I See Beauty All Around, by Rob Paine

Category: birds

  • Cedar Waxwing Silhouette

    Silhouette of Cedar Waxwing perched above Deep Creek Lake in Garrett County, Maryland , by Rob Paine (see below for second photo of the same bird )

  • Wordless Wednesday : Blue Jay Feasts

  • Baltimore Oriole

    Anyway you look at it, the Baltimore Oriole is a beautiful bird. (please see more text and second photo below)

  • The Pileated Woodpecker : One Big Bird

    When you see a pileated woodpecker, you know its a pileated. This woodpecker is big and has a distinctive look. When I see it, it reminds me of something out of prehistoric times. According to allaboutbirds.org, ( a Web site run by the prestigious Cornell Lab of Ornithology), “The Pileated Woodpecker is one of the…

  • Wordless Wednesday : Tufted Titmouse

  • Feathers in Pittsburgh : A Cape Thick-Knee

    Bird feathers fascinate me. I had the opportunity to photograph some really cool feathers that belonged to a Cape Thick-Knee in the Tropical Forest Exhibit at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, Pa.

  • Occoquan Osprey in Flight

    River Shore Charters runs a wonderful boat tour of the Occoquan River every Saturday and Sunday that leaves from Occoquan Regional Park in Lorton, Va., which is located directly across the river from the heart of the quaint town of Occoquan.

  • Backyard Birding Photography Made Simple

    Many of the best bird photos I have taken did not involve super telephoto lenses or expensive trips to exotic locations. I did not have to sit in a freezing rain or endure hours or harsh sun to shoot all of the photos (including the Rose-Breasted Grosbeak shown above) on this post. These images were…

  • Houdini the Hawk

    Our home is enveloped by nature. You name it, it has visited us. Deer, foxes, raccoons, chipmunks, woodpeckers and a plethora of other bird species. Turtles and frogs have also made their way into our yard. We love it, our dogs go nuts. This is the honest to God’s truth : one of our dogs…

  • Deep Creek Lake Sunset

    I shot this photo earlier this month of the sun setting above Deep Creek Lake in Garrett County, MD. The lake covers several thousand acres and takes various twists and turns making it a challenge to find new places to shoot sunsets and sunrises and still have the sun and the clouds where you want…