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Ryan Bebej

@ryanbebej.bsky.social

270 followers 100 following 380 posts

Calvin University professor + alum / anatomist + marine mammal paleontologist / birder + amateur photographer / science + faith speaker / University of Michigan alum / fan of St Louis Cardinals + Star Wars + other nerdy things / surname pronounced "BB"

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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 17h

Hooded merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) – This female merganser was styling with its fancy hairdo (featherdo?) on New Year's Day.

www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography

🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 1d

Red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) – From the Instagram archive… When I look at this photo, I can practically HEAR the bird.

www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography

🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 2d

Bay-breasted warbler (Setophaga castanea) – I've got some serious FOMB from this fall's migration, so here's a cool warbler that I spotted this past spring for #WarblerWednesday.

www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography

🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography

Bay-breasted warbler perched high up in a tree

Bay-breasted warbler perched upside-down high up in a tree

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 3d

Tourmaline sunangel (Heliangelus exortis) – From the Instagram archive… One of the 130+ species of hummingbirds known from Ecuador. I took this photo while teaching there in 2018.

www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography

🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography

Tourmaline sunangel hummingbird showing its pink gorget

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 4d

Lava gull (Leucophaeus fuliginosus) – Endemic to the Galápagos Islands, this gull is considered the rarest gull in the world, with an estimated population of 300–600 birds. I saw this one on Isla Genovesa back in 2018.

www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography

🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography

Black lava gull strutting along a rocky shore on Isla Genovesa in the Galápagos Islands

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 7d

Thank you!!

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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 7d

Well, at least it left parting gift! 😂

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 7d

Cedar waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) – Without a doubt, one of my spark birds. I captured this individual sporting a fake white beard. Perhaps it was auditioning to be an avian Santa Claus?

www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography

🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography

Cedar waxwing with some white fluff stuck under its bill, looking a bit like a fake Santa beard

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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 8d

Thank you much!

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 8d

Belted kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) – From the Instagram archive… I love seeing kingfishers, but they rarely let me get close enough for a decent photo. I actually like how I could frame this one against the culvert.

www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography

🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography

Female belted kingfisher in front of a culvert

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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 9d

Prothonotary warbler (Protonotaria citrea) – It's always a ray of sunshine when one of these little lemons brightens your day, especially on #WarblerWednesday.

www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography

🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography

Bright yellow prothonotary warbler looking up curiously

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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 10d

Indeed it is!

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 10d

Common yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) – From the Instagram archive… These birds are often heard, but less often seen for me. Always pleased to get a decent photo of one.

www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography

🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography

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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 11d

Thank you much!

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 11d

I’ve got photos of birds from as far away as New Zealand. But when a rare bird shows up near me, I usually cannot give chase due to professional and personal obligations.

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 11d

Savannah sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) – The busyness of work + family life has resulted in a fall migration that is passing me by & giving me a serious case of FOMB. So here's a shot from last autumn.

www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography

🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography

Savannah sparrow perched on a rock along Lake Michigan

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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 14d

There can never be too many projected archaeocetes. #ArchaeocetesAreAwesome

Carl Zimmer @carlzimmer.com · 15d

Wall-to-wall Ambulocetus!

Three screens with my slides for a talk at Notre Dame

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 14d

Caspian tern (Hydroprogne caspia) – The largest species of tern in the world. This past spring I spotted this individual flying over a lake near the campus where I work.

www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography

🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 15d

Northern shoveler (Spatula clypeata) – From the Instagram archive… These are such cool ducks!

www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography

🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography

Male northern shoveler in breeding plumage floating on the water

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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 16d

American redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) – One of the more common warblers during spring and summer here in West Michigan. #WarblerWednesday

www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography

🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography

Male American redstart perched on a branch against a blurry green background of leaves

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 17d

Double-crested cormorant (Nannopterum auritum) – From the Instagram archive… This young cormorant was perfectly content to swim right past me in a stream at a local park.

www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography

🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography

Young double-crested cormorant swimming in a stream

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 18d

Eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus) – For this sporadically scheduled #MammalMonday, here's a cute little chipmunk from this past spring.

www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography

#wildlifephotography

Eastern chipmunk sitting on a dark log and looking straight at the camera

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 21d

Sanderling (Calidris alba) – I love watching these little birds chase receding waves on the beach like little wind-up toys. But last fall I spotted this one up-close foraging among the rocks.

www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography

🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography

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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 22d

Green heron (Butorides virescens) – From the Instagram archive… A couple falls ago, I spotted this little guy hanging out in the fields of a local turf farm after some rain.

www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography

🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography

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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 23d

Black-throated blue warbler (Setophaga caerulescens) – One of my favorite birds from the spring migration. Have a great #WarblerWednesday!

www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography

🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography

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