Mark R. Courtney
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mrcourtney.bsky.social
Mark R. Courtney
@mrcourtney.bsky.social
440 followers 210 following 110 posts
Software developer, photographer, sometimes writer. Best when wandering in nature.

Photos by me unless otherwise noted. Some prints available through https://photo.mrcourtney.com or by contacting me.

Based in Southern New England
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mrcourtney.bsky.social
Sanderlings crowding a rock around high tide
#Birds #BirdPhotography #Wildlife #WildlifePhotography #Photography
Photograph of a handful of sanderlings gathered closely on a seaweed-covered rock with waving water behind them. The sanderlings, with their gray and white feathers, make for a bright crown atop the dark rock.
December 13, 2025 at 6:01 PM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
White-tailed deer encountered in the woods where I tend to roam
#Wildlife #WildlifePhotography #Photography
Photograph of a deer in some brushy woods. The deer is paused with its tail toward the camera, aware but not spooked, and its head is turned to the side showing off a decent set of antlers.
December 13, 2025 at 6:00 PM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
Plants in early winter mode
#Nature #NaturePhotography #Photography
Photograph of an array of small, fluffy seed head clusters atop a twiggy plant, light beige against a deep brown background. Photograph of a cluster of small seed heads atop an upright stem, some open puffs and others still closed, all against a muted brown backdrop.
December 13, 2025 at 5:34 PM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
Morning moon (from a few days ago)
#Photography
Photograph of the moon in the blue sky with some out-of-focus, bare tree branches reaching toward it from the edge of the frame. The moon is slightly fuller than half, the dark side fading away into the blue.
December 12, 2025 at 4:04 PM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
White-tailed deer in a tall field
#WildlifeWednesday #Wildlife #WildlifePhotography #Photography
Photograph of a deer in a brushy field of seasonally dry plants that reach to its shoulders. Only its head and back are visible, and some of the plant seed heads rise to the level of of the deer’s alert ears which are angled slightly back though its eyes seem to be scanning the brush ahead.
December 10, 2025 at 5:10 PM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
Red-tailed hawk taking off
#Birds #WildlifeWednesday #Wildlife #WildlifePhotography #Photography
Photograph of a brown and white hawk launching from the tip of a dead, bare tree against a clear blue sky. The hawk fills the left of the frame with spread wings, and its dangling talons have left behind the dead tree perch to the right.
December 10, 2025 at 4:24 PM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
Nest left behind
#Nature #NaturePhotography #Photography
Photograph of a bird’s nest built of dry grass and mud, solidly ensconced between the thin, upright branches of a tall bush.
December 10, 2025 at 4:20 PM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
Feather left behind
#Nature #NaturePhotography #Photography
Photograph of a wide feather caught on a bare plant stem. The outer edge of the feather fans out in a subtle black, and it shifts to white and fluffy where it once attached to a bird but where it now clings to a twig.
December 10, 2025 at 4:19 PM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
A bit of autumn still left on the forest floor

#Mushrooms #Fungi #FungiFriday #FungiFriends #Nature #NaturePhotography #Photography
Photograph looking down at a patch of small, shelf-like mushrooms crowding the top of a fallen log, pale against the dark bark and dwarfed by the surrounding brown leaves.
December 6, 2025 at 12:14 AM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
Pavilion structure
#Architecture #Photography
Photograph looking along a narrow, curved support made of layered wood that leads up to the wooden slat ceiling of a large, open pavilion. The support catches the low morning light making the near curve glow against the dark ceiling and highlighting a decorative, angled gap near the top. The entire photograph is just these woods of various shades running at various angles.
November 30, 2025 at 12:13 PM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
Playing hide-and-seek with the sun in the woods this morning

#Nature #NaturePhotography #Photography
Ground-level photograph looking through a gap underneath a fallen log at the low sun angling in to light a tuft of grass and bed of dried leaves. Photograph of the sun peeking around the edge of the jagged remains of a tall tree stump, the bright glow radiating out from behind the dried, decaying wood.
November 29, 2025 at 5:37 PM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
Morning frost season continues

#Frost #Nature #NaturePhotography #Photography
Photograph of a rust-red leaf among other autumn leaf debris with its edges highlighted by light morning frost. Photograph of a ground cover plant with tiny green leaves with each small leaf outlined by frost crystals.
November 29, 2025 at 4:09 PM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
Naturally decorated fallen log

#Mushrooms #Fungi #FungiFriday #FungiFriends #Nature #NaturePhotography #Photography
Photograph of shelf-like mushrooms, mostly white with brown rims and faint bands, hanging along a fallen log. The various sizes and connected groupings and lines of how the mushrooms have formed makes for an artistic flow.
November 28, 2025 at 1:49 PM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
Along the Narragansett Bay coast this morning

#Nature #NaturePhotography #Photography #RhodeIsland
Photograph of a rust-red leaf floating above rocks and shells just under the water's surface near shore. Photograph of a large, wet rock near shore. The dark rock is solid but covered in carved out pockmarks and has a single orange-brown leaf sitting atop it as the only splash of color. Photograph of dark-shelled sea snails on a flat slope of rock leading down to the water where the waves occasionally splash over them.
November 25, 2025 at 6:57 PM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
Morning frost and frozen water drops
#Frost #Nature #NaturePhotography #Photography
Closeup photograph of morning frost formed along the lengthy, parallel ribs of a gladiolus leaf with some frozen water drops scattered about. Aside from the jaunty angle, it has the look of music notes written on a lined staff.
November 23, 2025 at 3:41 PM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
Crabapples adding a little color to the season
#Nature #NaturePhotography #Photography
Photograph of three small, red crabapple fruits hanging off a tiny stem along a larger branch. Many still-yellow fruits hang blurred in the background.
November 15, 2025 at 1:28 PM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
Went to rake some fallen sticks off the lawn before the season's final mow and discovered one was actually our friendly neighborhood praying mantis. Relocated her to a nearby bush where she could safely judge my yard-working skills.

#PrayingMantis #Mantis #Insects #NaturePhotography #Photography
Photograph of a praying mantis, mostly beige with green flanks, lurking lengthwise between blades of grass, its triangular head turned toward the camera. Photograph of a beige praying mantis facing the camera from where it's perched on a bush, its triangular head rising above the small leaves.
November 15, 2025 at 12:36 PM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
Ladybugs having a day out this past warm Saturday.

#Nature #NaturePhotography #Photography
Photograph of a small, orange-red beetle with black spots prowling downward on a grayed cedar shingle. Photograph of a small, orange-red beetle with black spots crawling up a darkened gap between grayed cedar shingles. Photograph of a small, red beetle with black spots brightly contrasting against the rough, dark surface of a grayed cedar shingle. Photograph of a small, red beetle with black spots crawling across the ridged surface of a grayed cedar shingle.
November 10, 2025 at 2:06 AM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
Providence, Rhode Island, from a distance

#ProvidenceRI #RhodeIsland #Landscape #LandscapePhotography #Photography
Photograph looking out over waves of autumn-colored trees to the skyline of Providence, Rhode Island, muted in the hazy distance.
November 9, 2025 at 6:34 PM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
Leaves vs. chain-link fence
#Autum #Photography
Photograph of a thin, curled leaf hooked over a bit of a dark chain-link fence. It dangles like a gymnast in the diamond formed between the fence’s wires, though at a jauntier angle than expected of a gymnast. Photograph of a small, red leaf caught against a dark chain-link fence. The sides of the leaf are curled inward and tucked under a wire of the fence as if bracing with its arms to keep its head peeking over a bar while swinging out its feet. Photograph of a multi-pointed yellow leaf caught squarely centered in a diamond gap in a dark chain-link fence. The leaf looks like it was attempting to squeeze through the opening in the fence but couldn’t quite make it so is now resigned to its fate as a decorative splash of color on the dark fence. Photograph of a yellow maple leaf caught against the pole of a dark chain-link fence and held up by the crossing wires. Might have been a good hide-and-seek hiding spot for it, except that its bright color clearly gives it away against the dark fence. Or maybe it’s just up there to take in the view.
November 9, 2025 at 10:43 AM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
For today's #BlueSkyArtShow theme of #Autumn
#Photography
Photograph at ground level of fallen leaves lit by the morning sunlight shining through a gap in the trees up ahead.
November 1, 2025 at 1:47 PM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
Cool light on this scene earlier this week after a heavy rainstorm moved through.
#Autumn #Landscape #LandscapePhotography #Photography
Photograph of a wetland pond with morning light breaking through dark clouds to illuminate swaths of the dried, golden grass around the water. Trees beyond are dressed in various autumn shades of red, orange, and yellow mixed with some remaining green. Numerous white seagulls scatter across the scene, in both the water and the air.
October 26, 2025 at 12:30 PM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
Great fall colors on the local sassafras tree this week.
#Autumn #Nature #NaturePhotography #Photography
Photograph of hanging sassafras leaves that transition from golden yellow near the stems to rich red at the tips.
October 25, 2025 at 12:52 PM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
Today's action: Cooper's hawk vs. raven

#Birds #Wildlife #WildlifePhotography #WildlifeWednesday #Photography
Photograph of a brown hawk, wings raised, banking down and away from a black raven with wings spread out. Photograph of a brown hawk closely followed by a black raven. Both birds have wings spread flat and are banking to the left in near perfect symmetry. Photograph of a black raven with wings flared in flight as it surges above a brown hawk with wings lowered, dodging the raven. Photograph of a brown hawk alone in the sky having gained a bit of distance from the pursuing raven... at least for the moment.
October 22, 2025 at 11:38 PM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
Under the dock
#Photography
Photograph of where a wooden beam and angled cross brace are joined to a post to support a dock above. The angled light of morning illuminates the grain of the wood, and three bolts, two on the beam and one on the angled brace, cast long shadows. The shadow of one vertical bolt above is visible, and beyond the structure is the light blue sky and darker blue water.
October 18, 2025 at 2:14 PM