It’s been miserable rain here in Los Angeles this past week, and we have another week to go it seems. So here’s a Great Tailed Grackle against the blue summer sky to think about instead. Taken this summer at Sepulveda Wildlife Reserve, Los Angeles. #birds 🪶 #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

A rather bedraggled hummingbird - it was perched in the sun, drying and preening itself from the moisture of the earlier heavy dew and fog. Fall morning at Sepulveda Wildlife Reserve, Los Angeles. #birds 🪶 #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

A Checkered White butterfly in flight at Sepulveda Wildlife Reserve, Los Angeles. #Insects #macro #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

A pair of Turkey Vultures in opposite sync at Sepulveda Wildlife Reserve, Los Angeles. A warm late summer day and these two were cruising around the reserve, looking for food or a thermal to ride. #birds 🪶 #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

I spied this Belted Kingfisher through a small opening in the foliage, just enough to shoot through. They are nervous, skittish and fast, so this was a welcome natural blind. Sepulveda Wildlife Reserve, Los Angeles. #birds 🪶 #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

A mature Peregrine Falcon at Sepulveda Wildlife Reserve. An overcast but bright day plus the falcon on a conveniently low perch provided a great opportunity for a high key photo. #birds 🪶 #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

Typically these beetles prefer to scuttle to safely under a leaf rather than pose for the camera. This one was much more obliging and I was able to get this shot. Dotted Paropsine Leaf Beetle; Los Angeles River at Studio City, L.A. #Insects #macro #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

A Red Tailed Hawk, momentarily hovering over the edge of the L.A. River - no doubt looking for voles along the bank. #birds 🪶 #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

A little bit of sexy-time in the trees; two Monarch butterflies linked together at the abdomen, mating. Nice to know they’re making more Monarchs for the future. Taken at Sepulveda Wildlife Reserve, Los Angeles. #Insects #macro #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

An Osprey wheeling around to dive on potential lunch - my contribution to #raptor #birdoftheday. Taken at Sepulveda Wildlife Reserve, Los Angeles. #birds 🪶 #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

A female Great Tailed Grackle strutting her stuff on a concrete bench at Sepulveda Wildlife Reserve, Los Angeles, CA. As active, noisy and impressive as the male grackles are I think it’s these that are really in charge! #birds 🪶 #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

In between zipping around at up to 30mph (apparently) you might get lucky and have a dragonfly perch up close on a convenient twig. I got lucky. Taken at Sepulveda Wildlife Reserve, Los Angeles. #Insects #macro #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

Ash Throated Flycatcher at the Sepulveda Wildlife Reserve, Los Angeles. #birds 🪶 #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

Great Blue Heron early morning at the Los Angeles River near the Sepulveda Dam, L.A. (As usual, more info in ALT text.) #birds 🪶 #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

A young Coyote crossing the Los Angeles River at Sepulveda Dam, L.A. This is one of the juvenile Coyotes from the family that maintain their territory around this part of the river. #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

Gray Bird Grasshopper; Los Angeles river at Studio City, LA. (Photography info in alt text) #Insects #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

An early morning Great Blue Heron descending to the Los Angeles River at Sepulveda Dam, L.A. #birds 🪶 #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

A juvenile Great Tailed Grackle at Sepulveda Wildlife Reserve, Los Angeles. Not quite as sleek as its adult counterparts, but it’s doing well in the attitude department. And look at those claws! #birds 🪶 #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

This is a Gulf Fritillary butterfly, taken at Sepulveda Wildlife Reserve, Los Angeles. There is a small flower-filled meadow at the South of the reserve that catches the morning sun and makes the butterflies glow like they’re internally lit. #Insects #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

A Great Egret on the LA River at the Sepulveda Dam, Los Angeles, CA. In the middle of grooming this bird spotted a possible snack and locked eyes on it. I was looking to make some black & white pictures and this one was perfect for it. #birds 🪶 #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

This little mantis was barely 1” long, hanging out on a tree leaf. This was a four frame manual focus bracket, stitched together in Photoshop. Taken by the Los Angeles river at Studio City, LA. #Insects #wildlife #photography #fujifilm #macro

According to iNaturalist this butterfly is a Garden Whites. It looks much whiter on the top of its wings when they are open, but I like the subtle yellowish green of the underside too. Taken at Sepulveda Wildlife Reserve, Los Angeles. #Insects #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

American White Pelican at Sepulveda Wildlife Reserve, L.A. I don’t see these Pelicans perch often, they seem most comfortable in the water or air. Seeing their huge webbed feet I can understand how they can look so effortless while swimming so fast. #birds 🪶 #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

A wonderful short documentary on how America's most endangered songbird is saving a landscape and the efforts to save this bird from extinction. #birds 🪶 #nationalgeographic #thelittlebrownbird

Juvenile Black-crowned Heron at Sepulveda Wildlife Reserve, L.A. Early, misty morning and this little guy was all floofed up against the chill. I like the way those couple of errant feathers pick up the sunlight. #birds 🪶 #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

California Towhee at Sepulveda Wildlife Reserve, L.A. With only a little light through the dense foliage I had to use 10,000 ISO! I wasn’t sure it would be useable, but the Fuji sensor and Camera Raw noise reduction gave a remarkably good result. #birds 🪶 #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

Great Blue Heron at Sepulveda Wildlife Reserve. Los Angeles. This from a spot in the reeds where the birds stand in the shade while softly backlit by the sun’s reflection off the water. #birds 🪶 #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

American White Pelican at Sepulveda Wildlife Reserve, Los Angeles. This is from early spring before they left for their breeding grounds. You can just see the breeding season ’horn’ starting to grow on the top of its bill. #birds 🪶 #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher at Sepulveda Wildlife Reserve, L.A. I frequently don’t know the names of birds I have photographed and then have to fully search the Merlin app. And females or juveniles like this one are harder to identify. I hope I got it right. 🤞 #birds 🪶 #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

Great Blue Heron, Sepulveda Wildlife Reserve, L.A. It looks like GBH is doing the rooster thing at dawn, but it had just been preening and was shaking its head and clacking its bill trying to get rid of the fluff; some of which is visible in the picture. #birds 🪶 #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

Hey, birders! If you're a scientist and care about wildlife, sign this letter opposing the Trump administration's proposal to amend the Endangered Species Act's definition of "harm" that would allow massive habitat destruction. A blatant attempt to speed extinction. #birds

Black-necked Stilt at the L.A. River by the Sepulveda Dam, Los Angeles, CA. These strange little birds manage to be both cute and elegant; constantly walking and feeding, it takes patience to get a shot with their head up. #birds 🪶 #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

Green Heron at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge, L.A. I stopped to rest, a few hours into a morning visit, and this little guy struck a pose in front of me, lit by beautiful backlight. Sometimes you don’t have to walk around to find pictures, they come to you. #birds 🪶 #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

A female American Kestrel on a lone twig at Sepulveda Wildlife Reserve, Los Angeles. #birds 🪶 #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

POWERFUL OWLS Thanks to TINA BROWN teal INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE FOR BEROWRA meeting with myself and my colleagues, and thanks to The POST for cover this story in the press. It seems the environment and species protection has been forgotten this election. #birds #auspol #election2025

Early morning GBH @ Sepulveda Wildlife Reserve, Los Angeles. Partly because of Spring and partly due to recovery from the fires the reserve is starting to see many more birds again, in particular the herons and egrets. They are such magnificent subjects. #birds 🪶 #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

Department of the Interior Weakens Key Migratory Bird Treaty Act Protections, Increasing Risk for Millions of Birds This administration is waging a war on us, the environment, wildlife, and birds. www.audubon.org/press-room/d...

Phoebe in the morning. Black Phoebe perched on a concrete information station at Sepulveda Wildlife Reserve, Los Angeles. (As always, extra thoughts in Alt text) #birds 🪶 #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

Great Egret and Black-crowned Night Heron with Canada Geese and Double-crested Cormorants at Sepulveda Wildlife Reserve, L.A. This reminds me of old paintings where the artist unrealistically crams a bunch of different species into the picture. But here it’s real! #birds 🪶 #wildlife #photography

I bought coffee and bagels for my team as we were meeting to discuss our project and I had to foot the bill myself because food AT the meeting was not expressly in the budget, though the meeting itself was. Spending on federal grants is so, so strict. 🧪🌎🦑🦉🦊

Wonderful thread. Fascinating info on a beautiful cat. Thank you @c0nc0rdance.bsky.social

Pangolins! Beavers! Bison! Lyre-birds! All of them can help us reduce the impact of wildfires... if only we'd let them. Story by @annieroth.bsky.social for @biographic.bsky.social! 🧪🦊🦉 www.biographic.com/its-time-for...

A Great Egret at Sepulveda Wildlife Reserve, Los Angeles. Early morning and there was only just enough light to get a clean shot. I’ll take it; it’s this kind of opportunity that makes getting up at an ungodly hour worth it. (Some backstory in ALT text.) #birds 🪶 #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

An immature male Vermillion Flycatcher at Sepulveda Wildlife Reserve, Los Angeles. I wondered what this bird was, until I checked Merlin Bird ID. The adult males are so very, well, vermillion. But for this little guy his colors are just peeping through. #birds 🪶 #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

A Green Heron at Sepulveda Wildlife Reserve, Los Angeles. Creeping around in the reeds at dawn I found this guy (or gal) right next to the lake, peering out into the light. Unusually it wasn’t spooked and I got some shots then left it to its fishing. #birds 🪶 #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

A Coyote in the mist, early morning at the LA River near Sepulveda Dam. There is no sepia toning added to this picture, it’s exactly the way the camera captured it - the fog reduced the contrast and color to almost nothing. (Full backstory in ALT text.) #birds 🪶 #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

Great Blue Heron at Sepulveda Wildlife Reserve, Los Angeles. Here the GBHs often stand around in trees, where they look even more weird and awkward. And here’s one, glaring down at the lake, the wind blowing its crest to look like a pair of horns. 😄 #birds 🪶 #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

A Common Yellowthroat at the L.A. river by the Sepulveda Dam, Los Angeles. These tiny, colorful birds are common here, but they’re mostly seen deep in the reeds, with no chance of a clear shot. I’m glad I caught this one when it appeared in the open. #birds 🪶 #wildlife #photography #fujifilm

JUST OUT! 🚨 Time capsule birds' nests! 🪹 I'm proud to share our discovery of layers of vintage plastic in urban birds’ nests... going back decades in time! 👀 “You flip through these nests like through pages of a history book, uncovering the past.” 📚 Let's dive in! 🧵👇 1/x #scicomm 🧪🪶

Great Blue Heron at Sepulveda Wildlife Reserve, Los Angeles. I was struck by the painterly look of this shot. It’s all natural - the early morning fog and white rocks in the distance give the picture a textured look that I’d like to replicate on others. #birds 🪶 #wildlife #photography #fujifilm