Well, folks, we’re plumb out of readers’ contributions, and it makes me weep bitterly that we get so few contributions. If you have good photos, you know what to do.
Fortunately, I am able to plunder the photos of Scott Ritchie from Cairns, Australia, whose Facebook page is here. (Thanks to Scott for his kind permission to repost.) I’m adding the second installment of Scott’s favorite photos of 2025; his first installment is here. His captions and IDs are indented, and you can enlarge the photos by clicking on them.
Here are some of my favourite pics from 2025. It was a big year, with trips to Florida, Costa Rica, Western Australia and Victoria/NSW. And I had a publication in Australia Birdlife showcasing the lovely Rainbow Bee-eaters at a local cemetery https://www.calameo.com/read/004107895fe9d41dc697d….I hope you enjoy them. Have a happy New Year all!
Latin America is a home of hummingbirds. Hear a Green-breasted Mango [Anthracothorax prevostii] feeds on a torch ginger. I just love the bright colors that do remind me of a mango:
Another lovely hummer, the fiery throated hummingbird [Panterpe insignis]:
Not all hummingbirds are colorful. But I just love the pose of this Long-billed Hermit [Phaethornis longirostris] as it came in to feed the torch ginger:
Costa Rica has many colorful songbirds. People think tanagers and warblers. This bird is a Golden-browed Chlorophonia [Chlorophonia callophrys], You gotta love bird names:
This Ornate Hawk-eagle [Spizaetus ornatus] caused quite a stir among the twitchers at our lodge. You can see why, it’s quite an amazing bird:
Another truly magnificent bird was the King Vulture [Sarcoramphus papa], coming into land and feed on your corpse:
Back to far north Queensland. I got this Gray Plover [Pluvialis squatarola] in flight as he shook himself off after a refreshing bath: [JAC: Do enlarge this one!]
Double-eyed Fig-parrots [Cyclopsitta diophthalma] are one of my favorite birds. And green ants are one of my most despised insects. I think the fig parrot would agree:
Here’s a stampede of Chestnut-breasted Mannikins [Lonchura castaneothorax]. I call this a WTF moment, as a bird in the middle got caught a bit off guard:
A Great Egret [Ardea alba], enjoying a prawn for breakie. Cairns Esplanade:
We get many shorebirds to the Cairns Esplanade foreshore in our summer. Before they head back to Russia, China, Japan, even Alaska, they color up into their breeding plumage, and hope to attract a mate. These two Bar-tailed Godwits [Limosa lapponica] are coloring up very nicely:
“Will you play ball with me?” Nordmann’s Greenshank [Tringa guttifer], a.k.a. Nordy, is a very rare bird that has visited Cairns for six years running. He’s the only one of his kind here. I often wonder if he’s a bit lonely:
Stunning photos, thank you!
Lovely, Scott. QLD has all the pricey, charismatic wildlife. Down in Victoria we had sparrows and stupid little penguins. On a GOOD day. 🙁
Spectacular pics. Always wanted to go to Cairnes.
D.A.
NYC/FL
Beautiful humming birds!
Holy cow, these are amazing!
And hummingbirds got feet! There is ample proof here!!
Thank you so much for these spectacular photos! And thanks to PCCE for finding them!
Scraping the bottom of the barrel never looked so good!
Amazing shots, full of action. The hummingbirds are animated jewels!
WOW! Fabulous photos! A little Anna’s hummingbird once made a nest in a planter of mine. The nest was about the size of a quarter and when the chicks hatched they looked like furry jelly beans. They are beautiful birds.
Thanks
Superb photos. Thanks for sharing them.
Great pictures! The Fiery-throated Hummingbird is one of my favorite hummers. So hard to capture all the colors as you did! The breast normally just looks black unless the angle of light is exactly right.
Wow! Thanks!
Not sure what’s more amazing–the birds, or the photos. Thanks!
The long-billed hermit’s dramatic position reminds me of many Audubon prints, in which Audubon posed the birds in acrobatic dramatic positions.
Beautiful images.
As an aside to PCC(e), the quality of the photos we see here are so impressive, I’m guessing that prevents some good photographers, not to mention us average nature-watchers, from sending in some great, if not spectacular, pictures. But perhaps it’s better to have quality than quantity.
I agree. The quality of these and of those by several other regulars is scary.
If people with good photos are withholding them, that is sad. I prefer good rather than mediocre pictures, but urge people with GOOD photographs to send them in.
I enjoy the wildlife photos on WEIT and I hope people continue to submit. But these photos are above and beyond! These are amazing! True artistry!