John
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birdingjohn.bsky.social
John
@birdingjohn.bsky.social
500 followers 420 following 590 posts
Keeping calm, maintaining perspective, and posting photos of birds.
All photos are my own; quality may vary drastically.
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birdingjohn.bsky.social
#BirdOfTheDay today is #OnTheEdge (any bird at the edge of a body of water), so here's my heron friend looking for snacks in Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Japanese garden.
#birds #birding #nature #wildlife #outdoors #scape #photography #birdphotography #naturephotography #nyc #Brooklyn #WaderWednesday
Side view of a great blue heron standing on the edge of a stone ornament by the side of a pond in an ornamental Japanese garden. The bird has its neck bent in a shepherd's crook shape as it peers down into the water. In the background, the edge of the pond is lined with wooden posts which are reflected in the water; beyond that is a grassy bank and a path lined with broad-leafed trees.
November 26, 2025 at 2:09 PM
birdingjohn.bsky.social
Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #HangingAround - birds at unusual angles. Here's a white-breasted nuthatch at an angle that I'm sure it would claim is quite normal.
#birds #birding #nature #wildlife #photography #naturephotography #birdphotography 🪶
View from the side and below of a white-breasted nuthatch walking down a hanging branch, head first. Its face is white but its breast actually has a pale buff color, and there's a patch of orange-brown on its belly. The branch is dark brown with peeling bark. In the background, blurred green and brown foliage.
November 25, 2025 at 12:42 PM
birdingjohn.bsky.social
For #BirdOfTheDay, here's a yellow-rumped warbler (AKA butterbutt) I saw in mid-October. They're among the last #warblers to migrate in autumn, snacking on bugs and berries as they head south.
#birds #birding #nature #wildlife #outdoors #photography
#Birdphotography
Side view of a yellow-rumped warbler perched on a thin branch with green leaves in the background. We can see the bright yellow patch at the base of its tail that gives it its name.
November 24, 2025 at 1:52 PM
birdingjohn.bsky.social
I don't normally post twice in a day, but this fluffy swan swam right up to me and posed for a photo, so I'm submitting it for #swanday.
#swantastic #stunday #birds #birding #nature #wildlife #photography #birdphotography 🪶
Close up / side view of the head and upper neck of a mute swan, with bright white feathers and and orange and black bill.
November 23, 2025 at 1:07 PM
birdingjohn.bsky.social
For #BirdoftheDay, here's a pair of mallards with maybe not the most harmonious of relationships...
#Mr&Mrs #birds #birding #nature #wildlife #photography #birdphotography 🪶
A male mallard, swimming, pecks angrily at a female mallard, standing on a floating log, trying to get her to move.
November 23, 2025 at 12:19 PM
birdingjohn.bsky.social
Happy Friday to all! Start your weekend with a beautiful bright red cardinal perched in Prospect Park 🤩
🪶 #cardinal #birds #birding #nature #wildlife #photography #birdphotography #FeatheredFriday #flyday #nyc #Brooklyn
Side/front view of a bright red male Northern cardinal perched on a thin branch, its tail hanging down behind. Its head is in profile, with orange beak, black area around the eyes, and red crest raised a little. In the background are three brown reed or bamboo stems, and green leaves.
November 21, 2025 at 2:38 PM
birdingjohn.bsky.social
For #BirdOfTheDay, here's a white-throated #sparrow, looking decidedly #round with its feathers all floofed up. These borbs arrive in large numbers to winter in NYC. Their cheery whistle is one of my fav birdsongs.
#sparrow #birb #borb #birds #birding #nature #wildlife #photography #birdphotography
Face-on photo of a white-throated sparrow, perched on a thin branch. Its head is turned to the left; it has a white throat, brown eye stripe, white and brown stripes on the top of its head, and a yellow patch just above its eye. Its pale grey breast feathers are fluffed up. In the background, blurred orange and green foliage.
November 19, 2025 at 12:50 PM
birdingjohn.bsky.social
Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is #mottled birds, so here's a fox sparrow, who recently flew in to join us here in NYC for the winter. Its feathers are all floofed up, showcasing the reddish-brown spots and streaks on its belly.
#birds #birding #nature #wildlife #photography #birdphotography
Side view of a fox sparrow with reddish-brown wing and tail, and white belly with reddish-brown streaks. It's perched on a branch in front of blurred green foliage
November 18, 2025 at 2:10 PM
birdingjohn.bsky.social
My photo for #BirdoftheDay isn't so much a #staredown as a smolder: this handsome mallard drake has fixed us with a look, and is it my imagination or is there the hint of a smirk on that yellow bill?
🪶 #MallardMonday #birds #birding #nature #wildlife #photography #birdphotography
Close up side view of the head and breast of a mallard drake; he's looking directly at us Side view of a mallard drake standing on a partially submerged log in calm lake water
November 17, 2025 at 2:21 PM
birdingjohn.bsky.social
#BirdoftheDay is #Shadesofgrey.
I went for a ramble in Prospect Park and found my cormorant friend from last week, standing on the same log and just as unbothered to see me!
#SuperSeabirdSunday #Stunday #fall #autumn #birds #birding #nature #wildlife #photography #birdphotography #nyc #Brooklyn
A double-crested cormorant standing one-footed on a log over placid lake water, with red and green foliage reflected in its surface.
November 16, 2025 at 1:37 PM
birdingjohn.bsky.social
#BirdoftheDay alternative theme is #ducklings, so here are some incredibly fluffy young mallards learning to dabble, supervised by their proud mother.
🪶 #duck #birds #birding #nature #wildlife #photography #birdphotography
Four mallard ducklings with fluffy brown and yellow feathers dabble in the muddy shallows of a pond Two mallard ducklings with fluffy brown and yellow feathers dabble in the muddy shallows of a pond; a female mallard, towering above them, stands guard nearby
November 15, 2025 at 12:46 PM
birdingjohn.bsky.social
For #BirdoftheDay, here's a #swan with its wing feathers all fluffed up. They look proud and regal like this, but they're basically bullies: this is a sign that they're about to charge at another swan.
🪶 #swans #birds #birding #nature #wildlife #photography #birdphotography #FeatheredFriday #flyday
Side view of a mute swan swimming on a calm lake. Its wing feathers are fluffed up, and its head is bent in an "s" shape.
November 14, 2025 at 2:58 PM
birdingjohn.bsky.social
For #BirdoftheDay, here's a Northern shoveler with bright orange feet planted firmly on a log.
🪶 #Ducksoutofwater #duck #birds #birding #nature #wildlife #photography #birdphotography
Side view of a Northern shoveler standing on a wet log at the edge of a lake. In the background, another shoveler is dabbling in the water, and a Canada goose is swimming into the frame.
November 13, 2025 at 1:13 PM
birdingjohn.bsky.social
For #BirdOfTheDay, here's a great blue heron enjoying an autumnal sunset with a goose friend in Prospect Park, Brooklyn.
#paddling #WaderWednesday #birds #birding #nature #wildlife #photography #birdphotography #nyc #Brooklyn #autumn #fall
Side view of a great blue heron, silhouetted against a lake in which pink-orange sunset colors are reflected. In the background, the shore is fringed by trees, some with bare branches. Behind the heron, a Canada goose swims by. Both birds' shadows are stretching out towards us across the rippling water.
November 12, 2025 at 12:42 PM
birdingjohn.bsky.social
A bit late to #BirdoftheDay today, but here's an American oystercatcher, seemingly walking into shot as if it's late for the photo shoot 😆
I also put a cute video of a parent and baby oystercatcher in the comments 😍
#birdsontheground #birds #birding #nature #wildlife #photography #birdphotography
Side view of an American oystercatcher walking on pale yellow sand
November 11, 2025 at 7:38 PM
birdingjohn.bsky.social
Happy #MallardMonday! Here's a drake taking a turn on the side of a pond.
#birds #birding #nature #wildlife #photography #birdphotography
November 10, 2025 at 2:27 PM
birdingjohn.bsky.social
We've had beautiful weather recently. Here's a double-crested cormorant glimpsed through autumnal leaves, standing one-footed on a log and basking in the sun.
#BirdoftheDay #Standingonthings #SuperSeabirdSunday #Stunday #fall #autumn #birds #birding #nature #wildlife #photography #birdphotography
Side view of a double-crested cormorant and standing on a log sticking out of a lake. In the background, the still waters of the lake, glinting in bright sunshine. In the foreground, blurred orange and yellow foliage; the photo was taken through the turning leaves.
November 9, 2025 at 12:57 PM
birdingjohn.bsky.social
For #BirdoftheDay, here's a ring-billed gull perched on a coin-operated viewer in front of the Manhattan skyline. I mostly bird around NYC so I see a lot of #cityslickers like this gull.
#birds #birding #nature #city #urban #wildlife #photo #photography #birdphotography #nyc #blueskyartshow #evening
A ring-billed gull perched on a coin-operated viewer, with the Hudson River and the Manhattan skyline in the background. It's early evening, the sky is darkening to a purple-blue, and the lights are on in the buildings. The bird is viewed face-on, its head turned slightly to fix us with an eye.
November 8, 2025 at 1:39 PM
birdingjohn.bsky.social
For #BirdoftheDay, here are some plucky East River pigeons #fighting for space on a railing. I like that the white bird looks like a dove of peace who finally snapped. 😆
#fightingbirds #pigeon #dove #birds #birding #nature #wildlife #photo #photography #birdphotography #FeatheredFriday #flyday #nyc
Pigeons fight for space on a metal railing by the side of the East River in New York City, with the river and the buildings of Roosevelt Island in the background. An all-white pigeon is captured with wings out in a peace dove pose as it attempts to land, negotiating past the outstretched wing of another pigeon with rock dove-like plumage. A line of other birds are perched on the rail behind them.
November 7, 2025 at 3:06 PM
birdingjohn.bsky.social
I don't often get #closeups of birds, but one bird that's reliably comfortable with humans being nearby is the house sparrow. Here's a couple I snapped at Prospect Park the other day.
#BirdoftheDay #closeup #bird #birding #nature #wildlife #photo #photography #birdphotography #NYC #Brooklyn
Close up of the head and upper body of a male house sparrow, with blurred background Close up of the head and upper body of a male house sparrow, with blurred green plants in the background
November 5, 2025 at 2:13 PM
birdingjohn.bsky.social
For #BirdoftheDay, here are four brant / brent geese sharing a #rock in New York harbor, where passing boats sent swells their way. The birds had different strategies for dealing with the waves (see alt text)
#twosday #birds #birding #nature #wildlife #photo #photography #birdphotography #NYC
Side/behind view of four brant / brent geese standing on a seaweed-strewn wet rock, with waves crashing around them. As a wave approaches, the two birds further back and higher on the rock stand upright, necks stretched skyward, wings out and back, so they'll stay afloat as the wave washes over the rock; the two closest to the water's edge tuck in their necks and wings, duck their heads, and brace themselves as the wave goes over them.
November 4, 2025 at 12:37 PM
birdingjohn.bsky.social
For #MallardMonday, here's an autumnal drake swimming through fallen leaves.
#birds #birding #nature #wildlife #photo #photography #birdphotography #autumn #fall
a mallard drake swimming through fallen leaves, with autumnal colors reflected in the rippling water behind him
November 3, 2025 at 2:33 PM
birdingjohn.bsky.social
Here's an #underrated bird for #BirdoftheDay: the mourning dove. These little doves are common in NYC. They're not striking but have subtly beautiful hues in their plumage, and when you get close you can see their pale blue eyeliner 😆
#birds #birding #nature #wildlife #birdphotography #stunday
Front view of a mourning dove, with shades of buff, pink, and red-brown in its plumage, standing on a stone pillar, with blurred, muted green-brown background. The bird's head is turned slightly and it has one eye fixed on the camera. We're close enough to see the pale blue ring around its eye.
November 2, 2025 at 2:15 PM
birdingjohn.bsky.social
Is it November already? Hope our birb friends stay warm in the cold days to come. Here's an American goldfinch bathing in a stream on a warmer day back in September.
#BirdoftheDay #finches #birb #borb #birds #birding #nature #wildlife #photo #photography #birdphotography
Side view of an American goldfinch perched on a small rock in the middle of a stream. Front view of an American goldfinch partially submerged in a rocky stream, its feathers wet from bathing.
November 1, 2025 at 1:28 PM
birdingjohn.bsky.social
Happy Halloween, everyone! For #BirdoftheDay, here's an American robin hiding in a bush, and then briefly emerging to pose for me.
#birds #birding #nature #wildlife #photo #photography #birdphotography #flyday #FeatheredFriday #hiding #Halloween
An American robin hiding among green leaves and red berries in a winterberry holly bush. We can see the bird's head and it's orange belly through gaps in the leaves. Closer up of an American robin perched among green leaves and red berries in a winterberry holly bush.
October 31, 2025 at 1:11 PM