Stephen Barten
@stephenbarten.bsky.social
Veterinarian (retired), naturalist, wildlife photographer, field herper, habitat restoration volunteer, prescribed burn crew, bluebird monitor, frog monitor, bumblebee monitor. NE Illinois. All images on this page are mine.
Stephen Barten
Great Blue Herons have the athletic grace of an NBA player.
LittleSt. Simons, GA, 11.12.25
#greatblueheron #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography #littlestsimonsisland
Great Blue Herons have the athletic grace of an NBA player.
LittleSt. Simons, GA, 11.12.25
#greatblueheron #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography #littlestsimonsisland
February 2, 2026 at 10:06 PM
Stephen Barten
Great Blue Herons have the athletic grace of an NBA player.
LittleSt. Simons, GA, 11.12.25
#greatblueheron #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography #littlestsimonsisland
Great Blue Herons have the athletic grace of an NBA player.
LittleSt. Simons, GA, 11.12.25
#greatblueheron #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography #littlestsimonsisland
A random cornfield in Canada from a while ago.
I skipped this image on my first pass through my memory cards, but like it on second look.
#snowyowl #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography
I skipped this image on my first pass through my memory cards, but like it on second look.
#snowyowl #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography
February 1, 2026 at 10:33 PM
A random cornfield in Canada from a while ago.
I skipped this image on my first pass through my memory cards, but like it on second look.
#snowyowl #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography
I skipped this image on my first pass through my memory cards, but like it on second look.
#snowyowl #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography
Any boat ride is better with a dolphin pod escort.
Hampton River, GA, 11.12.25
Hampton River, GA, 11.12.25
January 31, 2026 at 11:37 PM
Any boat ride is better with a dolphin pod escort.
Hampton River, GA, 11.12.25
Hampton River, GA, 11.12.25
Obscured view of a large Coachwhip basking in a nook out of the wind on an unseasonably cold November day. The second it realized it had been seen, it jetted into the underbrush. This was my "safety shot," the only one I got.
Little St. Simons Island, GA 11.12.25
#coachwhip #fieldherping #insitu
Little St. Simons Island, GA 11.12.25
#coachwhip #fieldherping #insitu
January 30, 2026 at 11:46 PM
Obscured view of a large Coachwhip basking in a nook out of the wind on an unseasonably cold November day. The second it realized it had been seen, it jetted into the underbrush. This was my "safety shot," the only one I got.
Little St. Simons Island, GA 11.12.25
#coachwhip #fieldherping #insitu
Little St. Simons Island, GA 11.12.25
#coachwhip #fieldherping #insitu
Blue-winged Teal
Little St. Simons, GA, 25.11.12
#bluewingedteal #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography #littlestsimonsisland
Little St. Simons, GA, 25.11.12
#bluewingedteal #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography #littlestsimonsisland
January 29, 2026 at 11:35 PM
Blue-winged Teal
Little St. Simons, GA, 25.11.12
#bluewingedteal #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography #littlestsimonsisland
Little St. Simons, GA, 25.11.12
#bluewingedteal #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography #littlestsimonsisland
Black-crowned Night Heron
Little St. Simons, GA, 11.12.25
#blackcrownednightheron #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography #littlestsimonsisland
Little St. Simons, GA, 11.12.25
#blackcrownednightheron #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography #littlestsimonsisland
January 28, 2026 at 10:52 PM
Black-crowned Night Heron
Little St. Simons, GA, 11.12.25
#blackcrownednightheron #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography #littlestsimonsisland
Little St. Simons, GA, 11.12.25
#blackcrownednightheron #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography #littlestsimonsisland
Sanderling digging deep
Little St Simon’s, GA 11.10.25
#sanderling #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography
Little St Simon’s, GA 11.10.25
#sanderling #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography
January 28, 2026 at 1:41 AM
Sanderling digging deep
Little St Simon’s, GA 11.10.25
#sanderling #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography
Little St Simon’s, GA 11.10.25
#sanderling #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography
Translucent
Roseate Spoonbill, Little St. Simons GA 11.10.25
#roseatespoonbill #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography
Roseate Spoonbill, Little St. Simons GA 11.10.25
#roseatespoonbill #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography
January 26, 2026 at 11:02 PM
Translucent
Roseate Spoonbill, Little St. Simons GA 11.10.25
#roseatespoonbill #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography
Roseate Spoonbill, Little St. Simons GA 11.10.25
#roseatespoonbill #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography
Northern Harrier cruising the dunes
Little St Simons 11.10.25
#northernharrier #birding. #birdingphotography #birdphotography
Little St Simons 11.10.25
#northernharrier #birding. #birdingphotography #birdphotography
January 25, 2026 at 11:16 PM
Northern Harrier cruising the dunes
Little St Simons 11.10.25
#northernharrier #birding. #birdingphotography #birdphotography
Little St Simons 11.10.25
#northernharrier #birding. #birdingphotography #birdphotography
Coyotes on patrol as the neighbor shines a flashlight out of their window.
1.22.26
#Coyotes #trailcam #trailcamera #backyardwildlife
1.22.26
#Coyotes #trailcam #trailcamera #backyardwildlife
January 25, 2026 at 4:53 PM
Coyotes on patrol as the neighbor shines a flashlight out of their window.
1.22.26
#Coyotes #trailcam #trailcamera #backyardwildlife
1.22.26
#Coyotes #trailcam #trailcamera #backyardwildlife
Sunrise over a sandbar
11.10.25
11.10.25
January 24, 2026 at 11:49 PM
Sunrise over a sandbar
11.10.25
11.10.25
Heat shimmer over the ocean on a frigid morning.
Little St. Simons GA 11.10.25
Little St. Simons GA 11.10.25
January 23, 2026 at 9:16 PM
Heat shimmer over the ocean on a frigid morning.
Little St. Simons GA 11.10.25
Little St. Simons GA 11.10.25
Ruddy Turnstone at dawn
Little St Simons, GA, 11.10.25
#ruddyturnstone #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography #littlestsimonsisland
Little St Simons, GA, 11.10.25
#ruddyturnstone #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography #littlestsimonsisland
January 22, 2026 at 10:32 PM
Ruddy Turnstone at dawn
Little St Simons, GA, 11.10.25
#ruddyturnstone #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography #littlestsimonsisland
Little St Simons, GA, 11.10.25
#ruddyturnstone #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography #littlestsimonsisland
Wood Stork
Little St Simons, Ga, 11.09.25
#woodstork #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography #littlestsimonsisland
Little St Simons, Ga, 11.09.25
#woodstork #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography #littlestsimonsisland
January 21, 2026 at 11:09 PM
Wood Stork
Little St Simons, Ga, 11.09.25
#woodstork #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography #littlestsimonsisland
Little St Simons, Ga, 11.09.25
#woodstork #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography #littlestsimonsisland
Willet
A common but elegant shorebird
Little St. Simons, GA, 11.09.25
#willet #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography #littlestsimonsisland
A common but elegant shorebird
Little St. Simons, GA, 11.09.25
#willet #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography #littlestsimonsisland
January 20, 2026 at 8:09 PM
Willet
A common but elegant shorebird
Little St. Simons, GA, 11.09.25
#willet #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography #littlestsimonsisland
A common but elegant shorebird
Little St. Simons, GA, 11.09.25
#willet #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography #littlestsimonsisland
Osprey sheltering in the lee of the dunes on a frigid, windy November morning.
#littlesaintsimonsisland #littlestsimonsisland #osprey #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography
#littlesaintsimonsisland #littlestsimonsisland #osprey #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography
January 19, 2026 at 10:45 PM
Osprey sheltering in the lee of the dunes on a frigid, windy November morning.
#littlesaintsimonsisland #littlestsimonsisland #osprey #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography
#littlesaintsimonsisland #littlestsimonsisland #osprey #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography
Watching the submarine races
Monterey Bay, CA, 10.23.25
Monterey Bay, CA, 10.23.25
January 17, 2026 at 10:29 PM
Watching the submarine races
Monterey Bay, CA, 10.23.25
Monterey Bay, CA, 10.23.25
Those white knobs on the heads and fins of Humpback Whales are called tubercles. Each one contains a large, sensitive hair follicle like a whisker.
Monterey Bay, CA, 10.23.25
Monterey Bay, CA, 10.23.25
January 16, 2026 at 11:09 PM
Those white knobs on the heads and fins of Humpback Whales are called tubercles. Each one contains a large, sensitive hair follicle like a whisker.
Monterey Bay, CA, 10.23.25
Monterey Bay, CA, 10.23.25
January 15, 2026 at 11:20 PM
Long-billed Curlew
Moss Landing, CA 10.24.25
#longbilledcurlew #birding #birdphotography #birdingphotography
Moss Landing, CA 10.24.25
#longbilledcurlew #birding #birdphotography #birdingphotography
January 12, 2026 at 11:16 PM
Long-billed Curlew
Moss Landing, CA 10.24.25
#longbilledcurlew #birding #birdphotography #birdingphotography
Moss Landing, CA 10.24.25
#longbilledcurlew #birding #birdphotography #birdingphotography
One-legged Willets
JK, they just have the other leg tucked in while they rest.
Moss Landing, CA, 10.24.25
#willet #birdphotography #birdingphotography #birding
JK, they just have the other leg tucked in while they rest.
Moss Landing, CA, 10.24.25
#willet #birdphotography #birdingphotography #birding
January 12, 2026 at 12:27 AM
One-legged Willets
JK, they just have the other leg tucked in while they rest.
Moss Landing, CA, 10.24.25
#willet #birdphotography #birdingphotography #birding
JK, they just have the other leg tucked in while they rest.
Moss Landing, CA, 10.24.25
#willet #birdphotography #birdingphotography #birding
Marbled Godwit on final approach
Moss Landing, CA, 10.24.25
#marbledgodwit #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography
Moss Landing, CA, 10.24.25
#marbledgodwit #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography
January 11, 2026 at 2:56 AM
Marbled Godwit on final approach
Moss Landing, CA, 10.24.25
#marbledgodwit #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography
Moss Landing, CA, 10.24.25
#marbledgodwit #birding #birdingphotography #birdphotography
Semipalmated Plover championship match
Moss Landing, CA, 10.24.25
#semipalmatedplover #birding #birdphotography #birdingphotography
Moss Landing, CA, 10.24.25
#semipalmatedplover #birding #birdphotography #birdingphotography
January 9, 2026 at 11:17 PM
Semipalmated Plover championship match
Moss Landing, CA, 10.24.25
#semipalmatedplover #birding #birdphotography #birdingphotography
Moss Landing, CA, 10.24.25
#semipalmatedplover #birding #birdphotography #birdingphotography
California Sea Lions chasing a BIG fish.
OK, maybe they're just all eating at the same bait ball restaurant.
Montery Bay, CA, 10.23.25
OK, maybe they're just all eating at the same bait ball restaurant.
Montery Bay, CA, 10.23.25
January 8, 2026 at 10:20 PM
California Sea Lions chasing a BIG fish.
OK, maybe they're just all eating at the same bait ball restaurant.
Montery Bay, CA, 10.23.25
OK, maybe they're just all eating at the same bait ball restaurant.
Montery Bay, CA, 10.23.25
White-crowned Sparrow
Asilomar State Beach, CA, 10.22.25
#whitecrownedsparrow #birdphotography #birding #birdphotography
Asilomar State Beach, CA, 10.22.25
#whitecrownedsparrow #birdphotography #birding #birdphotography
January 7, 2026 at 11:33 PM
White-crowned Sparrow
Asilomar State Beach, CA, 10.22.25
#whitecrownedsparrow #birdphotography #birding #birdphotography
Asilomar State Beach, CA, 10.22.25
#whitecrownedsparrow #birdphotography #birding #birdphotography