2026 Stevens Family Calendar -- August

I have already sprinkled photos (used and unused) from Iceland throughout the calendar.

Upper left: cover; Lower left and center: intro section; Upper right: considered and rejected for June; Lower right: used for February

For August, I (somewhat) broke my “them, not place” rule and used photos exclusively from our trip to Iceland in September 2025. 

We didn't use this cloudy shot from Grundarfjörður; Photo: Scott Stevens

I will give some brief overviews of what these shots (and the ones I didn’t use) are about. But, you can read about our Iceland journey in a series that starts here and continues down Iceland’s south coast, to Greenland and then back to Iceland’s Snæfellsnes Peninsula.

Oh, and this won’t be the end of it. Iceland photos dominate the fall-themed November pages of the calendar. It’s a pretty place and we took lots of photos. What do you expect?

We didn't have room for these; Photos: Scott Stevens

The main page is anchored at the upper left by a photo of cliffs and the famous Elephant Rock in Heimaey, Vestmannaeyjar.

When we took the shot, we were not even aware we were looking at an almost perfect elephant face. Had I pre-blogged, like I often do, I would have known. As it was, I found out later.

We used the right shot and not those on the left; you can see the face in the middle left shot; Lower left and right: Scott Stevens

The upper right was also taken in Vestmannaeyjar, this time at the Puffin lookout at Stórhöfði. This Atlantic Puffin with its mouth full of fish made the final cut. I showed you a few similar shots that we didn’t used back in June, grouped with some other Atlantic Puffins from Iceland and a Horned and a Tufted Puffin from Alaska. 

I just love Puffins! The one on the right was the winner

Below the Puffin is a narrow shot of close and far sea stacks taken from the black-sand beach at Dyrhólaey on the south coast.

The gray weather complemented the scene

Here are some other shots from nearby Vík of the same distant stacks that we did not use.

Closer

Farther

Moving back over to the left, there’s a narrow shot of Svöðufoss, a waterfall surging down a cleft in the mountains near Ólafsvík on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. If you look closely, you can see taller mountains and Snæfellsjökull (the glacier in the center of the Peninsula) behind the falls.

The full picture; Photo: Scott Stevens

We had a lovely hike out to Svöðufoss, so, of course, we had photos we couldn’t use. This one almost made the cut.

This one almost made the cut

And, so did this with a much more dramatic foreground; Photo: Scott Stevens

Below Svöðufoss is a portrait of a couple of Icelandic horses in front of a different glacier, Vatnajökull.

We used the wide shot on the left; rejecting the similar one on the upper right
and the extreme close-up on the lower right

We always end up with lots of Icelandic Horse photos and we just can’t use them all.

The large photo on the lower right is Brúarfoss, taken on a rainy day. Somehow, on all our past trips to Iceland, we had missed this one, so it was quite a revelation, especially with the turquoise water of the stream leading away from the falls. Unlike many of the falls on the south coast, Brúarfoss is flat and wide rather than tall.

It was hard to choose the best angle; We used the one on the right

Brúarfoss shows up again as the final photo on the calendar page ...

This wide angle gives a different perspective

Calendar Page

A lot of the same themes – and some new ones -- show up on the calendar page.

The first photo on top row is a shot of the golden basalt cliffs that form the island of Súgandisey in Stykkishólmur Harbor ...

We used the one on the left, leaving behind the ones on the right

Here’s a shot Stykkishólmur Harbor we considered, but ultimately did not use ...

The calm belied some pretty stiff wind that day

I already showed you the waterfall, Brúarfoss, on the bottom row of the calendar page. The top row features two more south coast waterfalls ...

 Írárfoss is in the second slot and Skógafoss (with a rainbow across its face) is in the fourth slot; Right: Scott Stevens

Waterfalls are one of Iceland’s main features and we had lots of photos to consider. We just couldn’t use them all. Here are some we didn't ...

A slightly different angle of Skógafoss with its rainbow; Photo: Scott Stevens

A wider angle

Nearby Seljalandsfoss with its own rainbow

A couple of other views of Seljalandsfoss

Wider angles of Írárfoss on the sides; Bjarnarfoss in the middle; Left: Scott Stevens

Kirkjufell; Photo: Scott Stevens

Gullfoss and Raudfeldsgja Gorge (which has a waterfull hidden inside the gorge)

Sandwiched between those two falls (fosses in Icelandic), is a photo take from the ferry as we traveled from the mainland to Vestmannaeyjar off the south coast. The wide, scooped out island is Elliðaey Island, completely uninhabited except for a hunting lodge cradled in the valley.

I had never seen anything quite like it

Vestmannaeyjar provided many vistas that were in contention for this page. Take a look …

Cliffs; Photo: Scott Stevens 

Multiple shots of Heimaey harbor

Stórhöfði

The final shot on the top row is a Northern Fulmar resting on a cliff above the ocean in Stórhöfði. 

The lush green turf and the brilliant blue water are unmatchable

The first photo on the bottom row is Brimketill, or the Devil’s Pool, on the coast of the Reykjanes Peninsula. We looked at quite a few coastal shots, especially ones with sea stacks and/or pounding surf before we settled on this shot.

Looks inviting

Here's a long list of ones we didn't use ...

The Lóndrangar sea stacks and cliffs

Western Snæfellsnes cliffs and surf

Looking south on Snæfellsnes

Black sand beach at Dyrhólaey 

More Dyrhólaey shots

Some good waves at Dyrhólaey 

The Reykjanes coast

How would you choose?

Finally, there’s another photo of a beautiful Icelandic Horse, this one resting in the pasture.

For this page, it was either the horse or some Icelandic Sheep. We chose the Horse 

But, we did put a silly Sheep on the back cover

He looks as surprised as we were; Photo: Scott Setvens

Here are a few more Horses we looked at but didn’t use ...

Some very nice options; Photo: Scott Stevens

When we get to November, you’ll see more photos we used – and didn’t use – of Iceland.

This was under consideration for both months, but made neither

Here are a few more that we considered but could fit it …

The Frelsisleid in Hellissandur

A wide view of Ingjaldshóllkirkja and Snæfellsjökull: Photo: Scott Stevens 

Nautical shots from Keflavik; Photos: Scott Stevens

Heading down the road; Right: Scott Stevens

Birding in Colombia #20: Our Final (Glorious) Stop

Longuemare's Sunangel

Our last day of our trip to Colombia was the best day of the extension. It didn’t start out looking like the best because it was gray and rainy. 

But, the birds we saw!

We traveled toward Bogotá along a winding mountain road heading toward Guasca. We made a few stops to bird and it started to pour. Alejandro had told us repeatedly that rainy, foggy weather is great for birds. And, he was right. We encountered a frenetic mixed flock in some bushes right by the road. 

There might be 100 birds in there!

With the heaviest rain we had tried to bird in (all our other heavy rain had been while traveling), the speed at which the birds were moving and the dark skies, most of the birds were almost impossible to see and truly impossible to photograph.

I did get (some after the rain abated), including two lifers …

Blue-backed Conebill

Rufous-browed Conebill

 … and some repeats … 

Black Flowerpiercer

Pearled Treerunner

Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager

I missed pix of a bunch I had already photographed elsewhere: Masked Flowerpiercer, Turkey Vulture, Cinnamon Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Tropical Mockingbird, Great Thrush, Rufous-collared Sparrow and Golden-fronted Redstart; plus a Plushcap, which I had seen before but never got a photo of.

I also saw, but didn’t photograph a few fast-moving lifers: Agile Tit-Tyrant, Coppery-bellied Puffleg, Golden-crowned Tanager and three Hemispinguses: Black-capped, Superciliaried and Black-headed. And, I totally missed another Pale-bellied Tapaculo (but, hey, I already had a good photo of one).

We pulled off the main road onto a lane that ran through a farm and had a real bonanza, including some lifers …

Black-billed Mountain Toucan

Mountain Cacique (plus another Northern Slaty Brushfinch)

Black-collared Jay ...

... a gorgeous cousin of the Green Jay

Brown-breasted Parakeet ...

... lots of them!

We also saw some old friends …

Crimson-mantled Woodpecker (so striking)

A white-faced Golden-fronted Redstart

Several Great Thrushes (this was the lightest one I saw)

I also saw, but didn’t get a photo of a White-banded Tyrannulet, a lifer, a Longuemare's Sunangel and a Tyrian Metaltail. But, there was still more great stuff to come.

We traveled down an even more narrow road through beautiful farmland.

Much of Colombia is rural and green

We were going to Observatorio de Aves Los Andes (Observatory for Birds of the Andes), a private operation similar to the Hummingbird viewing area one we visited in Soatá, but far more remote. 

Observatorio de Aves Los Andes

This would be our last chance to see more of Colombia’s vast array of Hummingbirds as well as a few Antpittas the Observatorio is known for.

White-bellied Woodstar

On the way, we had an unexpected treat: A beautiful multi-colored Whistling Heron, so called because, unlike other herons, it is vocal with a distinctive metallic whistle. 

We caught him having lunch

Whistling Herons are found in drier areas than other Herons, including natural grasslands and agriculture areas.This lifer was very far away. 

I was surprised at how good my shots turned out

It was still a bit rainy when the owner came out to greet us. He told us that he had been trying to attract the (formerly) reliable Antpittas for several days, but with no luck. He speculated that they could be nesting or spooked by some other birds or maybe even something worse, but that there would be no Antpittas.

So, no Muisca Antpitta for us! Photo: eBird

Surprise!

BUT, he said, he did have a surprise that would require a brief hike. We walked ....

... across a damp field and ...

... down a narrow, steep and slippery trail with no clue where we were going or why 

Thank god I had my walking stick and Heather and Alejandro to give me an occasional hand (I really hate slippery rocks!). I made it to a broader open area where the owner and Alejandro gestured toward a tall dead tree. 

Alejandro setting up his scope

Perched at the top as an Andean Potoo.

Unexpected!

This was a BIG DEAL. For many reasons. First, Potoos are among the coolest birds I have ever seen ...

Those included a Common Potoo (left and middle) and a Great Potoo (right) in Costa Rica ...

… Northern Potoos in Roatán, Honduras, and Mexico …

… and another Common Potoo just a week earlier at Sonso Lake

I really love these weird creatures, which I wrote about in my Mexico blog.

But, according to Alejandro, an Andean Potoo was extra special. It is considered very rare and is infrequently observed by birders or scientists. While the IUCN Red List classifies the species as of Least Concern, its population size is unknown. 

The population is believed to be decreasing

Their extreme rarity is because Andean Potoos are highly nocturnal and masters of camouflage and because they reside exclusively in high-elevation Andean cloud forests, typically between 4,600 and 9,200 feet. This means that their range consists of an assortment of small, unconnected areas throughout the northern Andes. 

Not an easy bird to find; Map: eBird

Habitat loss due to deforestation remains the most significant threat to the species, even though they can occasionally tolerate selectively logged forests.

This one was a baby – only five weeks old. The Observatorio owner had been watching since its mother had laid her egg at the top of that snag. Now, the helpless baby just sits stock still all day while mom is off hunting and doing what Potoos do. She comes back in in the evening to feed her chick. 

For now, it was just pretending to be a tree. That made it tricky to photograph. 

Yeah, I got lots of photos, but they all looked pretty much alike

The terrain and our desire to give the Potoo space made it difficult to change angle

But, we weren’t done with Observatorio de Aves Los Andes. 

Hummingbirds Galore!

More feeders and more birds

Alejandro lured us back up the hill with promises of new Hummingbirds. The viewing area, which was exclusively ours for the time we were there, produced our last look at some favorites … 

Tyrian Metaltail

Lesser Violetear

Longuemare's Sunangel

White-bellied Woodstars

Even more exciting were three lifers …

The stunningly beautiful Blue-throated Starfrontlet

The elusive Mountain Velvetbreast

One of my bucket-list birds, the Sword-billed Hummingbird

Among the largest species of Hummingbird, the Sword-billed Hummingbird is the only bird to have a beak longer than the rest of its body, excluding the tail. Counting bill and body, it’s about 10 inches long. It uses its bill to drink nectar from flowers with long corollas and has coevolved with the species Passiflora mixta, a passionflower. 

A symbiotic relationship; Left: Wikipedia; Right: Holmes Pantoja

Most Hummingbirds preen using their bills, but the Sword-Billed Hummingbird can’t bend enough to make contact. Therefore, it uses its feet to scratch and preen.

Males have shorter bills but longer wings and tails than females.

This is a male; just imagine …

The Sword-billed Hummingbird is found in the Andes from western Venezuela through Colombia, Ecuador and Peru to Bolivia in humid and wet montane forest, forest edges, shrubland, gardens and patches of páramo at elevations of 5,600 to 11,500 feet. It is most common at elevations of 7,900 to 10,200 feet. 

An amazing (and cooperative) bird

It is generally non-migratory, but shows localized movements in Colombia and northwestern Venezuela, where it moves to higher altitudes in the early wet season and returns to lower elevations in the dry season.

This was a fabulous way to end our three weeks in Colombia. 

 

A Sword-billed Hummingbird and an Andean Potoo? Yes, please!

Goodbye!

After that adventure, we drove back to traffic-clogged Bogotá, where we had time to shower and repack before heading to the airport for our overnight flight. It’s so nice that we got a room even though we weren’t staying the night.

Despite the airport having no lounge (interesting that American closed their Bogotá Admiral’s Club), the rest of our flights home were uneventful.

I loved Colombia and all the varieties of birds we saw. Our guide, Alejandro, was fabulous and my traveling companions were the best.

Cleaned up and ready to go home

Another successful birding trip for the books.

Tour dates: March 7-28, 2026