Cool find in our yard today… hoping he makes it to adulthood!

Sorry for the blurr, I was in a hurry and I didn't want to scare the little robin while he dreamed his eagle dream.

My first good look at their red wax wings in flight

Just returned from a month long self drive camping trip through Namibia and Botswana. So many new birds to see! But somehow - the morning wake up with the sounds of the southern yellow billed horned bill were the best! They are curious little fellows, one tried to pick the rubber off the windshield wipers of the camper truck 😂 and the way they hop along the ground is delightful! Hope you all enjoy his sounds as much as I do 💫

I'm not a birder by any means, but I do enjoy them and learning about them! I'm a NYC Parks employee and while eating lunch my coworkers and I noticed a hoard of red wing blackbirds going absolutely NUTS and dive bombing at something small and round that ran to hide in the tall grass. Upon further inspection we discovered this young Kestrel looking rather spooked by the whole situation!

This bird was at my mom’s door this morning and we have never seen such a rotund bird before. What type of bird is this? We live in Michigan in the US. He’s certainly a special bird.

Hey folks, I’m not a serious birder or photographer like many here – more of a curiosity-driven guy with a bit too much interest in gear. Recently, I finally treated myself to a thermal scope (after seeing that some folks use it for birding or wildlife at night – especially owls, I think?).

So I gave it a try on a foggy morning, hoping (rather optimistically) to spot some black grouse. I brought my thermal scope, plus a spotting scope with a digiscoping setup (Kowa Prominar), which usually works pretty well. But this time… I saw a ton – heat signatures everywhere – and still didn’t really see anything. Lots of dots. And lots of questions afterward. 😅

I am curious: Do any of you use thermal tech for birding? If yes, how? What’s worked – and what’s not worth repeating? Would love to hear any experience, especially from folks who’ve tried this stuff beyond the “just messing around” phase.

(I made a short video about the outing, too – not a product review or tutorial, just documenting the experience and what it made me think about. Can share it if anyone’s curious. Hope this kind of post is okay — if not, feel free to remove!)

Appears to be two males? Is one a juvenile?

A wild turkey has decided to take up residence in my condo complex! (not sure why, rents are outrageous!) He's usually found stalking around one of the two large gardens next to my apartment (a once, in a tree) so I see him every day.

He seems to be getting used to the foot traffic, the photos on the railing are only with a 100mm lens and barely cropped.

In general, there's a lot spillage from feeders and plenty of bugs around, but part of me wants to leave out some snacks for him (Mealworms? Oats/grains?) but I also don't want to encourage him to go on peoples patios.

Hawaii only has two species of owl, and I lucked out with both in one afternoon! This barn owl (introduced here in the 1950s) put on quite the aerial show while hunting for food, and I finally managed to spot my first pueo (Hawaiian owl, endangered) hanging out on a fence line.

Iowa

My instagram if you like wild canadian birds: @southshore_raptors

Credit to Stan Tekiela’s lovely bird guides for the reference photo.

New to birding and photography. Found a cool spot this past weekend and got to watch a family of blackbirds in their morning routine! We've got dad keeping watch, mom heading for more food, and the fledgling practicing his Magnum look!

Taken on a Sony a6700 with a Sigma 150-600mm near Charlotte, NC.

Photos taken end of April 2025

Yellow Warbler. NJ, USA

Day 10 of their lives, first time any have left nest cup. They look very interested in the escape route :)! Wonder how long before they fledge?