Tom

@birdfan.bsky.social

3324 Followers 1782 Following

Birds fly around head Light and feathers float through lens Flowers, dirt and leaves 🦉🪺🚤📚🌷 #Post #Postie #TeamPete #Birds #Nature #Photography #ChicagoCubs #ChicagoBears #LAChargersr

Against a pure blue sky, we see a large pelican in profile. S/he is showing an orangish bill and red throat leading into a white head and neck. The body is dark gray with a white sheen. The bird is preening under its elevated right wing. We see the face in profile. The webbed feet grip the top of white wood structure, and a few colored Christmas lights are seen by the feet.
A small yellow warbler with a black cap is holding onto a vertical branch of a low bush. Many dark green leaves fill the frame and partially obscure the birds lower body. The warbler looks to the side to give a good facial profile.
On the far, far shore of a local pond in Northern Illinois, a bald eagle flies from right to left of frame. There are many lush, green trees as a backdrop for the soaring eagle. Above the treeline is a hazy gray, monochromatic sky. Then below, green and brown reeds can be seen standing at attention just below the tree line and they form the lower border of the photo. May Jackie, the Big Bear famous eagle mom, rest in peace.
A dark brown and white hawk is suspended mid-air in stride as s/he runs from right frame to left. We see her in profile with her left yellow leg reaching forward and her right leg behind after a push off the sandy trail beneath her. It is morning sun and so dappled light fills the frame as the path is bordered by larger trees on the right (not pictured).
Perched on a horizontal, thin, reddish-gray branch sits a female bushtit. She has a buffy chest and abdomen, and a brown cap. Her irises are light in color--almost appearing yellow. She stares directly at the viewer, and her little black toes are wrapped around the branch. The background is blurry mix of tree branches and a few green leaves.
A maze of brown, mostly bare branches is revealing only a peek-a-boo view of this cute brown and white wren seen in profile. S/he has her beak wide open in song at the moment, and a clear blue sky is the background. S/he has a nice white eyebrow and a dark brown crown and back and wings.
A tall white post arises from a field of dead, brown branches. At the top sits a barn owl with a calico brown back and side featured as the bird sits at a 45º angle to the viewer. The white of the post picks up the white face which is turned to face the viewer. The background is tall green bushes all the way to the top of frame.
A heron is perched on a large arched dead tree branch over a pond below (not pictured). The bird faces the camera and has his/her neck retracted and head turned left. We can see a profile of the face against a blue sky with wispy white clouds. Above the heron is another dead branch also arching in a parallel fashion to the lower branch thus framing the bird nicely.
A mostly yellow and black butterfly is perched on a purple flower head. Its wings are wide open, and we can see two small powder-blue spots toward the tail. The hind wings have a long black tail on either side... reminiscent of some swallow's tails.
Seen from behind, this ibis is perched on a dead branch among the lush, green water plants at the border of a pond. The head and neck are turned in profile so we see the long, decurved bill and the red eye. There is a red-appearing shoulder patch and iridescent greens and purples and light blues throughout the body feathers.
There is a light gray interlocking pattern of squares throughout the frame formed by a chain-link fence. The background is a uniform dark gray, and there is a little rufous colored hummingbird perched in the center. She has some green on the crown and shoulders, and we can see the little black left foot wrapped around the fence.
Set back among some low bushes is a bird feeder inside a heart shaped wrought iron garden decoration. Hanging onto the sides of this heart are a house sparrow and a male northern cardinal--both on the left side and both in profile. In the middle is a green plastic bird feeder full of seeds.
Close up of detailed green leaves with a brownish orange butterfly sitting on a horizontal leaf. The butterfly faces us with two orange eyes and two antennae sticking out to the sides. The wings are held at 30º to vertical. A main row of white spots can be seen on the wings.
A photo of colorful fireworks blasting off over a bandshell at the bottom of a large, outdoor pavilion full of people. Taken last night at the Hollywood Bowl.
Standing on a horizontal metal railing is a Western bluebird with a brown with white speckled chest and abdomen. The head appears all gray and is twisted around to look up and over his/her left shoulder into the light blue-gray skies above. There is a blurry diagonal support beam seen cutting across the otherwise clear sky in the background.
3 bare branches shoot up through the framed clear blue sky. On the leftmost branch, a hooded oriole is perched in profile. We see the yellow body and "hood" over his head. He has black wings, tail and face. He also has a decurved shiny black beak and a glint of light off his right eye. There are two white wing bars on the black wing.
Against a smooth dark waters surface we see a white egret with his/her wings outstretched. The right foot drags in the water with associated water splash as the bird tries to slow his/her descent. The egret will soon be standing on the shore of the lagoon following a nearby cormorant... as usual.
I wanted to share this photo of a bright red flycatcher in profile against a dark green bokeh. The wings and back are a dark gray color, along with a thin mask from the base of his black beak extending past his eye to the posterior head. This moment was great because the crest is up a little after he was scratching his face. Usually, the top of the head is rather flat.
A male vermilion flycatcher lands on a top branch of a flowering bush. The birds body is mostly bright red and seen in profile. He has his black wings out to the side but folded at the elbow. His face is seen in profile and you can just see the black mask that makes these birds look like bandits. He has a black beak facing our left. The bush has long pointed dark green leaves against a light green homogenous bokeh. There are tiny white flower heads scattered along the branch.
Against a pale blue sky, a mostly white tern flies overhead. We see the bird with wings outstretched and the eyes are scanning the waters below. The tern has black feet neatly tucked, a black cap and an orange beak.
A twirled mass of two flailing bluebirds on the green grass at the park is pictured. Their speckled brown chests make me think they are juveniles. We can see one gray head in profile, and we can see wing and tail feathers highlighted with edges of brilliant blue. It's hard to tell where one bird starts and the other begins.
Standing on the rocky shoreline is a mostly gray juvenile heron. S/he has fine white streaking and her wings are dropped down and opened up to the viewer from the front. She has a matte black beak and a red iris. The background is blurry blue waters of the bay and some green pickleweed.
A medium-sized egret has pure white feathers throughout with a yellow eye and lore and a black beak. In this photo, s/he looks out over the water to our right and in profile. Brown branches of a dead looking bush cover the upper left frame and a solitary green sprig stands up along the right border. The background is blurry dark blue waters of the bay.
Perched on a thin twig is a powder blue dragonfly with a black head. His wings are translucent except for two black rorschach looking blobs on each wing. There are also a powder blue frame on the inner black spot, and a independent blue spot near the outer edge. The background is blurry, light green foliage.
On a clump of tiny, white flowers sits a wasp with black head and body, and black and yellow abdomen. S/he has fine white hairs on her body and legs and some iridescent blues and reds on otherwise black wings. the background is the bush with small green, waxy leaves with some blurry red and orange highlights.
A bare branch arches down the frame with a hawk perched atop. The hawk's body faces away from the viewer, but her head is turned back over her left shoulder. The feathers are brown with black and white scalloping. The tail feathers appear as two brown and two black with horizontal white banding. The face features a dark brown, glassy eye and a hooked black beak with a yellow cere. We see the yellow legs and talons gripping the branch below. The background is blurry branches and green leaves of the surrounding eucalyptus trees.
This willet has a lot of brown plumage amongst the gray feathers more uniformly seen in the adults. Maybe still a juvenile. We see the bird in profile at the edge of the bay on a sandy shore. The birds black beak is open and there is a small crab suspended in mid-air between the upper and lower bill. Circular water ripples are seen emanating from where the crab came from.
Floating on the still blue surface of the lagoon, rests a gull in profile. S/he has a white body with dark gray wings and black wing-tips. The eye is clear yellow, and s/he has a light yellow bill with a black band toward the end. There is almost a mirror reflection of the bird underneath.
A very small mostly white and gray tern stands in profile on a muddy and sandy beach. There are scattered tiny snail shells around the terns reddish-orange legs and feet. In profile we see dark spots in front of, and behind, the round, black eye. The beak is a dark brown and black and droops slightly to a sharp point.
Three young barn swallows sit together on a branch and face to the left. They have an iridescent blue head and back, and a chestnut colored front. Incoming is another barn swallow with wings extended overhead to join the three. The background is blurry greens of the surrounding forest.
Perched high in a tree against a clear blue sky is a large pigeon. It has a red eye ring, a yellow beak with a black tip. The body is mostly a purple-dark gray color. S/he also has a white posterior neck band which is seen in profile in this photo.
A head and shoulders profile portrait of a great egret with a very sharp looking yellow bill.
A blue large jay is perched on a nearby fern tree branch in profile. We see the black head and shoulders clearly as the bird is close by. The black crown is pointing straight back and the glossy, black left eye seems to look off in the distance. The background is blurry, green fern branches and brown twigs.
SItting upright in some tall green branches from some scrub is a squirrel. His/her hands are in front of her mouth as s/he snacks on some salad (seed pods from the grass?). One eye captures the viewer and the cute little ears are propped straight up.
Sitting in profile on a large, arching tree branch is a chickadee facing the camera. S/he has her head turned to the side giving a profile view of her white cheek and black cap and neck. The chest and abdomen are all white. What we can see of the wing edge is black. There are some small red fruits hanging from the tree on the left of the frame that this bird has been snacking on. (If you look closely, there is some berry juice hanging off the bird's top beak.)
Perched on a hearty horizontal tree branch sits a bluebird in profile. The morning sun is bathing the front of the bird. He looks off to our left with a dark blue head, wings and back. His chest is a reddish brown and the abdomen is gray. We see some small purple flowers in bokeh behind the bird, along with a blob of blue sky and some greenery framing the sky.
Seen at a 45º to head-on, we see a great blue heron in the shallow water of the bay. S/he has a large fish held in her beak with the fish's head directed straight down the gullet of the heron. The dorsal fin of the bass-looking fish is standing straight up making the fish look giant. It's just a moment before the heron swallows the fish whole.
A black woodpecker clings to the side of a large tree trunk. There is some evidence of a hole in the bark, where the bird has been tapping. The normally red crest is a light pink color in this juvenile bird. It has a white face and neck with black striping. The background is a blurry green mass of foliage.
A mostly brown bird stands on an angled tree branch among a lot of forest greenery. S/he looks back over her right shoulder at the viewer. She has a visible brown iris and a fluffy brown butt. I believe it is a juvenile Spotted Towhee. Have a lovely night.
A mother and child float along the still surface of a pond. They themselves create a few ripples in front and many behind them as they paddle away. The mother is mostly brown with a teardrop shaped large eye ring and a blue wing patch. The juvenile is mostly brown with a cream colored face and a dark eye line extending behind the left eye as they are in profile. The water surface is mostly green reflecting all the vegetation around the pond.
A small squirrel sits on his/her haunches in profile with his hands at his mouth apparently eating something small. We see the right of the face and the round, dark eye. The squirrel is mostly reddish brown with some black highlights, and the anterior/under side of the squirrel is a rich, pure, reddish-brown color. S/he sits on the top of a cut-off tree stump. There are green leaves all around the subject on the forest's edge.
Seen from below, a fluffy gray bird is perched on a bare branch in front of a green leaf bokeh. We see the underside of the white tail with black edging. We also get a glimpse of the profile with the white and black striped head.
On the left of the frame is a flower stalk sticking straight up with delicate 4-lobed purple flowers. To the right,in profile, is a dark green Anna’s hummingbird in flight nectaring on the flowers. She is set against a light green background.
Standing in profile is a white gull with gray wings and back on small rocks among giant boulders. The gull has a large, fat, pink and brown, star fish in its yellow beak. The bird has light pink legs and feet. There is green moss growing on the large boulders in the scene. Taken from the seawall path at #StanleyPark.
A mother and two ducklings stand atop a fallen tree in a small creek. The adult and child just next to her are preening their chests with their bills. The duckling a foot to their rear is also preening but takes a moment to look into the camera. They are mostly tan with some brown striping at this stage. They have orange legs. The fallen tree trunk has some patches of grass that have started growing on it. The water below is dark green/black color.
Standing on a bare branch is a small flycatcher. The body is mostly an olive-green color. The wings look brown with two light wing bars. S/he has a white eye ring which has a little point that is aimed to the rear of the head. The body is facing away at a 45º angle, the bird looks back over her right shoulder at the viewer. The background is a mix of light and dark blurred greenery.
Brilliant red cardinal sits in profile high up among pine trees. We see his crest feathers in contrast to a patch of blue sky. He has a black mask, and some black edging on wing feathers. Scattered pine cones are also seen on the evergreen branches.
Standing on a reddish-orange buoy with a large, webbed black foot is a cormorant facing the viewer. S/he has her head turned to the side and we see an orange bill with a hooked tip. We see an aquamarine colored eye and a dark gray head. The chest and abdomen are light gray with some dark gray speckling. The wings appear almost black. The background is a dark blue, slightly rippled water's surface.
A little brown and gray bird that looks like a miniature cardinal, with its prominent crest, sits on an evergreen branch. The bird has the widened gape at the edges of the mouth of a juvie and s/he has her head slightly turned to look at the viewer with her left eye. We see the birds gray chest and dark brown wings. The background is blurry, dark green forest.
Perched on a sturdy, horizontal tree branch is a small woodpecker with her back to us. She has her head turned around to look over the viewer's left shoulder. We see the black back and wings with the white dotted horizontal bars across the back. Also of note is a vertical white patch down the back which helps identify the species. The face is mostly white with a thin black eye-stripe and a small round black eye. She has a black center stripe down the crown, and a short, pointy black beak. The background contains blurry, blue, sky light and thin, light green leaves.
A tree with a large cavity is seen gaping at the viewer. Bright green leaves are scattered throughout the overexposed shot. Clinging to the bark of this large tree trunk we see a blurred mass of black with white horizontal banding and a red and white triangular shape with a point at the very top. With some bird experience you might see the red-bellied woodpecker for what it is.
Peering through the vertical, iron railing posts, we see a night scene. In the foreground is dark, still, river water. The far shore is rolling hills with white lights from various buildings. Above the distant horizon we see a dark sky and an orange moon which is almost a full moon.
A multi-colored ducks floats by on the shallow bay. He has gray flanks and gray/brown wings and back. The face is a rich reddish-brown color with an iridescent green wedge starting at the front corner of the eye and swooshing back to the posterior neck. The bill is a glossy black and points to our right, The behind-side of his female companion is just seen of the front left edge of frame. Otherwise, clear-tan waters fill the frame.
Two mostly brown and gray wood ducks are dabbling through the greenish surface of an aptly named Duck Pond. The heads are gray with some white accent lines and brilliant red eyes. The beaks are mostly orange with some black borders.
Nighttime shot of a lighted “Toronto” sign in white and red. Behind the sign and across the square we can see the two curved buildings which are the City Hall.
Two large, juvenile great horned owls are perched high up in a tree. The one on the left is facing the camera on a large horizontal branch and looking at the viewer. The one on the right is partially obscured by a large branch, but we can still see the face and eyes looking our way. They are tan and light brown overall with some black horizontal banding on the chests. The round yellow eyes are surrounded by tan/yellow feathers which gives that goggle like appearance on the faces. Lots of thin green leaves and dark brown branches fill the frame around the owls.
Out in the marina stands an upright, thin metal barrier. Atop this is a snowy egret with both yellow feet trying to grip the edge with wings akimbo. The legs are bowed apart in an attempt not to fall over. The background is the dark gray surface of the marina waters.
Centered in the frame is a flycatcher perched on a slightly angled horizontal branch. The bird's white-to-yellow chest and abdomen face the viewer, whilst the bird's head is turned to our left giving a profile of a dark gray crest and a round black eye and pointed black beak. There are healthy green leaves on all four sides of this view into a gap--where clear blue skies fill the background.
A flycatcher clings to a thin branch angling across the frame. She faces the camera but looks to our right to give a good profile of her head. The background is a bright gray with some scattered thin green leaves and spent tiny flowers. She has a white breast with faint vertical brown specks. The head is a mottled brown and white due to the leucism. The wings and tail are brown.