angel".

Photog Nerd Data:
Canon R5mkII, 200-800@371mm, distance 31.7m, f7.1, 1/5000, 0 EV, ISO 1000

08/25/2026

Male hummingbirds are piece of cake to identify. Females are a real problem!

It is very easy to identify a hummingbird species when you see a mature male. They have unique bright colors, especially on their gorget (throat area).

So many of the females (and juvenile males) look so similar. Greens on the top, some buff on the sides, dark wings and spots on the throat.

When I heard that there were Calliope Hummingbirds in North Platte NE, I had to go give it a try. They are North America's smallest humming bird!

Only one major problem. The adult male Calliopes migrate first. Females follow, followed by the juveniles. The adult males appear to be gone. We didn't see any.

I found out that there is a trick for novice birders like this Ole Photog. Take a picture of your photo with your phone and submit it to Google or the Merlin app.

Try that with the two hummers in this photo, you will likely get four possibilites! Based on the color patterns, I think the bottom one is a female Ruby-throat.

Fingers crossed that the top one could be a female or juvenile Calliope Hummingbird. It is smaller than the one below. It could also be a Rufous.

Regardless of what they are, I really like how this photo captured the intense competition in the feeding areas. Females are often more aggressive than males!

There were trees more than 50 feet away from the pollinator garden. Dominate females would perch to guard their turf, and dive bomb any interlopers!

Photog Nerd Data:
Canon R5mkII, 200-800@455mm, distance 5.4m, f/9, 1/2000, -0.3 EV, ISO 8000

08/24/2026

Nope, don't think that's a hummingbird! But sure likes watching them. What is it?

I'll admit it. It gets a bit boring waiting for the hummingbirds to come back around to visit the flowers. When something like this flies in, you have to try for a photo.

Look closely at those feet. Very long toes and very sharp talons! Most definitely looks like a raptor. But now look at the beak. It is way too small for eating rodents.

Turns out this is a juvenile Mississippi Kite. Kites are fairly small raptors with pointed wings that enables tremendous agility in the air.

Mississippi Kites primarily eat insects. They are the ultimate "Sky Surfers". They catch insects in the air with those feet while flying.

This bird was originally observed and studied along the Mississippi River. Hence, the name. The birds long pointed wings and tail suggested it was a "kite".

Mississippi Kites are primarily found along the U.S. gulf coast, Mexico and Central America. There are a few that migrate north to the Great Plains.

For some reason, Mississippi Kites have been coming to North Platte NE every summer to nest. They are found perching in bare tree tops and soaring overhead.

This one is a very young juvenile. It is very light in color and has a mottled pattern. Adults are more solid gray with dark wings and have a bright red eye.

This Juvenile Kite did not bother the hummingbirds. But a Rufous Hummingbird flew all the way up to the tree tops to chase the Kite away from its territory!

Photog Nerd Data:
Canon R5mkII, 200-800@800mm, distance 25m, f/9, 1/2500, +1 EV, ISO 3200

08/23/2026

Ok, time out for hummingbirds! Migration for hummers is starting to peak.

In eastern Nebraska we primarily have just Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. There are occassional sightings of other species like this Rufus Hummingbird.

Enlarge and take a look at the "white stalk" of the flower rubbing on the head above the eye. That is the stamen than contains the pollen in this salvia flower.

Many of the hummingbirds feeding on the salvia were so coated in pollen that the top of their heads looked white!

As the name implies, Rufous Hummingbirds have a lot of cinnamon color on their sides and tail. The green and the spots on the throat indicate this is a female.

Would you drive 500 miles to take this photo? I make a number of trips to western Nebraska to photograph hawks. I decided hummingbirds deserve dedicated time.

This seems to be a very unique year for hummingbird migration in western NE. A friend has a pollinator garden which is attracting a number of different species.

In one 24 hour period we saw four species in one garden: Rufous, Broadtail, Ruby-throated and Calliope! Rarely see Broadtail and Calliope in Nebraska.

One theory is that the smoke from the western fires has pushed some of the mountain hummingbird migration further eastward.

The Calliope is the smallest hummingbird in North America. It is also one of the longest migrators. They leave in August, so the time to find one is now.

It would definitely be worth a 500 mile drive to capture a Calliope in Nebraska for my 2026 BIG Year album. Stay tuned for this week's hummer posts.

Photog Nerd Data:
Canon R5mkII, 200-800@800mm, distance 4.6m, f/9, 1/5000, -0.3EV, ISO 2000

08/22/2026

Only one small imperfection in an otherwise "perfect bird". Can you find it?

I did not think about Parakeets in Costa Rica. This Orange-chinned Parakeet was a pleasant surprise. Yes, look closely and there is an orange spot under the beak.

It is a smaller Parakeet is found through Central America and Columbia. It primarily feeds on fruit and seeds. This one was at a feeding area with ripe bananas.

This Parakeet has a wonderful blend of yellow, greens and blues, with bronze wing patches. Enlarge and you will see the individual barbules in the feathers!

Feathers take a beating in the wild, especially in the forest. They go through thickets and branches resulting in tears, and even lost feathers.

Not sure if this is a first year bird with full feathers. Or, it might be an adult who has finished molting and emerged with a bird new set of unblemished feathers.

My friend and I commented on how the feathers on this bird were "perfect". The feathers lay perfectly, perfectly formed and overlapped. Except for one feather.

Enlarge, you will see a dark mark on the longest primary feather on the left wing. Almost looks like it was drawn with a felt-tip. Have no idea of how it got there.

Next time you are out "birding", take a close look at the feathers. Birds molt at different times. The best, "perfect" plumage usually occurs during mating season.

Photog Nerd Data:
Canon R5mkII, 200-800@800mm, distance 8.5m, f/9, 1/400, 0 EV, ISO 2500

08/21/2026

This is one the few birds where the proverbial "butt shot" can be a good thing!

The nemesis of photographers is when the subject turns away and you end up with shot of the rear end, which is typically not flattering.

In the case of the male Scarlet-rumped Tanager, his flame red "caboose" is his best asset. Even in the rain forest, that scarlet rump is highly visible bouncing around.

This is another member of the colorful Tanager family found in the tropical forests. Scarlet-rumped Tanagers are one of the most common and found at most feeders.

The contrast of the coal black and scarlet are very striking on the male. The female has a grayish head with an overall color of olive-yellow which blends with the forest.

As with most Tanagers, their diet is mainly fruit and berriers. During the nesting season they supplement their diet with protein from insects and spiders.

From a photographer's perspective, this is one of the few times I have ever been able to capture any detail in those extremely dark feathers, and the red eye!

Photog Nerd Data:
Canon R5mkII, 200-800@539mm, distance 6m, f/9, 1/500, -0.3 EV, ISO 4000

08/20/2026

You just never know what will show up when ripe bananas are hung at a feeder!

Some kind of blackbird? Tanager? Grackle? I had no idea that there was "Black-cowled Oriole" in Costa Rica! The name is both descriptive of color and behavior.

This Oriole has more black than any other I have seen. The male has an all black head, neck, back and breast giving the an impression of a wearing a "cowl" or hood.

It should be noted that females and juveniles have much less black on the back of the neck and head. They can look similar to other oriole speces, especially females.

The oriole portion of the name comes from the fact that it is in the oriole family and displays oriole behavior when feeding on fruit.

Like other orioles, the Black-cowled Oriole builds a pendent (hanging) nest. They make holes in large leaves and lace fibers through the holes to hang the nest.

The other clear sign of it being an oriole is that long decurved beak. Perfect for ravaging fruit just like a Baltimore Oriole. They are often found in banana groves.

In Costa Rica I have seen the Baltimore Oriole and Orchard Orioles we see in the U.S. The male Black-cowled Oriole is found only in Central America.

Once you start looking the bird guides, you realize how many different color variations of orioles there are. This one is uniquely bright yellow and black.

Photog Nerd Data:
Canon R5mkII, 200-800@800mm, distance 9m, f/9, f/2000, -0.3 EV, ISO 8,000

08/19/2026

Grab your sunglasses ... those yellow legs and feet can blind you when you enlarge!

You can tell by that classic crouching pose that this must be a "honeycreeper". I posted the Red-legged Honeycreeper a couple of days ago.

So if that was the Red-legged Honeycreeper, this must be the Yellow-legged version, right? No. This one is called the "Shining Honeycreeper"!

The "Shining" part of the name comes from the Latin part of its name which means "bright, shining" refering to its bright iridescent blue plumage.

Ok, but what really grabs your attention in the rain are those yellow legs and feet! I kid you not, they are really that bright. Almost looks like they are glowing neon!

The other thing about those feet is that they are huge in relation to the size of the bird and its body. Not sure why. You can see bits of bark kicked up by the claws.

Honeycreepers are unique members of the tanager family. They do not eat honey. They lurk and creep around in search of nectar, berries and the occassional insect.

This is my all time favorite photo of a Honeycreeper and epitomizes what I'm trying to achieve in my 2026 BIG Year Album. In many ways it could be the cover.

Photog Nerd Data:
Canon R5mkII, 200-800@800mm, distance 9m, f/9, 1/2000, -0.3 EV, ISO 10,000

08/18/2026

Don't you love it when the common name matches what the bird looks like!

It's hard to miss identify a Golden-hooded Tanager. With golden hood, black mask, and turquoise accented body they are hard to miss in tropical forests.

Seems like I always get asked the question: what do females look like? Females look similar, but with a greenish head tint and sometimes some crown speckles.

As tanagers go, they are on the smaller side, about 5 in in length. They are found in lowland forest edges in Southern Mexico through Central America to Ecuador.

It is always a major photographic opportunity when you can capture a bird with its preferred food. I don't know what this is, but they gobbled down those berries!

Why is Costa Rica so great for birding? We did not go searching for this bird. He popped up as we were trying to photograph hummingbirds. A nice surprise!

Photog Nerd Data:
Canon R5mkiI, 200-800@800mm, distance 7m, f/9, 1/500, -0.3 EV, ISO 5000

Chris H Petersen Photography

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