(@julie-peyton)

@julie-peyton

Retired chemistry teacher; distance runner (slow but steady); Quaker by convincement; here for the news & the snark; am easily amused.

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julie-peyton@julie-peyton· 1d

This time it’s one of my pictures! Puffin rampant on a reedy outcrop. #DrangeyIsland (Iceland) #BirdOfTheDay. #AtOneWithNature

A puffin facing to the right, with several fish in its beak, and wings extended backwards and high.

It is standing on a flat surface, covered with brown reeds, and moss and greenery is below. A blue sky with white clouds is behind him.

julie-peyton@julie-peyton· 2d

Well, after multiple lovely, sunny days today ended up cloudy and drizzly. While I would have liked to make use of my eclipse glasses, I still was amazed by the suddenness of the dark. Here’s my timelapse.

julie-peyton@julie-peyton· 4d

#RunningFromTheLaw is #BirdOfTheDay theme from the folks who give us most-excellent prompts. Here, the photographer of the family found a couple grebes (black-necked or eared, depending on where you are in the world), one clearly fleeing the scene of the crime. Photo credit : David Peyton

Two grebes, the one on the left is floating on the water facing us, but looks ready to takeoff.

The second group is running on the surface of the water from right to left with wings spread.

julie-peyton@julie-peyton· 7d

Hey, AB! We're in your part of the world; spent time on Drangey Island W/ PUFFINS! (& fulmars & gannets &...) #Busted -- BotD alt theme, bird staring at the camera. #BirdOfTheDay Photo credit: David Peyton. (a group of 4, 2 of them eyeing the photographer, 1 beak pointed directly at him)

A photograph of a mossy rock with a vertical cliff behind it; four Atlantic puffins— not quite as lovely as our tufted puffins but I’m not picky— are visible.

One puffin is coming in for a landing, orange legs & feet pointing down, wings extending behind. Two puffins in the near background look quizzically at each other whilst the 4th in the bottom right points his beak directly at the photographer.

julie-peyton@julie-peyton· 17d

This one is almost too easy! #EmeraldBackdrop #BirdOfTheDay A great blue heron repositions his successful catch. Salmon Creek, Washington Photo credit: David Peyton IG: peytond_photo

A great blue heron tosses its catch to reposition it before swallowing.

The photo shows the head and neck of the GBH with the beak facing left and open. The large fish is suspended between the upper and lower bits of the beak

As required , the background is a wall of green leaves

julie-peyton@julie-peyton· 27d

#BirdOfTheDay #ScreenFiller Here are three of my favorite pics from my spouse’s Instagram feed. Three different locations within the last six months: Grasmere, Lake District, UK Portland, Oregon, USA Chautauqua Lake, New York, USA

A beautiful little Robin (the UK version) caught mid hop. He is facing the camera, toes extended, just above the pavement, with those bright orange feathers covering his chest and face.

A belted Kingfisher is caught almost vertical, wings extended, facing down, plunging toward the lake below.

Photo taken at Oaks bottom wildlife refuge, Portland, Oregon.

julie-peyton@julie-peyton· Jul 7

#BirdOfTheDay theme is ORANGE and I’ve chosen two from David’s recent trip to the Oregon coast. A brace of Tufted Puffins perform in the synchronized flight category, and a Western Gull keeps a close eye on the paparazzi.

A view from below shows two tufted puffins flying overhead, wingtips touching; orange feet are backlit.

An extreme closeup shows just part of the gull’s head. The pure whiteness of the feathers make the orange beak (just visible is the part closest to the head) and the orange ring around the eye stand out.

julie-peyton@julie-peyton· Jul 4

#BirdOfTheDay #Quackers Wood ducks photographed at Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge. What’s visible on the right is part of a gadwall taken at Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden. Photo credit: David Peyton IG account: peytond_photo

A momma wood duck watches carefully as her baby tries out its stubby little wings. Both are on a wet log a foot or so out of the water.

A gadwall dabbling, so only its back half is above the surface. Foreground and background are a gentle blurred grayish green. The bird almost resembles a flower ready to open.

julie-peyton@julie-peyton· Jun 25

I think the picture meets both prompts. #Birds&Buds #Birds&Bokeh #BirdOfTheDay A common yellow throat launches off a reed.

A common yellow throat (the head has a black mask with a white eyebrow stripe above it; the deep yellow on the throat fades into a pale yellow as it goes down the body) is just taking off from a reed. In focus with it are some lupines, and the background is a beautifully blurred and mottled green and white.

julie-peyton@julie-peyton· Jun 23

For the #BirdOfTheDay themes #BirdsInTheirElement AND #Feather&Light here is a bald eagle flying with a successful catch on a beautiful sunny day in Washington state.

A bald eagle with a fish in its talons is flying from left to right; the sky-blue waters form a background (the picture was taken from slightly above, so the water fills the background); in the foreground is a rocky bit revealed by the low tide. A rippled reflection of the bird is just barely visible above that bit of dry land at the bottom.

julie-peyton@julie-peyton· Jun 21

#BirdOfTheDay #RedBeaks My spouse photographed these last year at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge… but this time, Cambridge, Massachusetts. A northern cardinal; two views.

A deep red (male) northern cardinal looks downward along the branch on which he is perched. It looks like he is meditating on something… Maybe a bug.

Our cardinal has now moved his head and appears to be gazing from his left eye directly at the photographer. I don’t think the photographer looks like a bug, but who knows the mind of a bird?

julie-peyton@julie-peyton· Jun 16

A couple follow up shots from the same photographer, at the same place, of the same bird. Do zoom in to get some interesting details, like the bug being caught, and the ridges on the wren’s upper pallet.

A close-up of the marsh wren on a cattail save this little brown bird about to close its beak on a bug.

The marsh run is now facing us, with its right foot on the cattail stock and its left foot on the brushy part of the cattail. Its beak is wide open in song, and for those who can zoom in, they can see the ridged upper pallet. We’re not quite sure why it’s ridged… But assume it helps the bird eat its prey.

julie-peyton@julie-peyton· Jun 15

Today’s #ByrdOfTheDay is #YourChoice That means my choice! I am opting for a pic from yesterday’s drive (Snoqualmie back to our hometown). En route we noticed a wildlife refuge so decided to stop. The marsh wren teased us for about 10 minutes before finally coming into view for this photo.

A small bird with its beak open and song is perched on a vertical stem of a cattail. The background is a lovely blurred green, and there are some blurred bits of plant material in the foreground. We think he was rewarding us for our patience in waiting for him (her?) to appear.

julie-peyton@julie-peyton· Jun 14

@alan678.bsky.social has chosen for the #BirdOfTheDay #SilentPresence Here is a photo of a wood duck taking a nap.

A male wood duck is standing on a small log and looks precariously balanced as his head is tucked back under his left wing.

julie-peyton@julie-peyton· Jun 13

#BirdOfTheDay #Preeners&Scratchers I’m going to post two photos here of a bald eagle. I’m curious to find out if viewers have a preference for one over the other, or if you like the pairing of the original with a zoomed-in view.

A bald eagle is perched in a pine tree, and seems to be blissfully enjoying a good scratch of its chin.

This is a close-up of the previous photo, where one cannot see the pine tree, but gets a better view of that Eagle’s face and the talons reaching upward.

julie-peyton@julie-peyton· Jun 13

I think I might be a day late but it’s been a busy few days. #BirdOfTheDay. #Stripes Hoffma’s Woodpecker Costa Rica, (San Jose, Hotel bougainvillea) Photo credit: David Peyton Instagram handle: peytond_photo

A woodpecker on the underside of a branch has his beak buried into some of the bark. The bird has a tan head with a bright red patch on the top of the crown above the eye. The back of the head to the nape of the neck is a glowing golden color. The wings and back are a wriggly-striped white and black.

julie-peyton@julie-peyton· Jun 8

#BirdOfTheDay #WorldOceansDay We are lucky to live a couple hours from where tufted puffins nest. Photo credit: David Peyton Haystack Rock, Canon Beach, Oregon, USA

A tufted puffin standing upright in front of her nest. The background is a grassy cliff side. The next photo is more dramatic…

A tufted puffin jumps feet-first off a cliff, wings spread and ready to fly.

julie-peyton@julie-peyton· Jun 7

#BirdOfTheDay #BranchingOut We don’t have these little beauties in our part of the world. This one was photographed in Keswick, the Lake District, UK. Photo credit: David Peyton May, 2026

A blue tit shows his flexibility: grasping a small twig, bending his head all the way around, to get a bug at the end of the sprouting twig.
Yes, we were (and are) impressed and delighted.
What a good word “delighted” is!

julie-peyton@julie-peyton· Jun 6

#BirdOfTheDay #BorrowedPlaces This nut hatch isn’t going to find much to eat here, is he?

A nuthatch find himself into unusual positions: first of all, he’s facing upwards. But most important he is on the corner of a brick building. There is a wrought iron structure to his left. .

julie-peyton@julie-peyton· Jun 5

#BirdOfTheDay. #LookingAtYou Most of the birds that my husband photographs seem to be staring at him, even when he’s photographing from a far distance. Here’s my favorite from this week. The common yellow throat seems to be ready to launch an attack at the photographer!

Well, it makes sense they have named this bird the “common yellow throat“ but here, perched on a thorny branch of a wild blackberry, the little bird is hunched over and staring directly at the camera, which emphasizes the black mask that covers his eyes, cheeks, and where the beak attaches. A few leaves are clear in the foreground, but the background is a beautifully-blurred soft green.

julie-peyton@julie-peyton· Jun 4

#BirdOfTheDay #BadFeatherDay A Coopers Hawk, who has neglected to look at himself in the mirror. Photo credit: David Peyton Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge, Portland, Oregon

A Coopers Hawk stares down the photographer, daring him to criticize his hairdo.

julie-peyton@julie-peyton· Jun 3

Today’s #BirdOfTheDay is #FoodInBeaks This is a western bluebird, returning to the nesting box with a tasty treat for the babies. Photo credit: David Peyton Taken at Powell Butte in Portland, Oregon.

julie-peyton@julie-peyton· Jun 1

It’s going to be hard to make a good choice for this. Actually be hard to make a bad choice! #Reflections #BirdOfTheDay A hooded Merganzer does not appreciate having his photo taken. Spotted sandpiper looks lovely, doesn’t it?

A hooded Merganzer stares face-on at the photographer, its image reflected in ripples on green water. The yellow eyes give it a very intense gaze! The chest has beautiful white feathers, and then going back on either side are stripes of black, white, black, and finally tan-colored sides.

A spotted sandpiper has mostly brown wings, with chest feathers being a clean white speckled with brown. Its long orange beak ends at a head that has a white stripe above the eye. It is standing “knee-deep“ in dappled greenish-yellow water, and it appears almost to be staring at its own reflection. A jagged rock in the bottom left foreground looks like a tiny mountain range and is also reflected in the water.

julie-peyton@julie-peyton· May 31

#BirdOfTheDay is my choice of the spouse’s #BestOfTheMonth All from his trip to Malheur National Wildlife Refuge (SE Oregon, USA) Turkey vulture Ruddy duck Western tanager Northern yellow warbler

julie-peyton@julie-peyton· May 27

Almost too late for #BirdOfTheDay post of any member of the family #Anatidae. Here’s a male bufflehead, cruising the lake at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. Photo credit David Peyton peytond_photo (Instagram)

The small lake at Reed College is mostly shaded, but this bufflehead was caught in sunlight that makes the neck and forehead feathers iridescent pink and green. The background is jet black, and the reflection only slightly rippling in the black , smooth water. I

julie-peyton@julie-peyton· May 25

Had to scroll back multiple months to get a #BirdOnAWire because my spouse prefers other settings. But he also loves to catch common birds in ways that show off their feathers. #BirdOfTheDay Scrub Jay SW Portland, Oregon Photo credit David Peyton Instagram peytond_photo

A close up of the prior photo shows details of the back, wing, and chest feathers with their delicate edges.

julie-peyton@julie-peyton· May 22

#BirdOfTheDay #HeadShots Tree swallow Eared grebe

The shockingly red right eye (it looks like something from a sci-fi movie— almost too glowing red to be believed) stands out, distracting at first from the amazing golden feathers streaming away and back from that eye. The rest of the feathers and beak are dark dark grey-to-black.

The “forehead” feathers are standing upright in a crest.

This beauty looks ready for Carnival.

julie-peyton@julie-peyton· May 21

#Grassland #BirdOfTheDay “up periscope”

Most of the photo is tall Prairie grass, but just off center to the right a male pheasant is doing his best impersonation of a periscope.

julie-peyton@julie-peyton· May 20

#BirdOfTheDay #WingsWideOpen Forster’s tern

Against a lovely blue background, this bird has its wings spread and arched above it, while its black-crowned head including an orange with a black-tipped beak points straight down. Its tailfeathers are fully fanned out, and it’s lovely to see the peacock-blue feathers on the top of the wings and back and the white-colored feathers on the underside.

julie-peyton@julie-peyton· May 19

#ScrollBack #BirdOfTheDay Wilson’s Phalarope, photographed two days ago during my spouse’s first trip to Malheur. I’d never heard of these little guys.