“Is it already Sunday?”, Buchfink asked. And then, he decided that all he wanted to do was be lazy for the rest of the day.

Buchfink ♂️ (chaffinch) auf der Karlshöhe, Stuttgart-Süd.

Double puff, just to be safe.

it irritates me to no end when people say north american birds are dull in comparison to other countries’ birds

blue jay

american kestrel

painted bunting

yellow-throated vireo

cerulean warbler

baltimore oriole

american goldfinch

northern cardinal

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‪Birds are dinosaurs who shrugged off a couple apocalypses. Some eat bone marrow. Some drink nectar. They outswim fish in the sea. They smile politely at gravity’s demands. ‬‪I am grateful to see them. I am grateful to feed them. I am grateful to know them.‬

I know European Starlings are not everybody’s favourite in America (for good reason, and I know it is not the bird’s fault), but can we for a moment sit down and admire their most beautiful plumage?

a common raven with leucism. leucism is similar to albinism, but is a partial lack of many pigments, not a complete loss. ravens are known for their black pigmentation; pure white birds like this one suffer from increased visibility to predators, as well as sometimes being rejected socially.

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Winter is an excellent time to watch for America’s national symbol, soaring over head or perched majestically in the trees. Photographer Jake Ryan explains spotting this one on a quiet snowy day, "I was watching this eagle fish all day on Lake Coeur d’Alene in northern Idaho. It would swoop down and grab the Kokanee salmon and fly back up into the tree to eat. It landed on the perfect branch and after dropping the fish carcass, he was eyeing down his next catch.” How about you? Are you seeing our national bird out and about?  From November through February migrating bald eagles visit the Lake Coeur d' Alene area to feed on the spawning salmon. The Bureau of Land Management runs a yearly count and documents their impressive numbers. How about you? Have you spotted any bald eagles recently? Photo courtesy of Jake Ryan (@Jakeryan.photography)

It wasn’t just the weather that made everybody more at ease. It was also that there were hardly any Starling there today. This was one of the only pictures with a Starling I got. It is rather impressive and intimidating, but their presence today was thankfully not.

i still do not understand how people think pigeons are boring or dull and just...walk by them!

look at the diversity of colors in these flocks!

look at this fancy pigeon!

look at this beautiful friend taking a bath!

curly joe!

flowerpot mom!

The Spy

a man out for an evening stroll!

the romantics

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pigeons are so interesting and wonderful!!!!!!!

A front view of a heron always looks funny. And as a bonus, heron on bad hair day. Have fun!

Graureiher 🐥 (grey heron) im Unteren Schlossgarten, Stuttgart-Ost.

Okay also the Wikipedia page for Black Skimmer birds is extremely charming as the behavior section basically just says that when the birds aren’t hunting all they do is lay around together which is relatable because that’s also what I like to do when hanging out with friends

Nature made this dark and rainy day a bit better by adorning the Blue Jays with rain drop jewels.

a purple finch perches on a flower, eating off the flower buds. purple finches are native to north america - they are the state bird of new hampshire. purple finches are commonly mistaken for house finches, which are more territorial and frequently outcompete purple finches for nesting space.

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Another little 5 x 7 experiment from this summer. I don’t think I accomplished quite what I was going for, but it was fun to make!

Kestrel update: I found the location of their nest! The kestrels (Falco sparverius) are nesting in a second-hand woodpecker nest in a decapitated palm. I’ve seen lots of activity, but I’m not sure if they are preparing the nest cavity, laying, or actually tending chicks. I’m looking forward to seeing this year’s brood. 

Yes, you are beautiful.

an azure tit is captured for banding. native to russia and asia, this small pale-colored songbird is mainly insectivorous. they are closely related with the more common eurasian blue tit, and regularly hybridize with them.

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Tutti in fila dietro mamma ❤️

Curious dark rainbow overlords.

humans are not the only ones capable of giving and recognizing names -researchers have found parrots can as well. parrots are given distinct vocalizations as names - it’s believed their parents name them - and keep these names for life. they learn the names of others in their flock, and use them in ‘conversation’ with others.

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