When I was in Nicaragua, this egret posed against the blue sky reminded me of California.

This tree appeared threatening but kept its distance as we passed by.

Kaela takes a photo of the orchid locally called Spanish Flag.

There were many of these beautiful orchids growing at the top of the volcano.

A yellow warbler early in the morning catching insects on the hotel roof.

A Great Egret strutted by a small flock of Black Vultures on the beach.

There were these grackles in every town and city we visited. This one was on the roof of a building across from our hotel.

A close-up of one of the black vultures on the beach.

The white head identifies this magnificent frigatebird as a juvenile. The head becomes all black as it matures.

The osprey found the fishing good that day.

A Turkey Vulture taking a morning stroll on the beach.

In León we saw Kiskadees on the roofs of buildings but I was happier to see one perched in the mangroves.

This Mangrove Swallow was nicely posed for me as our boat went by.

A snowy egret walking the beach with a black vulture in the background.

This heron had it's neck completely extended vertically. It was watching our boat pass and looked ready to flee if we came any closer. Usually you see the neck drawn back in a casual "ess" shape so you don't realize how very, very long it really is.

A Tricolored Heron with its neck held in the usual shape, unlike the one seen minutes earlier.

This turkey vulture perched on a dead tree was like a scene right out of an old western.

The Wood Stork appeared all white when on the ground but in flight you could see its black markings.

Yellow Warblers were seen by us everywhere we visited in Nicaragua. This one had his back to me but I love the composition of the photo. Not every good bird picture is a good picture of the bird.

It was odd for me to see a wading bird exploring the mangrove roots. The Spotted Sandpiper is usually seen walking the ocean shore. I felt certain his presence on mangrove roots was perfectly natural.

A Great Egret takes flight.

There were many of these small blue-tailed lizards near the beach but I don't know what they are called.

Two Greater Yellowlegs strode along the beach.

The whimbrel

The male Magnificent Frigatebird is solid black, unlike the juvenile shown earlier .

The sunlight illuminates the musculature of the egret.

Several Greater Yellowlegs strutted their stuff.

This flycatcher was very active and vocal.

The squirrels inhabiting the island were very charming.

The jay was feeding in the early morning sun.

Another Magpie Jay waiting for handouts at breakfast.

This was the first cuckoo I had ever seen. Its call is not the classic "cuckoo" sound we associate with the clocks.

On our birding walk we came across some domestic pigs. The guide called to them in the Nicaraguan way which you can see in this video link.

An Iguana watched us warily as he was warming up on top of a boulder.

A flycatcher on barbed wire is a stark contrast.

A magpie-jay looking gorgeous in the morning sun.

A juvenile magpie jay attempting to land on a lamp on a breezy morning.

The juvenile managed to finally land that windy morning.

Another Magpie Jay visiting the breakfast table.

The table is set with napkins, utensils, condiments and Magpie Jays.

Here are several Magpie Jays bathing in the green waters of the lagoon at Charco Verde. A Great-tailed Grackle can partially be seen at the top of the photo.

Another shot of the Mangrove Cuckoo.

A beautiful yellow flower grew on the island.

Another shot of the Mangrove Cuckoo

Not a close shot as the lovely Hoffman's Woodpecker was very high up in the tree.

The back of a Hoffman's Woodpecker.

These lovely brown doves were seen many times on our walk. Most often on the paths, but these two were preening on a low branch.

The same Inca Doves from yesterday's posting.

There were several of these Fulvous Whistling Ducks perched in a tree that was too far away to get a really good shot and we couldn't get closer because of a large marshy pond between us and the ducks. They probably liked it that way.

A Turkey Vulture soared overhead and close enough to see many details.

A closer shot of the tree roosting Fulvous Whistling Duck.

A black vulture flying low enough to clearly see the differences between the black and turkey vultures.

Another whistling duck in a tree.

There is no end of lush pasture for the local cattle.

Our guide had amazing abilities to spot wildlife. How he ever saw this nightjar amidst the leaves of the jungle floor I'll never know.

This was as close as I could get before the pauraque took flight.

One of the largest birds we saw was this Tiger Heron.

An immature Green Heron perched on a branch.

A handsome Great Kiskadee perched on a banana leaf.

The Tiger Heron stretched out its neck to an amazing length.

Another white cow grazing peacefully.

An Anna's Hummingbird posed nicely for the photographer. If the sunlight had hit its chin what appears black would've been a flaming red.

The large Red-tailed Hawk perched high on the pine tree with the Bay Bridge foundation as a backdrop.

A close-up of the Anna's Hummingbird posted on Monday.

Another shot of one of the hawks residing at Rincon Hill Dogpark.

As we walked around Charco Verde we came across a large troop of Howler Monkeys.