A baby razorbill gets in some early wing flaps. It will soon be able to fly above and below the water! This perch is high above the rocky shore and well below the top of a steep cliff at the @rspb.bsky.social Northern Ireland Seabird Center. #seabirds #rathlinisland #birds #wildlife

European Stonechat, Rathlin Island, Northern Ireland @rspbni.bsky.social #seabirds #northernireland #wildlife #wildlifephotography #rathlinisland #birdphotography

Oystercatchers, Rathlin Island, Northern Ireland @rspbni.bsky.social #seabirds #northernireland #wildlife #wildlifephotography #birds #rathlinisland

A young razorbill spotted way below the top of a cliff lookout on a visit to Rathlin Island, Northern Ireland. The @rspbni.bsky.social Seabird Center is an amazing place to visit! #razorbills #seabirds #birdwatching #northernireland

Puffins spotted way below the top of a cliff lookout on a visit to Rathlin Island, Northern Ireland. The @rspb.bsky.social Seabird Center is an amazing place to visit! #puffins #seabirds #birdwatching #northernireland

Gimme bird-scrolling over doom-scrolling any day! ponderingskies.substack.com/p/birds-eye-... #birds #birdwatching #wildlife #nature #urbannature

I posted a trip report for the adventure my wife and I had at the coast of #NorthCarolina to visit a few national wildlife refuges. Link in my profile bio! #bears #blackbears #wolves #redwolves #wildlife #nature #conservation #birds #outerbanks #wildliferefuge

A resident dove trying out our front porch swing. I was about a meter or 3 feet away when I took this shot through a vintage glass window, so the image isn’t super crisp but good enough. They are so lovely! #doves #birds #birdwatching #nature #urbannature #birdphotography

Spring equinox sunrise from my bird-watching, coffee-drinking front porch perch. The two orange bars show the sun’s position at summer and winter solstice. I love how the sun is centered from this porch view, and by the two oak trees in the distance. #equinox #springequinox #sunrise #birdwatching

I wrote a tribute to our late dog Rudy, a very special boy who made a big impression in our lives. ponderingskies.substack.com/p/who-rescue... #dogs #pets #rescuedog #cattledog #redheeler #whorescuedwho #petadoption

Morning after pics from yesterday's big storm! #snow #NorthCarolina #Greensboro #morningafter #aroundtheyard

A song sparrow stopping at our front yard feeder during today's snowstorm for a little early dinner. #sparrow #birdsofbluesky #birds #snow

"A live stream worth watching": A citizen science effort monitors watershed health, connects people to local ecology, and provides the perfect excuse for getting outdoors. See my latest Substack! Link in my bio. #nature #watershed #macroinvertebrates #waterpollution #citizenscience #northcarolina

I noticed this tiny bit of moss growing on piece of old, decaying tree. I love the juxtaposition of the bright, organic green against the geometric, decaying layers of wood. Even things that are dead and decaying still support life. There’s a whole community right there! #moss #decay #nature #trees

I saw this turkey vulture watching over railroad tracks below. The bird didn't flinch as an Amtrak passenger train passed close by. My hunch is it uses trains to aid in hunting small critters spooked by the train vibration and movement on the tracks. #birds #vulture #nature #urbannature #wildlife

Tree graffiti. #trees #graffiti #nature

A common site where I live: trees that have been butchered (inadvertently sculpted?) to avoid power lines. #trees #urbannature #evergreen #builtenvironment #humanecology

A cold front moved through my part of #NorthCarolina today and had the trees swaying, creaking, and crackling. I love the sound of wind through the tree canopy. 🌳🌲 #trees #forest #wind #weather #hiking #ambient #forestsounds #nature #treecanopy

This little buddy got caught in our chimney last night. I managed to catch it in a live trap with some bird seed, which I know they love. It is now free and has returned to its #squirrel family. #wildlife #urbanwildlife

I think last night was the first time I've received a "frozen fog advisory" from the weather service. This was last night's frosty December moonlight, presented by some resident oaks. #frosty #moon #nightsky #fog #trees #moonlight

A lovely #bluebird visiting the #beautyberry bush in our back yard today #birds #wildlife #birdphotography #nature #naturephotography

Full-on fall showing its colors! Leaves from our hike this morning in Haw River State Park, and the deep reds of the dogwood tree in our yard. #trees #fall #nature #dogwood #hiking #northcarolina

Beautiful, perfect fall morning in the front yard. #urbannature #pollinators #nature #naturelovers #sunrise #fall

Bumble bees just starting to wake up on their sunflower beds 🌻🌻 #frontyardcritters #bees #nature #naturelovers #flowers #sunflowers #pollinators #urbannature #nativeplants #nativegarden

A perfect fall evening on the front porch. As the sun sets in the west and the moon rises in the southeast, there is a light cool breeze and sounds of crickets, someone playing a fiddle, a freight train horn, and the last chirps from cardinals, towhees, and catbirds as they bed down for the evening.

Listen to Palmer McIntyre and Hollis Oberlies on their book Trails & Treats – A Hiker and Runner’s Guide to Great Trails and Good Eats in North Carolina on the process of creating the book, what they learned, and what inspires their passion for the outdoors. rovingnature.net/episode-4/tr...

Leaf miner activity on a lakeside post oak tree #nature #trees

One of the many natural areas managed by the city of Fort Collins, Colorado. It's amazing how far you can see (including so much sky!), and how quiet it was out there. The only thing you could hear was the occasional redwing blackbird, a gentle breeze, or the squeak of a prairie dog. #Colorado

These Colorado views were amazing, but what you can't tell without the aid of binoculars or a telephoto lens is that wayyyy in the distance in the top photo is a herd of roaming bison, and in the bottom a herd of roaming pronghorn. #Colorado #bison #pronghorn #wildlife #bigsky #nature

My wife Julia watching me watching a hawk high up yonder on those there rocks. #WhosWatchingWho #nature #rivers

A special friend visited us this morning! Bright eyed and ready for the world, this cicada was many years in the making, having spent the last 13-17 years as an underground nymph. I hope it survives without being eaten on the first day or two by a bird lol... #cicada #insects #wildlife #urbannature

I've visited and lived in a lot of places around the U.S., but I haven't seen a city with such a robust #naturalareas program as #FortCollins, CO. There are so many areas are set aside for recreation, relaxation, and education! More on their program - www.fcgov.com/naturalareas... #Colorado

Up close with bison near Denver, CO. These amazing animals are descendants of the last wild bison in North America. They clearly felt the urge to take dirt naps on this sweltering hot day, and you can see I'm getting some stink eye for having taken their photo without permission. #bison #wildlife

I'm currently reading Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, and I thought of the book on my walk this morning along the river when I discovered someone had left a walking stick for someone else to use on their hike. #nature #hiking #braidingsweetgrass #gifting

Crowdsourced added useful information, namely "Aim for the middle of the railroad bridge, and you should be OK." #rivers #text #signs #graffiti

I ran across this along the shore of the Cache la Poudre River near Fort Collins, Colorado. At first I thought they were some kind of fish or frog eggs, but turns out they are actually a jelly fungus, likely Dacrymyces chrysospermus. #alwayslearning #fungi #rivers #nature #ecology #Colorado

From a morning visit along the Cache la Poudre River near Fort Collins, Colorado. This river valley is so tranquil and peaceful...a much needed remedy to settle my unsettled mind. #Colorado #rivers #nature #hiking #ecology

Industrialization comes with a hefty price tag, in more ways than one, but it doesn't have to be this way. 110 of 117 bodies of water tested by Environment Agency in the UK would fail standards, with levels in fish 322 times the planned limit. #PFAS #environment #pollution #policy #ForeverChemicals

This evening's sky #sky #clouds #sunset

Some local natural wonders collected on a local wooded trail, which include loblolly pine, winged elm, American beech, willow oak, scarlet oak, white oak, American holly, black tupelo, and sweetgum; pink lady slippers (not in bloom, unfortunately); and panicled ticktrefoil. #trees #leaves #nature

Unsettling times, soothing sky. #sunset #sky #weather #atmosphere #mood

Flora happenings around the yard this evening. #NorthCarolina #spring #flora #urbannature

"The study pointed to three main drivers of the decline: pesticide use, climate change and habitat loss." #butterflies #biodiversity #habitatloss #pesticides #insects #climatechange #nature

My wife scored this great puzzle for me on my local neighborhood buy-nothing Facebook group. #birds #puzzles #nature #wildlife #birdpuzzle #naturepuzzle #ornithology #Sibley

Who's watching who? I'll tell you! I was watching this red shouldered hawk through my camera, who was quietly watching and hunting the small birds and chipmunks below who frequent the bird feeders in our back yard. #urbanwildlife #naturelovers #naturephotography #raptors #redshoulderedhawk #hawk

What does it mean to "keep a river"? Do you know what #watershed you live in? Do you know where your drinking water comes from, and where your wastewater goes? Check out this Roving Nature Podcast with Haw #Riverkeeper Emily Sutton! 🐸🦆🐢🐠🦞🛶 rovingnature.net/episode-2/ke... #rivers #nature

In my latest Roving Nature blog post, I share photos and a video I made a couple of years ago on the Swannanoa River in Swannanoa, North Carolina. We can always find beauty in nature, even in what's been lost. rovingnature.net/blog/swept-a... #wnc #westernnorthcarolina #swannanoa #naturelovers

In Ep.1 of my Roving Nature Podcast, we hear from Nadja Cech, who is a scientist, teacher, mother, writer, and manager of an urban community garden. Hear how the garden is a place where boundaries blur, nature flourishes, and ideas are born. #Nature #Gardening rovingnature.net/episode-1/nu...

I don't like to come out of my shell all the time, either, so I can totally relate. I spotted this eastern box turtle on the forest floor as I was walking around the watershed trails in Greensboro, North Carolina. I love finding and capturing critters in photos! #turtles #naturephotography #hiking

Good morning, world. Here's a little house sparrow spotted on the streets of NYC to start your day. I do love bird spotting and nature photography, even if it's smack dab in the middle of a busy city. #birdphotography #nature #urbannature #birds #wildlife #naturephotography