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My Wildlife Year in Review - 2025

Dec 31, 2025 | By: Lisa Hill Photography

As 2025 comes to a close, I've been reflecting on the year I experienced in nature. I was so fortunate to witness a Barred Owlette fledge its nest, a woodpecker feeding its little one, a mother Humpback Whale and its calf breaching off the coast of Hawaiʻi and to meet injured wildlife at a local rehab center.

From my backyard and across the ocean, I witnessed some of nature's most amazing miracles! 

Join me through a photographic journey of my year in the wild.

January

Carolina Wren

Singing in the cold on the arch covered with Coral Honeysuckle outside my dining room window.

Saffron Finch

Wow! One of the most beautiful birds on the island of Hawaiʻi. Their bright saffron color makes them visible from a great distance. The Saffron Finch made me stop in my tracks!

Hawaiʻian Goose

The Nēnē (Hawaiian Goose) is exclusively found in the wild on the islands of Maui, Kauaʻi, Molokai, and Hawaiʻi. In 1957, it was designated as the official state bird of the state of Hawaiʻi.

Black-crowned Night Heron (Juvenile)

Perced atop a large lava rock on the island of Hawaiʻi.

Feral Goat

Feral goats thrive in steep, rocky terrain on the island of Hawaiʻi. They go up the steep lava flow during the night and come down during the day and decimate the natural environment. There is an ongoing program to control their population.

Humpback Whale Calf

The most amazing experience of a lifetime to witness a mother Humpback Whale and her calf breaching along the coast of the island of Hawaiʻi.

Humpback Whale Calf

The most amazing experience of a lifetime to witness a mother Humpback Whale and her calf breaching along the coast of the island of Hawaiʻi.

Humpback Whale

The most amazing experience of a lifetime to witness a mother and young Humpback Whale breaching along the coast of the island of Hawaiʻi.

Humpback Whale

The most amazing experience of a lifetime to witness a mother and young Humpback Whale breaching along the coast of the island of Hawaiʻi.

February

Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve and Murphey Candler Park

Red-shouldered Hawk

Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve

Hooded Merganser

Enjoying a tasty treat at Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve - frog legs anyone?

Hooded Merganser

Gliding on the Beaver Pond at Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve

Double-crested Cormorant

Drying its feathers in the middle of the pond at Murphey Candler Park

March

Watching over the pond at Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve

Belted Kingfisher

Blue-winged Teals

Taking a break at Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve

Yellow-crowned Night Heron

There is a pair of Yellow-crowned Night Herons that nest each year at Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve. Throughout the day, you can find them wading and fishing through the tall grasses in the pond.

Steller's Jay

On a late winter trip to Steamboat Springs, we experienced a great day of snow and some lifers for me! The brilliant blue of the Steller's Jay really stood out against the snow.

Pine Grosbeak (Female)

On a late winter trip to Steamboat Springs, we experienced a great day of snow and some colorful birds!

Downy Woodpecker

On a late winter trip to Steamboat Springs, we experienced a great day of snow which created a great backdrop to photograph local birds.

April

Cedar Waxwings

Twice, the Cedar Waxwings arrived in my yard and decimated the berries on the mahonia. You can hear the ruckus and their fast movement as hundreds descend to make quick work of their meal.

Barred Owlette

Three owlettes hatched in this next at Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve. This one is hanging out on the edge of the next box, so close to fledging!

Barred Owlette

This was the second of the owlettes to fledge. I walked up to the spot, where a group of photographers gathered daily, just as this owlette left the nest for the first time!

Barred Owlette

After working hard to climb from the nest box to this branch, this owlette hung out here for at least a few days.

Barred Owlette

Curiously watching us with our cameras.

Barred Owlette

The three owlettes spent months hopping from branch to branch as they learned to fly. The adults will continue feeding their little ones for up to 6 months until they can hunt on their own.

White-tailed Deer

There is an abundance of deer in the Atlanta area. It was starting to drizzle and as I was packing up my camera to head to my car, I spotted this one in Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve.

May

Hairy Woodpecker

A momma woodpecker and her mate made a lot of trips back and forth feeding this young one. I visited Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve several days to get this amazing image with the baby bird peeking out.

Barn Owl

I visited AWARE Wildlife Center, located east of Atlanta, for the first time. The work they do at in this rehab center is important and I was glad to see their efforts firsthand.

June

Checkered White Butterfly

This beautiful butterfly caught my attention against the bright pink and orange of the coneflower. I love this image so much, I used it for the cover of wall calendar I created for 2026.

July

Barred Owl

One of the owlettes from the spring - growing fast!

Yellow-crowned Night Heron

The Yellow-crowned Night Herons nest each year at Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve, but this is the first time in my 5 years visiting that I've seen one of the juveniles.

August

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

These hummingbirds migrate back to my yard in the spring and are very active around the native plants I added to my garden - just for them! Coral Honeysuckle, Black and Blue Salvia and Indian Pink are a few that I grow.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

These hummingbirds migrate back to my yard in the spring and are very active around the native plants I added to my garden - just for them! Coral Honeysuckle, Black and Blue Salvia and Indian Pink are a few that I grow.

October

White Ibis

Strutting around the lake at City Park in New Orleans

Common Buckeye

This butterfly was fluttering from one flower to the next and I followed it around the entry garden in the New Orleans Botanical Garden.

Wood Duck

A beautiful day at Audubon Park in New Orleans. I loved this park so much that I plan to go back! Elegant and full of old live oak trees, it's a shaded, serene green space.

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck

Another lifer with this very noisy duck! There were dozens of them in the pond and they didn't stop 'whistling' the entire time we walked through Audubon Park in New Orleans.

November

Australian Emu

Strangely attractive. I spent an afternoon at the San Francisco Zoo.

Black-crowned Night Heron

I spent an afternoon at the San Francisco Zoo. This was a bird living in the wild, and spending time watching the animals living in the zoo.

Steller's Jay

I spent an afternoon at the San Francisco Zoo. This was a bird living in the wild, but hanging out with the animals living in the zoo.

American White Pelican (Juvenile)

I'm used to seeing Brown Pelicans, but have only seen an American White Pelican once before from a great distance. They are beautiful birds! The soft gray of the juveniles was a little like the Pantone Color of the Year - Cloud Dancer.

Snow Leopard

This incredibly gorgeous animal is what drew me to the San Francisco Zoo!

December

Downy Woodpecker

I just purchased my first mirrorless camera and took it out for a test run. It's a game changer! I went out looking for Hooded Mergansers at Lullwater Preserve. While I didn't see the mergansers, I followed this woodpecker around for a while.

Many of these images are available to purchase on my new photographic art site.

Visit my art site via the link below!

Photographic Art

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