Birder Virginia

A royal tern appears to be chastising the other while both are perched on a pier. One bird has an open beak and seems to be *nagging* the other bird who has its head turned away as if its head all of this before.

When you neglect to bring home dinner for everyone.

#birds #birdphotography #photography #terns #birdthings #birdsofvirginia #chesapeakebay

A brown pelican on the water with an open bill. He's caught some strange sea creature and is tossing it into his open pouch.

Not sure what he's having for lunch, but I think I'll pass.

#birds #pelican #birdphotography #nature #naturephotography

A young male pileated woodpecker peeks out of the nest hole with his red top prominent. His mouth is open wide, while his father looks on (rather horrified) at his demanding child.

The young pileated woodpecker looks clownish with his bright red top and wide open mouth. His dad has his back to the camera in the lower right of the frame.

The little male pileated woodpecker is a wild one. Even his dad is questioning his choices. 🥸

#birds #woodpeckers #birdphotography #nature #backyardbirds

A small bird, the Ruddy Turnstone has a mottled brown and black back, with a white underbelly and orange legs. This bird is along the shoreline, gazing out at the Chesapeake Bay.

Ruddy Turnstone
#birds #birdphotography #shorebirds #chesapeakebay

Thank you!

A tern preens its feathers while standing on the beach.

A tern in profile. The bird is mostly gray with a white neck and chest. It has an orange bill and black legs and tail.

Any #tern experts here? Is this a royal tern? They all look so similar to me.

#birds #shorebirds #virginia

A male black skimmer holds a small fish in his beak. His mate looks at it with anticipation.

He brought her some lunch.

#birds #blackskimmer #birdphotography #nature #waterbirds #ChesapeakeBay

It’s interesting to watch them rear their young. They take turns feeding them. The “off-duty” parent often sleeps on a limb in a nearby tree within eyesight of the nest.

When the “on-duty” parent returns with food, he/she stops to check on the sleeping mate before feeding the kids. Very cool.

Thanks! They've been so much fun to watch.

Two young pileated woodpeckers peek out of their nest hole with beaks open. Their dad is perched outside the nest cavity preparing to feed them.

The little pileated woodpeckers are growing quickly. Male on top, female on bottom, eager to getting a meal from dad. 🥰

#birds #woodpeckers #pileatedwoodpeckers #photography #birdphotography #nature

That’s a pretty little bird!

A group of black skimmers nesting on a beach. Two prominent birds in the are stretching their wings toward the sky. One bird is missing his right foot, but it doesn't appear to affect him.

Little guy in front may be missing a foot, but that won't stop him from jumping for joy because it's Fri-YAY!

#birds #photography #waterbirds #nature #blackskimmers
#birdphotography

An oystercatcher bird sits on a pier with one leg up. He is gray with a white underbelly, black head and bright orange eyes and beak.

A male oystercatcher limbers up by stretching his right leg out behind him.

Oystercatcher doing some yoga stretches while his wife sits on the nest. He'll be ready when the little ones arrive.

#birds #oystercatcher #shorebirds #birdphotography #photography #naturephotography #virginia

That's a happy forest! Love the photo!

A Yellow crowned night heron viewed from behind in the early evening. He's perched on a fallen log looking downward as if he may have spotted his dinner.

Got his sights set on an early evening meal. Yellow-crowned night heron.
#birds #heron #photography

A small gray bird with a yellow chest perched on a bare tree branch. Great Crested Flycatcher

Great Crested Flycatcher cocking his head and staring straight at the camera from a tree limb.

I spotted this Great Crested Flycatcher high up in a tree this evening. A rare sight and only the second time I was able to get a few photos. I think he caught me this time. 😉

#birds #photography #flycatcher #naturephotography 🪶

One of my favorite birds. Nothing subtle about them and that makes me happy.

A male pileated woodpecker delivers a meal to his two hungry youngsters. The adult bird is perched on the side of a dead tree and the heads of the two chicks are sticking out of the nest hole eager for their meal.

Sneaky devils tried to convince me they had no little ones in their nest cavity. Caught them today. 😍
#birds #photography #woodpeckers #pileatedwoodpeckers #nature 🪶

An adult and juvenile yellow-crowned night heron perched in a green, leafy tree. Mom is looking at the camera, while the youngster is a bit more camera-shy. The birds are mostly gray with black faces with a white blaze. Yellow feathers on top create the "yellow crown."

Learning the ropes from mom. Yellow-crowned night herons, adult and juvenile.
#birds #birdphotography #photography #nature #backyardbirds #herons

That would be great and compel me to post more frequently. Thanks!

Mourning dove looking quite fetching.
#birds #photography #birdphotography #nature #wildbirds #doves

Great Crested Flycatcher, a small bird with brown wings, a yellow belly and a grey crest around his face.

Playing hide-n-seek with this bird for a couple of weeks now. I never got a good look, but it was too big for a finch and too small for a cardinal. Little bird obliged me today with a quick landing for a photo. Great Crested Flycatcher, a lifer for me!
#birds #birdphotography #flycatcher #nature

A yellow-rumped warbler sits on a small tree branch looking upward toward oak catkins. In spring, oak trees drops form brown lacy pollen structures known as "catkins." Yellow-rumped warblers are small songbirds. They have a white chest with bright yellow coloring on each side of their chest and on their rumps. They're sometimes called butter-butts as a result. Wings are black and white striped, with additional black mottling on their chests.

Yellow-rumped warbler sitting among the oak tree catkins.

#birds #springtime #photography #backyardbirds #naturephotography #birding

A red-shouldered hawk preens his white chest feathers while perches on some limbs of a dead tree. He stands out against a green background of trees in the distance.

When the weekend's here, you gotta' look your best.

#birds #birdphotography #hawk #naturephotography #birding #redshoulderedhawk #backyardbirds

They're a mated pair taking turns sitting on this year's brood of eggs. We're hopeful the eggs successfully hatch and we'll get to see some little ones soon.

A mallard duckling high-steps through green grass while looking toward the camera.

Two-steppin' into the weekend. 🦆🪶

#birds #birdphotography #babybirds #backyardbirds #photography #naturephotography

A bluebird sits on a single twig. He's just ejected something distasteful from his mouth, possibly a spider. There's a thin strand of spider silk stretching from his beak to the falling insect. This is a male Easter Bluebird. He has brilliant blue wings and an orange underbelly.

"Spitballing" Eastern bluebird.

#birds #birdphotography #naturephotography #birding

A male pileated woodpecker arrives back at the nest where his female mate has been waiting for him. The male is perched outside of the nest hole which is in a dead tree, while his gal pokes her head out wondering where he's been. They are large black birds with white stripes along their faces, and have a bright red crest on top of their heads.

The pileated woodpeckers have something very special coming our way.
#birds #backyardbirds #photography #birdphotography #naturephotography #woodpeckers

A common grackle drinks from a backyard water dish surrounded by foliage and a yellow flower. His body is sleek black with an iridescent blue head. His bright gold eyes are always surveying for danger.

Two things can be simultaneously true. Common grackles can be among the most annoying of backyard birds. They're also amazingly beautiful.
#birds #photography #backyardbirds #birding #naturephotography

A mallards hen with a healed lower jaw. For several months, she could barely eat or drink on her own.

Duck-Duck, the mallard hen with a dislocated lower jaw. Yes, her tongue rehangs out of her mouth like a panting dog.

She may not be all that unique at first glance, but she and I have become close friends.

A dislocated jaw and barely able to eat, we learned to trust one another if she was going to survive.

Meet my now-healed, happy and daily visitor, Duck-Duck. 🦆🪶#birds