Rattlesnake Springs Bird Photo Gallery

I visited Rattlesnake Springs Picnic Area in the late morning and again in the late afternoon of April 30, 2012. The area is part of Carlsbad Caverns National Park, but not contiguous with the main park, but located farther south off the main highway.

For the main blog posting on this area and complete trip, visit "Spring" in Southeastern New Mexico.

It was a windy day and the birds did not care to pose for the camera. As you will see many of the birds were in thick branches and many of the photos are not particularly sharp as the subjects were far away and the photos had to be cropped heavily.

Nonetheless, I did want to preserve some of the photos I took as a general interest to birders and nature lovers.

Barn Swallow resting on a wire overhead.

This Green Heron was hanging out in a marshy area until I blundered by and it flew into a Cottonwood.

The Orchard Oriole is smaller and darker than the Baltimore Oriole

A bright, male Summer Tanager in a thicket.

This is the female Vermillion Flycatcher against a overpoweringly bright background.

The male Vermillion Flycatcher. He was singing and flitting about constantly.

A Western Kingbird, though I tried to wish it into a Cassin's.

A Western Tanager overhead in thick twigs.

Wild Turkey gobbler displaying his finery. The bluffs in the background contain Carlsbad Caverns.

Thanks for stopping by to look at the birds.