Author: Jim Gain
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MAGNIFICENT FRIGATEBIRD – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
The Magnificent Frigatebird is a massive seabird of warm tropical oceans and coastlines. READ MORE
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WOOD STORK – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
Huge, long-legged, black-and-white waterbird, about the size of Great Blue Heron. White body with black flight feathers. Adults have a… READ MORE
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SUNBITTERN – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
One of the most dazzling of all the world’s birds; the intricate yellow, red, and black pattern on the spread… READ MORE
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ROYAL TERN – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
The Royal Tern is a large tern, found strictly in coastal areas. READ MORE
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ELEGANT TERN – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
The Elegant Tern is a long-billed tern of the Pacific coast, from the U.S. to Chile. READ MORE
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SANDWICH TERN – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
The Sandwich Tern is a pale medium-sized tern with a geographically variable bill pattern: black with a distinct yellow tip… READ MORE
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BLACK SKIMMER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
The Black Skimmer, one of North America’s most distinctive coastal waterbirds, is noted for its unusual voice, bill, and feeding… READ MORE
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HEERMANN’S GULL – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
Unique smoky-gray gull with red bill. Breeding adults have a clean white head that blends seamlessly into the gray neck;… READ MORE
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FRANKLIN’S GULL – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
The Franklin’s Gull is a small, black-hooded gull that nests in small to very large colonies in marshes of interior… READ MORE
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LAUGHING GULL – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
Laughing Gull is a slender, medium-sized gull with long wings. Medium-gray upperparts. READ MORE
ABOUT THE SITE
With a primary focus on birds, each blog series has it’s own unique look at the wildlife and wild places encountered at different locations that I have visited around the world.
ABOUT ME
I earned my college degree in biology, a foundation that shaped not only how I see the world, but how I’ve spent my life sharing it with others. For more than 40 years, I taught and led in public education, helping students discover the wonder woven into every corner of the natural world. That same drive has carried me through decades of citizen science and conservation work. As an active member of the Modesto Camera Club, I’ve developed a photographic practice that blends natural history with visual artistry, and my award‑winning images have been featured across the Internet on dozens of sites and field‑oriented platforms. This blog brings together my passions for birding, conservation, and storytelling.
~ Jim Gain
Reflections of the Natural World 