There are five species of Titmouse in North America, with 4 being residences of the West and Southwest. I have seen 3 species with the Juniper Titmouse being the one I see in the Reno, NV area. They are not as common as the related Chickadee, but if you know where to find them you can be treated to this wonderful bird. I was able to capture this guy north of Reno in a Juniper habitat. They are hard to capture since they don’t sit still but this one I was able to get a good photo. Titmice are permanent residents even during cold weather you can find them in the Reno area.
Happy New Year. Here are some of my favorite images take over 2023. I really like the image below of an American Kestrel looking back at me. He was perched on a light post with under a mostly sunny sky so I could us a shutter speed of 1/1000s, an f/9.0, and ISO400. Some birds will let you get close and others will not like Warblers. I was able to get within 10m and just sat there looking at the lake and me.
The Pinyon Jay is charismatic member of the Corvid family and can be found throughout the Reno/Carson City area in the right habitat. I found the Jay below at Topaz Lake in a transitional habitat of Pinyon/Juniper and Sagebrush. They were right next to the road and let me get very close.
Lincoln's Sparrows are secretive and have a wren like song. They can be found in wet mountainous meadows from May through July in the West and into Canada through Alaska. They move to lower elevations in the Winter and I found this one along the Truckee River at McCarran Ranch, which is a few miles east of the Reno/Sparks area.
Since moving to the Reno, NV area in 2016, I’ve been searching for the Black-backed Woodpecker. I first saw one in the northern part of the Idaho panhandle but no photos. I have heard then 2-3 times in the eastern Sierras west of Reno and Carson City but no photos.
