Today I added a Green Heron photo and a couple of poor shots of what I’m pretty sure are Lincoln’s Sparrows. I also updated the name change on the Brown Towhee to Canyon Towhee and submitted an improvement shot of a Chipping Sparrow.

I still have loads of photos to go through and post. Stay tuned.

I’ve added a few new pics, six species in all. Not much else to add to this list in the eastern half of the U.S. except for the White-breasted and Brown-headed Nuthatches. The photos of the Brown Creeper are about as good as I think I’ll ever get as I haven’t seen too many of these in my life, and when I do see them, they’re circling round and round the trunk and branches of trees. This one was taken at Old River near Mansura, LA.

Mimids are birds that mimic other sounds. Mockingbirds and thrashers comprise most of this family in North America. Corvids are smart, noisy birds like crows, ravens, and jays. 11 species from both families have been documented by my camera. There are many more.

A few pics of crows, jays, robins and thrushes added. Read More...

I've just added a few photos from my recent directed retreat at the Jesuit Spirituality Center, Grand Coteau, LA, from Oct. 5-11, 2009. Lisa and I have made several directed retreats there before, and I even attended an 8-day Zen retreat back in 1987. This is a wonderful place for solitude and silence, with excellent spiritual directors, beautiful grounds, and good food. I highly recommend it if you're looking for a place for retreat.

See http://philstromain.com/personal/gct.html to view the photos.

Just four species, but lots of good photos. Also, improvement shots of Song Sparrows and Snowy Egrets posted and a nice shot of Common Mergansers with Buffleheads.

I’ve uploaded a few photos of me with family (link on home page) and hope to add a few that might also serve for publicity needs as might arise. I’ve also added a link to my facebook page, which I don’t do much with, but which might help someone find friends or family members.

Only 11 species. Still lacking Rusty Blackbird and several Orioles. A good start, however.

I’m not really sure about the immature Horned Lark picture. If anyone has a better idea on this one, let me know. The bird did walk around like a H.L. and was seen on the highway in the same places I’ve frequently seen H.L.s.

After puttering around with this domain for over a year, I’ve decided to use it as my personal web space. Here you will find info about me as well as archives of photos, especially wildlife. We’ll see how things unfold.

shalomplace.com will continue to be the focus for online ministry, and heartlandspirituality.org will describe what I’m doing at the retreat center.