A Burrowing Owl for today’s #speckles&spots theme of #BirdOfTheDay picked by @alan678.bsky.social #birds #photography #nature #eastcoastkin

I am continuing to struggle with representing #iridescence in photographs. Right now, it feels like a fool’s errand. Female Anna’s Hummingbird feeding on Kniphofia, yesterday under cloudy skies. #birds #photography #stunday #EasCoastKin

A Snowy Egret for today’s #snowy theme of #BirdOfTheDay picked by @alan678.bsky.social You weren’t referring to that cold wet white stuff that falls from the sky were you Alan? I haven’t seen that up close for years, here in lowland California 😂 #birds #nature #photography #birding

The first hummingbird of the #NewYear for the #BlueSkyArtShow Anna’s hummingbird on January 2, 2026. #birds #photography #nature #iridescence

A superb fairy-wren from a 2024 trip to Australia for #SmallBirdSaturday instigated by @javajanegallery.co.uk #birds #nature #photography

A red-shouldered hawk for today’s #CaughtInMotion and #BirdsOfPrey themes of #BirdOfTheDay picked by @alan678.bsky.social #birds #nature #photography

Photographing the iridescent gorget of a male Anna’s #hummingbird, requires #GoodLight, with a low angle sun straight behind the photographer, and the bird should have raised it gorget feathers. I prefer a light overcast for the best colors. @robcrank68.bsky.social #BirdOfTheDay #birds #nature

A night heron for the #B&W theme of #BirdOfTheDay picked by @alan678.bsky.social #birds #nature #photography

A lesser scaup for the #b&w theme of #BirdOfTheDay picked by @alan678.bsky.social I can’t think of a better way to start the new year. #happynewyear #birds #nature #birding #photography

Yesterday, I finally found some robins eating berries. Yes, in this part of the world, where the “robins” are thrushes, they eat berries, unlike the original robins in Europe, that are flycatchers and eat bugs. Both bring joy to the season as #holidayrobin and we are grateful. #birds #happynewyear

A recent Wood Duck for today’s #reflections theme of #BirdOfTheDay picked by @robcrank68.bsky.social Thanks to Rob and cohost @alan678.bsky.social for coming up with BOTD themes for us this year. This has been loads of fun!! #birds #nature #ducks #photography #happynewyear

I am going with the alternate theme of #waders for the #BirdOfTheDay picked by @alan678.bsky.social with this little Western Sandpiper. #birds #photography #nature #birding

I had to go back to April of 2023 before I found #birdbutts in the archives. I shoot plenty of them, but always delete them right away. I finally found this female Common Yellowthroat shot though (whew) for the #BirdOfTheDay theme picked by @robcrank68.bsky.social #birds #nature #photography

A pair of Western Grebes with their chicks for today’s #serenity and #favorite themes of #BirdOfTheDay picked by @alan678.bsky.social I think this shot may qualify for both themes because it is my favorite one of 2025 and, well, I think it is a serene scene. #birds #nature #photography

after the rain #holiday #blueskyartshow #birds

A Least Sandpiper, the world’s smallest shorebird, for #SmallBirdSaturday of @javajanegallery.co.uk. #birds #nature #photography #birdphotography #naturephotography

A juvenile Northern Harrier for the #outstretched theme of #BirdOfTheDay picked by @robcrank68.bsky.social. #birds #nature #photography #birdphotography #naturephotography

A Hooded Merganser, one of North America’s smallest ducks, shot on December 23rd, 2025 for the #MostRecent theme of #BirdOfTheDay picked by @alan678.bsky.social. #birds #nature #ducks #photography

It was 2014, at Leersumse Veld in The Netherlands when I last photographed a European Robin (or “Robin Redbreast” as you may call it). I share it here for the #HolidayRobin theme of #BirdOfTheDay picked by @robcrank68.bsky.social. Have a Merry Christmas! #birds #nature #flycatcher #photography

A Western Bluebird facing the camera for today’s (alternate) #faceoff theme of #BirdOfTheDay picked by @alan678.bsky.social. #birds #photography #birdphotography #nature

A great blue heron for today’s #SideProfiles theme of #BirdOfTheDay. #birds #nature #heronsandegrets #birdphotography

Happy belated #MallardMonday. I saw somewhere that geese are allowed too, besides this Aleutian Cackling #Goose (subspecies recognizable by the collar) is about the size of a mallard. They look a little like a Canada Goose, but note the short neck, small triangular bill and steep forehead. #birds

Western Snowy Plover for today’s #grounded theme of #birdoftheday. The Pacific Coast Distinct Population Segment of the species is federally listed as Threatened. New threats to the species include rocket launches, sea level rise, avian flu, e-bikes, and drones. #birds #photography #birding #nature

A mallard duckling for the #AboutTheKids theme of #BirdOfTheDay. #birds #duckling #nature #ducks

One year our dear departed friend Cheryl gave each of us who made the trip to Botswana a lilac-breasted roller ornament for Christmas. It became my spark bird, the one that caused this crazy obsession to photograph birds. #colourfulcaptures #birdoftheday #birds #birdphotography #nature

Lately, I have been rediscovering the beauty of #sparrows. I like how this White-crowned Sparrow shot came out, so it will be my contribution to the #OpenHouse anniversary theme of the #BlueSkyArtShow. #birds #photography #nature

A Summer Tanager for today’s #ColourfulCaptures alternate theme of #BirdOfTheDay picked by @alan678.bsky.social. For several years this, for us, rare vagrant visited our area. It was like Christmas in July. #birds #photography #birding #nature

Long-billed Curlew for the #longlegsandneck theme of #birdoftheday picked by @robcrank68.bsky.social. #birds #nature #montereybay #photography

Great Blue Heron quietly observing its environment for the #QuietObservers theme of #BirdOfTheDay picked by @alan678.bsky.social. #birds #heronsandegrets #nature #photography #birding

Sandhill cranes on a winter roost pond for @robcrank68.bsky.social’s #Groups theme of #BirdOfTheDay. #birds #photography #nature

Female acorn woodpecker holding a bug for the #NaturesPantry theme of #BirdOfTheDay. Although they eat a lot of acorns, their favorite food is insects, they catch in flight. #birds #photography #birding #nature

Acorn Woodpecker perched on his granary, a live walnut tree, for the #NaturesPantry theme of #BirdOfTheDay. #birds #nature #photography

Immature Great Blue Heron scratching itself on top of a barn for the #scratchersandpruners theme of #birdoftheday. #birds #heronsandegrets #photography #nature

A tri-colored heron at Bayou Sauvage, Louisiana for the #HeronsAndEgrets theme of #BirdOfTheDay. #birds #nature #photography #birdphotography #naturephotography

A tiny bushtit for @javajanegallery.co.uk’s #SmallBirdSaturday. I love to photograph tiny birds. #favoritethings #blueskyartshow #birds #photography #nature

A pacific black duck at Sydney’s Lane Cove National Park 🇦🇺 for the #DucksOnOneLeg theme of #BirdOfTheDay picked by @robcrank68.bsky.social. Ducks are among my #FavoriteThings to photograph. #BlueSkyArtShow #birds #nature #naturephotography #birdphotography #birding

Hummingbird and flower #favoritethings #blueskyartshow #birds #nature #photography #iridescence

Common merganser (or goosander) in a cloud of water drops of her own making for the #Splashes theme of #BirdOfTheDay. #birds #nature #photography #naturephotography #birdphotography

An Australasian Swamphen for the #CootsAndMoorhens theme of #BirdOfTheDay and to remind us that birds descended from dinosaurs. #birds #photography #nature #naturephotograhy #birdphotography #birding

A pied kingfisher from Chobe National Park, Botswana, for today’s #AlansNemesis theme of #BirdOfTheDay. Welcome back @alan678.bsky.social. Back in 2009 I had to go all the way to Africa to shoot my first #kingfisher, but now I get them regularly 😁. Perseverance pays off. #birds #nature #photography

House finch in the early morning light for the #SideViews theme of #BirdOfTheDay #birds #photography #birding #birdphotography #nature #naturephotography

A group of greater white-fronted geese landing at the Cosumnes River Preserve in northern #California for #mallardmonday #birds #photography #birdphotography #birding #nature #naturephotography

A pair of western grebes working on their floating nest for today’s #nestbuilders theme of #birdoftheday. #birds #photography #birding #birdphotography #nature #naturephotography

Rufous Hummingbirds usually only sit still for a few seconds. Fortunately, they often return to the same few perches. So you pick one, prefocus, wait, and shoot when he briefly returns. 😅 #birdsontwigs #birdoftheday #birds #photography #birding #nature

Sandhill crane taking off for the #movement theme of #birdoftheday #birds #photography #birdphotography #nature #naturephotography

Ruby-crowned kinglet for @javajanegallery.co.uk’s #smallbirdsaturday. #birds #photography #nature #birding #kinglet #nature #naturephotography

#sky #blueskyartshow #sunrise #photography #scape

A spherical Anna’s Hummingbird for today’s #borbs theme of #birdoftheday #birds #photography #nature

A proud California Scrub-Jay for the #songbirds theme of #birdoftheday. Like all corvids it is in the suborder Passeri, or songbirds, in case you were wondering… #birds #photography #birdphotography #jays #birding #nature

A Cooper’s hawk chick peeking over the edge of the nest for the #lookingatyou theme of #birdoftheday. #birds #photography #birdphotography #nature #naturephotography