This photo is of a white Mute Swan with a black mask and orange beak, and one of her large chicks with a mix of light brown and white feathers, a partial black mask and brown beak. Their long necks formed a heart shape. They were on the edge of a pond with dark blue water and green foliage along the edge. Seen at Ellis Creek Wetlands in Petaluma, California.

Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is #Portrait -- a portrait capture of any bird. Here's a loving moment between a #MuteSwan and one of her young. They grow up so quickly! (Petaluma, CA - 7/20/21) 😍🦢

#birds #swans #love #BirdPhotography #Olympus #EastCoastKin #EllisCreek #California @alan678.bsky.social

This female Common Goldeneye duck has a brown head with yellow eyes, a brown/gray back and wings with some white and a white collar on the neck. The bill is black with yellow at the tip. The duck is swimming in one of the ponds with reflections of green and brown reeds and of the duck itself at Ellis Creek Wetlands in Petaluma, California in February.

Today's #BOTD theme is ducks. Here's a pretty female #CommonGoldeneye swimming through reflections of wetland reeds in Petaluma, California (Feb 2021) 🤎🤩

#birds #divingducks #BirdOfTheDay #Ducks #EastCoastKin #BirdPhotography #Olympus #reflections #EllisCreek #NorCal @robcrank68.bsky.social

A pair of white Mute Swans with black masks and orange beaks watching over their fluffy gray chicks (called cygnets) as they were swimming across the blue and green waters of a pond. The water shows reflections of the swans and green reeds along the shoreline. Seen at Ellis Creek Wetlands in Petaluma, California.

A Mute Swan couple watching their chicks (cygnets) while they were swimming across a pond in Petaluma, California 🤩❤️

#birds #swans #MuteSwans #cygnets #BirdOfTheDay #AboutTheKids #EastCoastKin #reflections #SwanDay #EllisCreek #NorCal @robcrank68.bsky.social

A Red-shouldered Hawk with reddish shoulders, brown and white wing feathers, red-orange and white striped chest, and a reddish and white head, perched on a brown branch of a eucalyptus tree covered with narrow green leaves. Seen at Ellis Creek Wetlands in Petaluma, California. This is one of a pair that nested in this tree.

For today's bird I chose a favorite shot of a Red-shouldered Hawk staring down at me as I was taking photos (Petaluma, California) 🧡👁️

#birds #raptors #hawks #Red-shoulderedHawk #BirdOfTheDay #StareDown #EastCoastKin #BirdPhotography #Olympus #EllisCreek #NorCal @robcrank68.bsky.social

A young Common Gallinule with dark brown back and wing feathers, a gray front edged with white feathers, a dark head and eyes, and bright green legs is eating some greens found in a marshy area of the pond with brown reeds and some green foliage in the background. Seen at Ellis Creek Wetlands in Petaluma, California.

A young Common Gallinule (fka Moorhen) enjoying some fresh greens in the marshy area of a wetlands pond in Petaluma, California 🤎😍

#birds #BirdOfTheDay #CootsAndMoorhens #nature #BirdPhotography #Olympus #waterfowl #EllisCreek #NorCal @robcrank68.bsky.social

Early evening views of a pond at Ellis Creek Wetlands in Petaluma, California. There are white and gray clouds tinged with pink and a blue sky above, all of which are reflected in the waters of the pond. There are green hills in the background and green and brown aquatic plants in the water. There are a number of Mallard, Coots and other birds swimming in the water.

Pretty skies reflected on a pond with ducks and other birds out swimming on a December evening (Petaluma, California) 💙

#BlueSkyArtShow #evening #EastCoastKin #clouds #ducks #reflections #photography #EllisCreek #Petaluma #NorCal

A Pied-billed Grebe with feathers in several shades of brown and a white patch in the back. This bird has a white eye ring and a whitish beak with a black ring. The grebe was on a pond with green and brown reeds and their reflections in the water. Seen at Ellis Creek Wetlands in Petaluma, California.

A cute Pied-billed Grebe on its favorite pond in Petaluma, California. These birds often look like they're smiling! 😍🤎

#birds #Grebes #Pied-billedGrebe #BirdPhotography #Olympus #BirdOfTheDay #EastCoastKin #EllisCreek #NorCal @robcrank68.bsky.social

A brown and white striped American Bittern, a member of the heron family, pointing its beak straight up in alarm mode when our birding group approached where it was hunting. The bird was standing in tall brown and green grasses and brown plants. Seen at Ellis Creek Wetlands in Petaluma, California.

Another bird that's hiding. This #AmericanBittern went into alarm mode as our birding group approached, and hid in plain sight by blending in with the plants! 😮🤎

Petaluma, California (Nov. 2020)

#birds #herons #BirdOfTheDay #hiding #EastCoastKin #LUMIX #EllisCreek #NorCal @alan678.bsky.social

A white Mute Swan with an orange beak and black mask in an odd position in the water. The swan and its reflection were in the gray water of a pond and surrounded by green aquatic plants. Seen at Ellis Creek Wetlands in Petaluma, California.

For #ThrowbackThursday, here's a favorite photo of a Mute Swan stuck in a failed yoga pose! (Petaluma, California) 😍

#birds #swans #MuteSwan #BirdOfTheDay #OddAngles #EastCoastKin #BirdPhotography #Olympus #EllisCreek #NorCal @robcrank68.bsky.social

A white Mute Swan with an orange beak and black mask, with her long neck curved and her wings held up behind her. She was in the pale blue waters of a pond with some green marsh grasses round her. Seen at Ellis Creek Wetlands in Petaluma, California.

For today's bird with a long neck, here's a pretty Mute Swan with her neck curved and wings held up so I could take her glamour shot! (Petaluma, California) 🤩🦢📷

#birds #swans #BirdOfTheDay #longnecks #AnimalArtTuesday #EastCoastKin #BirdPhotography #Olympus #EllisCreek #NorCal

A handsome male Cinnamon Teal duck with a cinnamon-red colored body feathers, a red eye, and brown, white and blue on its wings, gliding across a pond with reflections of green tule reeds. Seen at Ellis Creek wetlands in Petaluma, California.

For #BirdOfTheDay I have to post my favorite duck--a male #CinnamonTeal in Petaluma, California. We don't have this species in Mass. and I miss them! 🧡

#birds #ducks #tealducks #EastCoastKin #EllisCreek #NorCal #photography #Olympus #reflections @robcrank68.bsky.social @alan678.bsky.social

Female Lesser Goldfinch perched among the tules in the marsh. Females have an olive green head and back and dull yellow underparts. Always a joy to see these little ones! 😊

Petaluma, California

#birds #goldfinch #birdphotography #nature #EllisCreek #acoloradAyPRIL #olivegreen #EastCoastKin

Black-necked Stilt wading slowly through the seasonal pond at Ellis Creek Wetlands 🖤

Petaluma, California (Jan. 2022)

#birds #shorebirds #stilt #birdphotography #EllisCreek #WaderWednesday

This Red-winged Blackbird landed in a vibrant field of yellow mustard flowers, creating the perfect photo op! 💛

Petaluma, California (May 2021)

#MarchIntoLandscapes #vibrant #EastCoastKin #StunDay #SundayYellow #mustard #birds #blackbird #birdphotography #nature #EllisCreek

Bufflehead ducks in a pond. A female bufflehead flies overhead.

#Bufflehead ducks having a party. This rowdy crowd seemed to be hooking up for breeding season. Two males are in the center. Taken Jan. 2025 in #Petaluma, #California. Yes, these diving ducks can be found in the #GulfOfMexico!

#birds #birdphotography #photography #micro43 #sonomacounty #elliscreek

Female mallard in flight against a blue sky. She is quacking.

I hope you have a quacking #Mallard Monday, #BlueSky! This lady seems to have a zest for life. Taken January 2025 in #Petaluma, #California. By the way, this species can be found at the #GulfOfMexico!

#birds #birdphotography #photography #sonomacounty #elliscreek #micro43

Two least sandpipers forage at the edge of a pond. They are the smallest shorebird.

Two of our smallest #shorebirds, the #LeastSandpiper. Yes, these little darlings can be found wintering at the #GulfOfMexico! Taken January 2025 in #Petaluma, #California.

#birds #birdphotography #photography #sonomacounty #elliscreek #micro43 #sandpiper

A killdeer walks near the water's edge with a least sandpiper in the background.

#killdeer always look worried. Their signature call ki-dee-DEE is easy to recognize. This bird can be found at the #GulfOfMexico. That's a #LeastSandpiper in the background. Taken Jan 2025 in #Petaluma, #California.

#birds #birdphotography #photography #plover #sonomacounty #micro43 #elliscreek

A white-tailed kite flies overhead.

A #WhiteTailedKite in the setting sun. These elegant #raptors hover over vegetation to capture small rodents. Taken January 2025 in #Petaluma, #California.

#birds #birdphotography #sonomacounty #micro43 #elliscreek

A ruby-crowned kinglet perched on a tule reed

My dream is to one day capture the namesake of the #RubyCrownedKinglet, which is only displayed when the bird is in a state of excitement. I love these little dynamos. Taken in #Petaluma, #California in January 2025.
#birds #birdphotography #sonomacounty #wetlands #micro43 #elliscreek

A happy male mallard.

I hope this #HappyDuck brings you #joy. Taken in #petaluma, #california in December, 2024.

#birds #birdphotography #photography #mallard #wetlands #sonomacounty #elliscreek #ducks #micro43 #nature #wildlife