Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is #HiddenInPlainSight, birds partially concealed by foliage or grasses. #Sora are pretty guaranteed to meet this challenge as they dwell in the thicket! May 2026 in Illinois (Pingree Grove FP) #birds

An apparent immature #RedTailedHawk given the molting primaries and more banded tail. It will be close to prime time soon enough! Apr 2026 in Illinois (Burnidge FP) #birds #birdnerd #birdphotography

The #BirdOfTheDay theme is #Reflections or is it frustration with one's reflection like this #GreatKiskadee was engaged in? December 2023 in Costa Rica #birds

This #TurkeyVulture came pretty darn close to me which made me concerned that perhaps I was giving off too much decay! Apr 2026 in Illinois #birds #birdnerd #birdphotography

A bevy of March birds: #AmericanRobin, #AmericanKestrel (with meal), #AmericanCoot, and #RustyBlackbird (male and female). Mar 2026 in Illinois (mostly Pingree Grove FP) #birds #birdnerd #birdphotography

The #BirdOfTheDay theme today is #FirstWingbeat, capturing the instant of take-off. This #TreeSwallow just leapt from the tree, so this is its first full wing expansion! May 2026 in Illinois (Burnidge FP) #birds

A male #BlueWingedTeal carrying a bit of material in its beak. Mar 2026 in Illinois (Pingree Grove FP) #birds #birdnerd #birdphotography

I love nothing more than learning and highlighting random factoids about birds. Here we have a female (browner head) and male (blacker head) #AmericanRobin. Thesse both perching in the same spot at about the same time really shows off the difference! Mar 2026 in Illinois #birds #birdnerd

Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #BestOfTheMonth, whatever bird captures you see as your best from May 2026. May is always a bumper month thanks to spring migration! We have a #YellowThroatedVireo, #GreatBlueHeron, #GreatEgret, and #CommonNighthawk all who blitzed by! May26 in Illinois #birds

A sequence of two #AmericanRobin males going to war! Or maybe playing hopscotch? Who is to say! Apr 2026 in Illinois #birds #birdnerd #birdphotography

Serenely going into the night, just like this #AmericanCrow serenely going about its daily existence. Mar 2026 in Illinois (Burnidge FP) #birds #birdnerd #birdphotography

The #BirdOfTheDay theme is #NegativeSpace, where the subject occupies only a small portion of the frame. This #AmericanCrow perched on a slumbering tree with a grey background meets the moment. In many ways, black birds are great subjects for this as they often pop out! Apr25 Illinois #birds

The last of my #DarkEyedJunco shots from the season. While Spring migration brings many exciting birds through the area and back for the summer, I get a bit wistful of my winter birds going back north. Looking forward to seeing you again in Fall, friend! Mar 2026 in Illinois #birds #birdnerd

The #NorthernFlicker and #NorthernCardinal always seem to outdo each other in striking poses and looking fancy. Apr 2026 in Illinois (Burnidge FP) #birds #birdnerd #birdphotography

Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #Podicipedidae -- which, hey, I learned the other day to avoid posting a Grebe for Fowl day! This #PiedBilledGrebe slowly made a 180 degree turn with its wings outstretched. Given how plump they are and tiny those wings are, a marvel it can fly! Mar 26 Illinois #birds

Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is #Texture, images that emphasise the tactile beauty of birds and their habitats: feathers, wood, water, stone, and natural patterns. My western #PalmWarbler here shows some lovely feathering and barbing. May 2026 in Illinois (Burnidge FP) #birds

A gang of #LesserScaup, scary to encounter when one least expects it! Mar 2026 in Illinois (Burnidge FP) #birds #birdnerd #birdphotography

Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme of #Anatidae any of the Species will do (ducks, geese, waterfowl, but not grebes a bit to my surprise which belongs to Podicipedidae). This striking female #RedBreastedMerganser qualifies (thankfully!). April 2026 in Milwaukee #birds

A bevy of late March birds: FOY #DoubleCrestedCormorants, #Killdeer, #AmericanTreeSparrow, and #TurkeyVulture. Mar 2026 in Illinois #birds #birdnerd #birdphotography

Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is #BirdOnAWire, any bird on a wire and this bevy of #TreeSwallow were enjoying a brief respite on this wire! May 2026 in Illinois (Burnidge FP) #birds

An early april oddity, this #DarkEyedJunco appears to be a bit outside of my expectations for slate-backed, so probably a cismontanus (less likely Oregon given somewhat paler colors). One of the last juncos I had this cycle, so a fun way to go out. Apr 2026 in Illinois #birds #birdnerd

Apparently my yard first #ChippingSparrow was not popular with this male #HouseFinch, but that rusty gap and strong facial pattern is always fun to spot! Apr 2026 in Illinois #birds #birdnerd #birdphotography

Hard not to be a fan of the sapsuckers like this male #YellowBelliedSapsucker who really brings out the contrast between white, black, and red feathers! April 2026 in Illinois (Burnidge FP) #birds #birdnerd #birdphotography

Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #StaringRightAtYou — any bird staring right at you. This #SolitarySandpiper was letting me know who's small body of water this was. May 2026 in Elgin, IL (Hawthorne Hill Nature Center) #birds

The #GreaterYellowLegs and #LesserYellowLegs really do live up to their names. May 2026 in Illinois (Pingree Grove FP) #birds #birdnerd #birdphotography

Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is #SingForYourSupper any bird singing. This #AmericanCrow ... probably doesn't qualify as it appeared to be coughing up supper, but hey, a good song anyway! April 2026 in Milwaukee, WI #birds

A sequence of birds looking to the future (or away from the camera, if you prefer): #DarkEyedJunco, #MourningDove, #AmericanRobin, and #RedWingedBlackbird. Mar 2026 in Illinois #birds #birdnerd #birdphotography

One of the few #RingNeckedDucks I observed this spring. Last year I saw gobs of them, this year just a few. You just never know when birding if a bird will be common or not. Mar 2026 in Illinois (Burnidge FP) #birds #birdnerd #birdphotography

A #Killdeer in flight. Mar 2026 in Illinois #birds #birdnerd #birdphotography

Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #HeadShots and this #AustralianMagpie was judging me, pretty harshly it would seem. March 2024 in Brisbane, AU #birds

An #EasternBluebird and an #EasternPhoebe. Perhaps this reduces to Eastern x (Bluebird + Phoebe)? Mar 2026 in Illinois (Burnidge FP) #birds #birdnerd #birdphotography

The #BirdOfTheDay theme today is #Grassland any bird pictured with grass. The alt is #red any bird with red in its plumage. This #SandhillCrane with their colt qualifies nicely! July 2024 in Illinois #birds

Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #WingsWideOpen, any bird with it's wings open wide and by george if the chaos these #CedarWaxwings do not qualify, I don't know what will! May 2026 in Illinois #birds

A male #RedWingedBlackbird, #EasternPhoebe, female #HouseSparrow, and female #Mallard rounded out a late March day of birding that crossed my yard, forest preserves, and nature centers. Mar 2026 in Illinois #birds #birdnerd #birdphotography

Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #ScrollBack, most recent favorite photos. This #RedWingedBlackbird among the early spring reeds is a favorite of mine. Nothing quite like the changing of the seasons! May 2026 in Illinois #birds #birdnerd #birdphotography

THE CALL IS COMING FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE! Is what I imagine this female #HouseFinch is hearing as the male #NorthernCardinal slowly meanders towards it. Mar 2026 in Illinois #birds #birdnerd #birdphotography

Early April brings back many familiar friends: the #FieldSparow, #BrownThrasher, #EasternPhoebe, and #YellowRumpedWarbler (technically year round in my area, but quite sparse in winter). Apr 2026 in Illinois (Burnidge FP) #birds #birdnerd #birdphotography

Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #DucksInTheAir — Any Duck that's flying. This female and male #BlueWingedTeal happened to depart one marshy area to go into a small pond. Glad to see them! May 2026 in Illinois (Pingree Grove FP) #birds #birdphotography #birdnerd

While we are firmly in the grasp of migration season, mid-March was the perfect time to appreciate colorful ducks one last time at my local forest preserve: #Bufflehead, #RingNeckedDuck, #WoodDuck, and a yoga posing #Bufflehead. Mar 2026 in Illinois (Burnidge FP) #birds #birdnerd #birdphotography

The #BirdOfTheDay theme today is #ruffled, any bird with ruffled feathers. This #LittlePiedCormorant was really ruffing out to dry out! Mar 2024 in Brisbane, AU #birds #birdphotography #birdnerd

Nothing drives birders to madness quite like trying to distinguish between #LesserScaup (like those shown here) and Greater Scaup. Thankfully time, place, and peaked-headed-ness points to these three being Lesser. Sanity intact Mar 2026 in Illinois (Burnidge FP) #birds #birdnerd #birdphotography

For as common as they seem, I had perilously few good photos of the #AmericanCrow. Thankfully this one perched nicely as I was walking through my neighborhood. Mar 2026 in Illinois #birds #birdnerd #birdphotography

Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #WaterDroplets, any bird capture with splashes of water. This #CaspianTern coming off the water sure did make a splash! July 2025 in Illinois #birds #birdnerd #birdphotography

A male #RedWingedBlackbird showing off a bit of its many colors! I just love when they stretch out like that! May 2026 in Illinois (Otter Creek FP) #birds #birdnerd #birdphotography

A yard first #RustyBlackbird! Mar 2026 in Illinois #birds #birdnerd #birdphotography

Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is #FeathersInFoliage any bird pictured in or near foliage. The majestic #BlueJay I found in my local park just before moving will be a cherished memory! May 2024 at Arlington, VA #birds #birdphotography #birdnerd

A bevy of friendly birds from March: #MourningDove, #AmericanRobin, #WhiteCrownedSparrow, and #NorthernCardinal looking at #WhiteCrownedSparrow chasing after #HouseFinch. A lot going on in that last one! Mar 2026 in Illinois #birds #birdnerd #birdphotography

Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #WadersOuttaWater, any Wader that is out of water and my compact little #GreenHeron friend just barely qualifies...unless the reflect counts as in water, in which case technically doesn't! Apr 2024 in Indiana #birds #birdphotography

Let me get this straight, I had to wait until Spring to see a #WinterWren? Birding can be so funny some times. Apr 2026 in Illinois (Burnidge FP) #birds #birdnerd #birdphotography

Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is #FeatheredFemmes, and this female #RedBreastedMerganser has looks that could win over any bird! That hair! That eye ring! That eye! Apr 2026 in Milwaukee, WI #birds #birdnerd #birdphotography