The Bird of the Day theme is "headshots", so I'll post these.
A female rose breasted grosbeak and a sandhill crane (with oddly crossed beak).
#BirdOfTheDay #rosebreastedgrosbeak #sandhillcrane #headshot #originalphotos
The Bird of the Day theme is "robins", so I've found a couple early birds showing off their breakfasts.
#BirdOfTheDay #robin #earlybirds #ornithology #wildlife #originalphotos
Three images of green herons, taken at different times of the year to illustrate the color variations, depending on time of year and age of the bird. All photos taken at the Murfree Springs wetlands area, Murfreesboro, TN.
#BirdOfTheDay #greenheron #originalphotos #wildlife #birds #ornithology
You don't get that big by being a lousy fisherman! Great blue herons are fishing masters... This heron on snagging fish on the Little Pigeon River in the Smokies.
#BirdOfTheDay #greatblueheron #originalphotos #ornithology
We usually have our first hummingbird visitors on April 5th, but so far we haven't seen on in our neighborhood. Feeders are up, guys!
#BirdoftheDay #rubythroatedhummingbird #ornithology #originalphotos #canonwildlifephotography #canon5Dmii #canon400mm5.6
A yellow crowned night heron glaring at the camera, beak pointed straight at the lens. Standing on one leg only with an utter look of disdain on its face.
A yellow crowned night heron preening its chest and upper neck, with its head pointed straight toward the log it's perched upon. The bird's crown plume is standing up from atop its head. Seconds later it would raise one leg, then realize it was being photographed. Caught in the act...
Ever been caught watching someone preening? It's embarrassing when they turn and glare at you. This yellow crowned night heron was seen at the Murfree Springs wetlands area in Murfreesboro.
#BirdOfTheDay #preening #yellowcrownednightheron #birds #birdsofbluesky #wildlifephotography #originalphotos
A yellow-crowned night heron walking gracefully on a faded red handrail at the Murfree Springs wetlands in Murfreesboro, Tn. Yellow talons grip the rail and it's walking to the right of the frame.
The heron's right foot has slipped from the handrail, and it has its wings extended to help regain balance. The yellow plume has risen behind the heron's head, and the bird's beak is slightly open, as if muttering, "What just happened?"
In this third photo, the yellow-crowned night heron's legs are extended down on either side of the handrail, with wings extended and yellow plume rising up from its head. The bird is facing the camera, with torso on the handrail and legs straddling the railing on either side. It's hard to know if birds get embarrassed, but this one's expression seems to be the very definition of "Geez... what else can go wrong?"
Herons are usually so elegant and graceful. Usually. This yellow-crowned night heron was trying to walk toward me on a handrail when something embarrassing happened.
We've all had days like this...
#BirdOfTheDay #yellowcrownednightheron #birds #birdbloopers #originalphotos #wildlife
Great blue heron with beak open and tongue extended at the top of a dead tree, blue sky background. This heron was using an open beak to cool itself on an extremely hot summer day.
A male peacock with open beak, giving a (very!) loud call. The bird's head and plume are deep blue, with a light green back, gray and black wings, and iridescent green tail feathers.
Our state bird, the mockingbird, letting everyone in the neighborhood know that the concert is about to begin. The bird's beak is open, and it is perched on a dead bare tree limb.
A male house sparrow with open beak, glaring at the camera while perched on a maple tree branch. The bird has a dark gray head with a deep brown color pattern from the eye to the shoulder, a black chest, and brown wings with white stripes.
I'm told the Bird of the Day theme is "open beak", so here goes:
#BirdOfTheDay #openbeak #greatblueheron #peacock #mockingbird #sparrow #birds #wildlifephotography #originalphotos #ornithology #birdsofbluesky #helloisthisthingon
I took these shots of a hawk on a power line many years ago, but can't identify the species from head shots alone. The bird was so close to the road, that I just leaned out of my car and took a couple of pics before it flew away.
Any guesses on the ID?
#BirdOfTheDay #birds #hawk #originalphotos
Side profile of a goldfinch on a branch, with yellow coloration on the head and chest, with white stripes on black wing feathers.
A maroon house finch with a dandelion blossom in his beak, standing next to dandelions in the grass.
A male goldfinch photographed from behind, looking back down toward the ground from a dried tree branch.
A male house finch with head cocked to the side, eyeing the camera with a green bokeh background.
Bird of the Day theme is "finches", so here are reps from the goldfinch and house finch families.
#BirdOfTheDay #finches #goldfinch #housefinch #originalphotos #ornithology #wildlife
Indigo bunting on a branch, with iridescent blue plumage.
Closeup of female rose breasted grosbeak eyeing the camera.
Indigo bunting eyeing the camera from a maple branch.
Male rose breasted grosbeak perched on diagonal feeder chain, with black head and red breast over white torso feathers.
Bird of the Day theme is "migratory", so here's a couple of rose-breasted grosbeaks and indigo buntings who stopped by heading north or south at some point in the past.
#migratory #birds #BirdOfTheDay #rosebreastedgrowbeak #indigobunting #wildlifephotography #originalphotos
I had just brushed excess fur from our husky (who could shed another entire dog's worth of hair at any given moment) and left it in our yard. Immediately, sparrows began to pick up the hair and carry it back to bird boxes for their nests.
Towhees are common here in middle Tennessee, and I admire the fact that they aren't interested in the various foods we put out for birds, preferring to find their own. I've noticed that they often scratch around in the grass below feeders, because grub worms are attracted to the dirt that's often covered with discarded sunflower seeds. Towhees are difficult to to get in perfect exposure because of the sharp contrast between their black heads and white chests. One of my favorite birds to observe!
This Cooper's hawk had landed on a tomato stake, then hopped down to march around beneath the plants in our garden. Smaller birds like sparrows and wrens often take "dust baths" in the dried dirt of the garden, and that might have been what drew the hawk to ground level.
Mama robin collecting earthworms for her babies. You know those birds would prefer to swallow their catch, but that maternal instinct to feed their young prevails. We have robins year 'round here in middle TN, but twice a year migrating flocks of them will litter the ground in search of worms and insects. Occasionally we'll see robins eating mealworms that we put out for bluebirds. But it's rare to see a robin at one of our feeders, unless they're being territorial to keep other birds away.
Bird of the Day theme is "grounded" or alt theme "silhouette", so here's a silhouette of a sparrow with husky fur in its beak, along with a towhee, a Cooper's hawk, and a robin on the ground. The hawk was patrolling our garden.
#BirdOfTheDay #towhee #Coopershawk #robin #originalphotos #wildlife
@alan678.bsky.social I may be a day late to the "land and water" theme, but here goes nonetheless. All photos taken in Murfreesboro, Tn.
#BirdOfTheDay #greatblueheron #grackle #originalphotos #wildlifephotography #canonwildlifephotography #canon5Dmii
@robcrank68.bsky.social
Red tailed hawk, ruby throated hummingbird, indigo bunting, and our state bird, the mockingbird.
#BirdOfTheDay #originalphotos #middleTN
@robcrank68.bsky.social "perched" bird pix?
Sometimes they're as graceful as gymnasts or pole dancers striking a pose. Here's a female rose breasted grosbeak, a red-winged blackbird, a house finch, and a ruby throated hummingbird perched on a trumpet vine blossom.
#BirdOfTheDay #originalphotos
@robcrank68.bsky.social If I'm right, today's theme is "reflections". Got a few to share: great blue heron, female cardinal, a mallard, and male wood duck.
#BirdOfTheDay #originalphotos #canonwildlifephotography #birds #greatblueheron #cardinal #woodduck
@robcrank68.bsky.social Bird of the Day theme is "feeders", so I'm finding pix of birds coming and going from our feeders. Cardinal, bluebird, male rose breasted grosbeak, and tufted titmouse.
#BirdOfTheDay #cardinal #bluebird #rosebreastedgrosbeak #tuftedtitmouse #originalphotos #wildlife
Today's Bird of the Day theme (if I'm on the right day) is 'gray', so here's a black capped chickadee on a dried sunflower, a dove, and a very subdued great blue (mostly gray) heron.
#BirdOfTheDay #chickadee #dove #GBheron #canonwildlifephotography #originalphotos
@robcrank68.bsky.social
Crows and mockingbirds don't get along... but to be honest, mockers don't get along with anything, including other mockingbirds.
This crow was picking up bread I had tossed into the yard, and our state bird wasn't having it.
#birds #BirdOfTheDay #mockingbird #crow #originalphotos #blueskybirds
We're about thirty days away from the return of the hummers, so try to look busy! Love to watch these little guys~!
#birds #rubythroatedhummingbirds #ornithology #BirdOfTheDay #originalphotos #canonwildlifephotography #canon5Dmii #canon400mm5.6
Male and female bluebirds waiting to bring dinner home to their babies in Kingston, Tn. We were grilling steaks near their nest, and they were skittish about getting close until we went back inside.
#birds #bluebirds #ornithology #originalphotos #canon5Dmii #BirdOfTheDay #birdsofbluesky
A close-up of a very plum green hornworm caterpillar, showing its face and six true legs. A chewed-up green tomato leaf sits to the right, blurring into the background. The photo was taken in July 2025, in Cochise County Arizona.
Green hornworm, loving the tomato leaves
#insect #macro #garden #caterpillar #green #originalphotos #photography
Bird of the Day theme is birds walking, so here's a yellow crowned night heron and a Cooper's hawk struttin'.
#BirdofTheDay #powerwalk #yellowcrownednightheron #Coopershawk #originalphotos #birds #canonwildlifephotography
When dad comes in with carry-out, mom's always happy!
A lot of this sort of thing going on around here, now. Bluebird mating behavior is fun to watch!
#BirdOfTheDay #bluebirds #canonwildlifephotography #originalphotos #matingbehavior
Twenty years ago I could find multiple American kestrels any morning of the week, because they seemed to be everywhere. Now, with non-stop housing construction taking more and more woodlands, they're harder to locate.
#kestrel #BirdOfTheDay #originalphotos #wildlife #canonwildlifephotography #birds
Watching dragonflies snatching gnats out of the air makes me wish we had more of them working in our yard.
#dragonfly #canonwildlifephotography #originalphotos #wildlife #insects #macro
Several yellow rumped warblers are terrorizing our feeders today! These are photos taken years ago, but they're more territorial today than I can ever remember.
#BirdOfTheDay #wildlife #birds #canonwildlifephotography #originalphotos #yellowrumpedwarblers
Taken twelve years ago today at my sister's lake house in Cullman, Alabama. Not at all sure this is a red shouldered hawk. I struggle with some hawk IDs. Can anyone help? Juvenile red tailed hawk, maybe???
#BirdOfTheDay #blueskybirds #birds #canonwildlifephotography #originalphotos #wildlife #hawk
This bear was eating berries thirty feet off the ground in a tree just off the Cades Cove Loop in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. A "fun police" park ranger wouldn't let me approach any closer, which was probably a good thing.
#canonwildlifephotography #blackbear #originalphotos
Bluejay perched on a branch with multiple peanuts in his beak and craw. Watched this bird pick up five or six at a time before flying off with them.
Tufted titmouse picking up unshelled peanut from a glass bowl.
Red bellied woodpecker with peanut in its beak.
Peanut pigs at work! 🥜🐦😍
#birds #canonwildlifephotography #originalphotos #bluejay #titmouse #redbelliedwoodpecker #BlueSkyBirds #birdsofbluesky
