ca. 1992

ERIK BREDEN - takes all the pictures, prepares the images for display on on our web site, and creates and maintains all of the web pages on our web site. He started taking general nature pictures as a teenager in the 1960's (see photo at right). His subjects included flowers, insects, frogs, turtles, snakes, mammals...well, actually, anything that would stay still long enough to be photographed! A frustrating attempt to photograph a Baltimore Oriole in a large willow tree in his parents' backyard was the catalyst that ignited his passion for birds, and started him on a lifelong quest to photograph birds. Erik has photographed over 985 species of North American, Central and South American, European, and Asian birds. He has also photographed over 700 species in the United States and Canada alone, a feat only accomplished by a small number of nature photographers.

ca. 1967

MARY BREDEN - helped Erik with the business side of The Otter Side when we started the company in 1990 and was the creative talent behind many of our product designs. She also doubled as Erik's photographic assistant in the field, a role that she continues to fill now that the business has been retired.

Mary was introduced to birds when she met Erik. Their first "date" was on a bitterly cold February day when they went out looking for a Le Conte's Sparrow that had been reported from Sandy Hook, New Jersey. For a California girl, standing in deep snow and looking for a "little brown bird" (that was never found) could have been enough to make this a last date. But Mary became "hooked" on birds when, on another outing, a flock of Cedar Waxwings descended from the sky and filled the bushes and trees all around. It was a magic moment!

After we moved to Texas Mary felt called to ministry and attended Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. After graduation she accepted a call to Andrews Presbyterian Church in Andrews, Texas. In August 2010 she retired and we moved to the lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas. She served as an Interim Pastor of New Hope Presbyterian Church in La Feria, Texas, filling in as needed for ten years, before officially "retiring again". She is still active in the La Feria church, teaching a bit, preaching once in a while, and mentoring the Elders who preach and minster to the congregation.

REX and BIRGIT STANFORD - In May 2022 my dear friend, Rex Stanford, died at the age of 83. He and his late wife, Birgit, were passionate about birds, butterflies, dragonflies, and all aspects of nature. Like me, Rex was also a photographer. Over the years he photographed many uncommon and rare birds (with Birgit's help identifying them), mostly in the New York City area and then the lower Rio Grande Valley after moving to Texas in 2007.

As the Executor of his will, I had the opportunity to finish cataloging and conserving his photos. I am proud to be able to include Rex's images of 33 uncommon or rare bird species on these web pages. In this way Rex and Birgit's lifelong passion for birds will live on.

ERIK'S PUBLISHED PHOTOS - A number of Erik's photos have been published as documentary photographs in:

• New Jersey Audubon's Records of New Jersey Birds,
  
  
• the American Birding Association's Winging It and North American Birds (formerly known as National Audubon Society Field Notes, formerly known as American Birds),
  
  
• the British birdwatcher's magazine Birdwatch,
  
  
• and the Texas Ornithological Society's Texas Birds Annual and Bulletin of the Texas Ornithological Society,

Erik provided slides to David Sibley for use in the preparation of the highly acclaimed Sibley Guide to Birds (David Allen Sibley, 2000).

He also contributed slides that are on file with VIREO (Visual Resources for Ornithology) at the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, and has donated slides for use in presentations at the Cape May Bird Observatory.

In addition, his photographs can be seen in the following photographic field guides:

• The Sparrows of the United Sates and Canada - The Photographic Guide - James D. Rising, 2001
  
  
• Shorebirds of North America - The Photographic Guide - Dennis Paulson, 2005
  
  
• Identifying Warblers of the Upper Texas Coast (computer-based presentation and study guide) - Don Richardson, Houston Audubon Society, 2005

TEXAS BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE (TBRC) - On previous birding trips to Texas, and since THE OTTER SIDE moved to Texas in 1999, he has been documenting rarities for the TBRC.

You can see photographs of all of them in the Complete Image Catalog here at THE OTTER SIDE.

(Note: All the birds below are rare or uncommon in Texas (or at least in the Rio Grande Valley), and a number were chosen by the TBRC for documentation):

Photographed birds are marked in bold.

• 2024 (the Winter and Spring seasons continued to bring in rare birds)
• a very cooperative and long-staying first winter Sabine's Gull in November at Fred Stone County Park, Port Mansfield
• a "mind-blowing" Southern Lapwing which spent a few days in mid-April at Llano Grande Golf Course in Mercedes
• individuals and small groups (2-3) of Limpkins were found throughout the RGV from Estero Llano Grande State Park in Weslaco to the resacas in San Benito in January! There was even a brief solo appearance at the Rio Grande River watch-post way upriver at Salineno
• Resaca de la Palma State Park continued hosting the long-staying Gray-collared Becard, which was joined by a juvenile Roadside Hawk in January
• also at Resaca de la Palma State Park the "Patagonia Picnic Table Effect" of many birders in a small area produced sightings of western and Mexican birds, such as Western Tanager, Dusky-capped, Hammond's, and Western Flycatchers, and Rose-throated Becard in January
• an amazing (and long-staying) Fan-tailed Warbler discovered by Evan Farese at the UTRGV campus in Brownsville in January
  
  
• 2023
• the Winter season began at Resaca de la Palma State Park with the arrival of a Gray-collared Becard (3rd US and 1st Texas record) in late November!
  
  
• 2022
• an Iceland Gull at the Brownsville Landfill in late April
• a surprising Sooty Tern at the Brownsville Landfill in late April
• an apparently wild pair of Muscovy Ducks in wetlands along Route 77 just north of Harlingen in late January
  
  
• 2021
• a rather tame Flame-colored Tanager at the Convention Center Gardens on South Padre Island in early May
• the first US record of Bat Falcon at Santa Ana NWR in Alamo in January
  
  
• 2020
• after a 10 year absence from the RGV, a Ruddy Ground Dove stayed for several weeks at Bentsen Rio Grande State Park in Mission in January
• a striking female Elegant Trogon stayed at Estero Llano Grande State Park in Weslaco for over two months in January and February
  
  
• 2019
• due to Covid restrictions, this was a slow year without many outings
  
  
• 2018
• a fairly cooperative Juvenile Roadside Hawk at the Border Patrol horse barns in Mission in November
• a beautiful White-crowned Pigeon at the South Padre Island Birding Center in October
  
  
• 2017
• the return (after an almost 15 year absence) of a Tamaulipas Crow to the Rio Grande Valley at the South Padre Island Birding Center in late November. It was almost an "invasion", as there were sightings of birds (sometimes 2 to 4 birds together) along the coast as far north as Galveston.
  
  
• 2016
• a very rare Variegated Flycatcher at the South Padre Island Birding Center in late September
• a very cooperative Chuck-will's-widow at the South Padre Island Valley Land Fund lots on West Sheepshead Street in April
• a lovely male and female pair of Western Tanagers during Spring migration at the South Padre Island Convention Center gardens in April
  
  
• 2015
• the adult Whooping Crane found during the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival in November along Paredes Line Road (CR 1847) near Laguna Atascosa NWR in Rio Hondo
• the juvenile Northern Jacana in September at Estero Llano Grande State Park in Weslaco
• the two Townsend's Warblers in April at the SPI Convention Center gardens on South Padre Island
  
  
• 2014
• the potential first US record of a female Red-legged Honeycreeper in November at Estero Llano Grande State Park in Weslaco
• the first Texas record of Bar-tailed Godwit in August on the flats south of Ocean Drive in Corpus Christi
• the second US record (both records from Texas) of Collared Plover found by Dan Jones in August at a playa lake in Hargill
• the adult Brown Booby found by Scarlet Colley in July in the Laguna Madre at South Padre Island
• the adult Slaty-backed Gull in February at Lake Casa Blanca State Park in Laredo
• the first winter Glaucous Gull in January on the Boca Chica Beach near Brownsville
  
  
• 2013
• the female Amazon Kingfisher found during the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival in November at the Route 100 resaca in Olmito
• the Fork-tailed Flycatcher in November in a field along Route 4 near Boca Chica
• the "hybrid" Rufous-capped Warbler X Common Yellowthroat? in May at Park Chalk Bluff in Uvalde
• the surprising Golden-crowned Sparrow discovered in May at the SPI Convention Center gardens on South Padre Island
• the female Crimson-collared Grosbeak in February at Sabal Palms Sanctuary in Brownsville
• the male Red-naped Sapsucker in February at Bentsen Rio Grande State Park in Mission;Texas
• the male Calliope Hummingbird in January at Russ Pitman Park in Bellaire
• the returning Painted Redstart that spent the Winter of at the Route 281 Rest Area in Falfurrias
• the astounding Flammulated Owl that spent the Winter of at the SPI Convention Center gardens on South Padre Island
  
  
• 2012
• the first Texas record of Black-tailed Godwit in June at Brazoria NWR near Lake Jackson
• the amazing Surfbird in March at the Packery Channel South Jetty in Corpus Christi
• the Purple Sandpiper in January at Port Mansfield
• the long-staying Golden-crowned Warbler in January at Frontera Audubon in Weslaco
• the immature male Anna's Hummingbird in January at the Sabal Palms Sanctuary in Brownsville
• the first year Black-legged Kittiwake in January at Isla Blanca County Park in South Padre Island
  
  
• 2011
• the returning Brown Jays in December at the bird feeding station in Salineno
• the stunning male Blue Bunting in November at the Casa Santa Ana Bed and Breakfast in Alamo
• the territorial Yellow-green Vireos in June at Sabal Palms Sanctuary in Brownsville
• the "two day wonder" Green Violet-Ear in June at a private residence in Ingram
• the male and female Masked Ducks in May at Sabal Palms Sanctuary in Brownsville
• the same? Black-vented Oriole as the one at Bentsen in April at Atol Street in South Padre Island
• the cooperative male Yellow-faced Grassquit in February at Goose Island State Park
• the long-staying White-throated Thrush in January at Estero Llano Grande State Park in Weslaco
• the long-staying Black-vented Oriole in January on the Bentsen Rio Grande State Park Christmas Bird Count in Mission
  
  
• 2010
• the adorable Tufted Flycatcher in December at the Daniels Ranch in Big Bend National Park
• the unexpected Greater Pewee in December at the Roselawn Cemetery in McAllen
• the Rufous-backed Robin in November at the Laguna Atascosa NWR visitor center
• the immature male Rose-throated Becard in February at Bentsen Rio Grande Valley State Park in Mission
• the male Rose-throated Becard in January at Estero Llano Grande State Park in Weslaco
• the amazing Northern Wheatear found by a local farmer in January in Beeville
  
  
• 2009
• the Brown Noddy in August at the south jetty in Port Aransas
• the pair of Masked Ducks in April at Alligator Pond in Laguna Atascosa NWR
• a female Blue Bunting at Bentsen Rio Grande Valley State Park in January
  
  
• 2008
• the amazing first North American Record of White-crested Elaenia (normally found only in South America from Chile to Ecuador!) found by Dan Jones. It spent two days at the Valley Land Fund's West Sheepshead Street vacant lots in South Padre Island in mid-February. This bird's photo made the cover of the Winter 2008 edition of North American Birds!
• a Dusky-capped Flycatcher which spent the Winter of 2007-2008 at National Audubon's Sabal Palms Sanctuary in Brownsville
• an Allen's Hummingbird which spent the Winter of 2007-2008 at a private residence in Northwest Houston
  
  
• 2007
• a cooperative Golden-crowned Sparrow on the Robert Lee Christmas Bird Count (only the 29th Texas record!)
• a surprising "Black" Brant in the beginning of November in Andrews, Texas (only the 23rd Texas record!)
• a new Spring record for the upper Texas coast in late April - a Green-breasted Mango at the Texas Ornithological Society's Sabine Woods Sanctuary!
  
  
• 2006
• the very cooperative Northern Jacana at the Estero Llano Grande unit of the World Birding Center in Weslaco in August
• the elusive Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher which was present at the Texas Ornithological Society's Sabine Woods Sanctuary for a few days in April
• an American Flamingo which wandered from its Yucatan Peninsula home to Aransas NWR in the late Winter and early Spring
  
  
• 2005
• the very cooperative Fork-tailed Flycatcher at Hornsby Bend, Austin in October
• the male King Eider at Port Bolivar in April (only the 2nd Texas record!)
  
  
• 2004
• the Green-breasted Mango which stayed in the backyard of a McAllen neighborhood home over the Winter of 2004-2005
• the [formerly] reliable Brown Jays at the DeWind's feeders in Salineno
• the unprecedented influx of Mexican birds into the Rio Grande Valley in the Winter of 2004-2005 (including White-throated Thrush, Crimson-collared Grosbeak, and the first [fully documented] Texas and United States record of Social Flycatcher!)
  
  
• 2002
• the Gyrfalcon in Lubbock in February (the southernmost Gyrfalcon record for North America!)
  
  
• 2001
• the first Reddish Egret for the Texas Hill Country along the Guadalupe River, Kerrville in August
• the amazing Yellow-billed Loon which spent the Winter of 2000-2001 in the Laguna Madre (the bay side of South Padre Island)
  
  
• 2000
• a Buff-breasted Flycatcher at The Nature Conservancy's Davis Mountains Preserve in June
• a Black-whiskered Vireo at the Quintana Neotropical Bird Reserve, Quintana Beach in May
• the cooperative Gray-crowned Yellowthroat at Santa Ana NWR, Alamo in April
• the Rufous-backed Robin at the Sarita Courthouse in February
  
  
• 1989
• a pair of Hook-billed Kites at Santa Ana NWR in January
  
  
• 1988
• the difficult "hide and seek" Crane Hawk at Santa Ana NWR in January
• a male Blue Bunting at Bentsen Rio Grande Valley State Park in January