Mike N., MSN, RN

@mniesphoto

Patient Education Coordinator @ UCSD Health Bird photographer everywhere. Views expressed are my own; reskeet ≠ endorsement. He/him/his. Logo by @thornwolf.com www.mniesphoto.com

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Mike N., MSN, RN@mniesphoto· 11d

Layla sends her best!

Photo of a golden retriever with her eyes nearly crossed, focusing very intently on something directly in front of her. She's wearing a bandana and an ID badge. The photo gives the impression that the derp* is strong with this one.

*It's not. She's a very sweet girl who REALLY WANTS TO CATCH THE TREAT.

Mike N., MSN, RN@mniesphoto· 24d

Better view, bar service, and much less sweaty than the Tube at the moment. Well worth the money if you're going between Vauxhall and Greenwich.

Photo of the London Eye (a giant Ferris wheel) from inside a boat. The sky is a nice textured gray, but there's still sun finding the Eye and the building behind it.

Photo of a very fancy bridge, complete with a pair of Towers and a bunch of iconic red buses crossing it. Much larger than I'd expect for your average Lego set, honestly.

Photo of some dapper looking birds and a nice looking tree. There's a giant clock tower in the background, but I'm sure no one is interested in that.

Mike N., MSN, RN@mniesphoto· Jul 14

No grebes at Dixon that I know of, and fairly limited waterfowl in general. It's a small lake, even compared to Wohlford: I've walked around it and back in a morning. Could be fun from a boat, though...

Landscape photo overlooking Dixon Lake. There's some brush in the foreground, leading to water reflecting the clouds and blue sky, without a single swimming pool liner in sight! The water trails off to a dam, with some low mountains in the distance.

Mike N., MSN, RN@mniesphoto· Jul 2

I've been hearing some of our local parrots around the neighborhood all week, and I finally saw them in good light while I actually had my camera handy! This flock of red-crowned Amazons was enjoying a local fruit tree. #birds #wildlife #photography

One of the San Diego parrots in flight. Mostly-green bird, with a red cap on its head just between its eye and its beak.

One of the San Diego parrots in flight. Mostly-green bird, with a red cap on its head just between its eye and its beak. The bird has wings spread against a blue sky.

One of the San Diego parrots in flight. Mostly-green bird, with a red cap on its head just between its eye and its beak. Its wings have blue and red patches too.

One of the San Diego parrots enjoying a fruit snack from a tree. The bird is bending down, and has a red fruit in its beak.

Mike N., MSN, RN@mniesphoto· Jun 30

Welcome back! The hypno-acorn missed you on 4/20 this year, but is glad you're in a good place (and so am I!)

A very wide-eyed acorn woodpecker Photoshopped onto a hypnotic tie-dyed background, ala the Hypno-toad from Futurama. The bird is staring off into space, and one pupil is quite a bit larger than the other.

ALL GLORY TO THE HYPNO-ACORN!

Mike N., MSN, RN@mniesphoto· Jun 19

A house finch hanging out in Balboa Park this morning. He was having a lot of fun on top of that rosemary bush. #wildlife #birds #photography

Photo of a house finch on a rosemary bush. The finch has some red feathers on its head, interspersed with the usual brown-grey of the rest of its body. The rosemary bush has a few light blue flowers, and the background is a soft green blur.

The finch's head is cocked to the side, his wings are up and back a bit. He's looking lustfully at the foliage, in much the same way as I look at a pastry from Michi Michi.

Mike N., MSN, RN@mniesphoto· May 13

He might enjoy a trip to the Rijksmuseum, too.

Photo of a sculpture in the Rijksmuseum. It's strikingly phallic, with a flared base, and looks very much like something that would get your Kickstarter banned.

Display tag for the sculpture pictured. It's in Dutch, then English.

"Plastiek
Jacob Bendien (1890-1933)
messing, 1933

Jacob Bendien en Jan van Deene, beiden Amsterdam-mers, raakten in 1912 in Parijs bevriend met elkaar. Ze vonden allebei een atelier in het stadsdeel Mont-parnasse en maakten daar hun eerste abstracte schilderijen. Twintig jaar later maakte Bendien in dezelfde stijl een abstracte sculptuur: een omhoog wijzende vorm die zich van zijn voetstuk lijkt los te willen maken.

Sculpture
Jacob Bendien (1890-1933)
brass, 1933

Jacob Bendien and Jan van Deene, both from Amsterdam, became friends in Paris in 1912. They each found a studio in the Montparnasse district and made their first abstract paintings there. Twenty years later, Bendien created an abstract sculpture in the same style: an upward-pointing form that seems to want to break free from its pedestal.

Aankoop uit het Knecht-Drenth Fonds/
Rijksmuseum Fonds, 2016
BK-2016-36."

Mike N., MSN, RN@mniesphoto· May 5

Excited to share that my entry "Come Into My Lilacs..." was accepted to hang in the 2026 Mission Trails Photo Contest show! The opening reception is 5/21 @ 6pm at the MTRP Visitors Center; it's free, but you need to register in advance at mtrp.org. #invertebrates #photography #wildlife #spider

Photo of a white-banded crab spider hanging out in a bunch of purple flowers (Ceanothus, known locally as Ramona lilac). The photo has a watermark for M. Nies Photography in the lower left-hand corner.

Crab spiders are huge fans of wildflower season, as they wait in flowers for breakfast to deliver itself.

Mike N., MSN, RN@mniesphoto· Apr 29

There's a schedule of notification in the order. It looks like they have about another week to email all of us. They're re-opening the objection/exclusion window too.

Schedule of events for the lawsuit being discussed in the thread. Deadline for class notification is May 7th, 2026.

Mike N., MSN, RN@mniesphoto· Apr 28

"That's a bold strategy, Cotton. Let's see if it works out for them." --Momma Peregrine, probably.

Photo of a female peregrine falcon thwacking a brown pelican on the head. It looks like she's grabbed him on the noggin and is dragging him out to sea.

Mike N., MSN, RN@mniesphoto· Apr 27

Seriously. There's so much stuff out there that hemoglobin would rather hang onto that I'm kinda amazed we've managed aerobic metabolism all these years.

Distracted boyfriend meme where the boyfriend is hemoglobin, his girlfriend is oxygen, and the woman in the red dress he's lusting after is damn near anything that isn't oxygen.

Mike N., MSN, RN@mniesphoto· Apr 27

Speaking of CHP, they'd also like people to stop playing in traffic.

Screenshot of a Facebook post from the official California Highway Patrol account, pleading with people to not be heroes in freeway traffic. TBD whether it actually works.

"✨🚨 Public Safety Announcement 🚨✨
If you see debris on the freeway, do NOT stop in traffic lanes to try to remove it yourself. Instead, call 9-1-1 and report it.
Today, an officer educated a driver who stopped in the #3 lane on northbound SR-2 just south of I-210 and got out of his vehicle to try and remove a bag from the roadway. At the time, vehicles were traveling at average freeway speeds.
Stopping in lanes and getting out of your vehicle puts you and every other driver at serious risk of a traffic crash. What may seem like a quick good deed can quickly turn into a dangerous situation.
Our officers are trained and equipped to handle roadway hazards safely.
Your safety comes first. Let law enforcement handle it. 🚔
CHP - Altadena
#CaliforniaHighwayPatrol #SafetyServiceSecurity #RoadHazards #PSA"

Mike N., MSN, RN@mniesphoto· Apr 22

All my ducks* in a row! #birds #wildlife #photography *geese, but close enough. Best I could do with the local wood ducks not wanting to work on a Sunday.

Photo of 2 Canada geese floating with 4 goslings close at hand. The goslings are all in a row, and one of them looks like its whispering to a parent. There's a mallard out of focus in the background, doing mallard things.

Mike N., MSN, RN@mniesphoto· Apr 11

More peregrine on pelican action from yesterday. Don't come into her house: she'll drag you out by the nose. #birds #photography #wildlife

Photo of a peregrine falcon about to teach a brown pelican an important life lesson: keep your distance from the cliffs at Torrey Pines in the spring! The peregrine's talons are out and her eyes are locked onto the pelican's beak. The pelican has its wings extended and is banking away, but that's like a minivan trying to outmaneuver a Lotus: ain't gonna happen.

Photo of a peregrine falcon grabbing a brown pelican by the beak with her talons. The pelican is not a fan of this game of "Got yer nose!" and is banking away. Fortunately the falcon is far enough out that most of the impact force will glance off and the pelican can keep flying.

Mike N., MSN, RN@mniesphoto· Apr 11

Getting a message that the #birds feed is down and to contact @daryllmarie.bsky.social. Is there a Refresh button I need to hit or anything?

Screenshot of the error message from the Birds feed: "Message from server: feed unavailable"

Mike N., MSN, RN@mniesphoto· Apr 11

It's peregrine nesting season again, and the Torrey Pines north pair are back at it again. The female is enforcing the "No Pelicans" clause of her NOA* to great effect, as she does every year. #birds #photography #wildlife

Photo of a brown pelican in flight with a peregrine falcon close behind. The falcon is defending her nest from birds that fly too close, a mistake the pelican just made.

*Nest Owners Association

Mike N., MSN, RN@mniesphoto· Apr 4

Trying that whole artsy shot. Or something. #photography #flowers #architecture

Photo of cherry blossoms in a park framing the Empire State Building in the background. People are milling around in the park, and the East River is in the mid-ground.

Mike N., MSN, RN@mniesphoto· Mar 15

I stopped at Point Fermin to meet the local peregrines yesterday, too. The female was sitting on her perch, waiting for her mate to get back with dinner. When he showed up she took off in a dive. Many thanks to @banditelli.org and @dptbirder.bsky.social for the info! #birds #wildlife #photography

Photo of a peregrine falcon on a perch doing a BIG STRETCH while she waits for her mate to get back with food.

Photo of a peregrine falcon diving off her perch. Her beak is open as she calls to her mate, probably wondering what took him so damn long to get back with dinner.

Mike N., MSN, RN@mniesphoto· Mar 15

I stopped by Huntington Central Park yesterday. Had a great time and saw some cool birds. Huge thank you to @banditelli.org and @dptbirder.bsky.social for suggesting the park! #birds #wildlife #photography

Photo of a female western bluebird sitting on a branch, looking to her left.

Photo of an American robin in front of a fallen log. The robin is looking up, and is in dappled light.

Photo of a pair of western bluebirds, sitting on a branch looking at each other. The one on the left is either a juvenile or a female, while the bird on the right is male and a very vibrant blue. The bird on the left looks like it's giving serious attitude to the bird on the right.

Photo of a Swinhoe's white-eye on a cherry tree.

Mike N., MSN, RN@mniesphoto· Mar 12

I started on my phone then moved to my calibrated monitor. Some colors were easier than others, and all of them benefited from being in the middle of the screen and moving my head back and forth. www.keithcirkel.co.uk/whats-my-jnd...

Quiz result that reads, "Your JND [is] 0.0026. You're seeing differences that most colour scientists would call noise. If you're not already calibrating displays for a living, you're leaving money on the table."

There are buttons that read "Share result" and "Again, I can do better."

Mike N., MSN, RN@mniesphoto· Mar 5

I shot one of my favorite family portraits ever with a setup like that!

Photograph of a family silhouetted against a fiery sunset. There are palm trees on either side, similarly silhouetted. Even the ocean is a pool of bright orange.

Mike N., MSN, RN@mniesphoto· Feb 28

They sure do.

Screenshot from the Google Play Store for the WebMD Symptom Checker app.

Mike N., MSN, RN@mniesphoto· Feb 25

If you can see this, post what you're watching instead of the State of the Union:

Screenshot from my Lightroom Classic. A handful of images of from the Salton Sea are at the bottom, all flagged as Picks (meaning I like them and want to work on them). The main image is of 5 birds in flight over water. The water has a gradient color that goes from a gentle pink at the bottom to a soft blue at the top.

Mike N., MSN, RN@mniesphoto· Feb 22

What do you do while you're at a photography happy hour and a peregrine falcon lands next to you? You grab your camera of course! This murderbirb was completely unbothered by us as we hung out snapping photos. #birds #wildlife #photography

Photo of a peregrine falcon sitting on a building. The bird has some feathers out of place, but seems entirely unbothered by that. It's looking off to the right, and a mountain rises behind it in the distance.

Photo of a peregrine falcon taking off from a building. Its wings are up and very pointy, and it's dropping behind the building quickly.

Photo of a peregrine falcon taking off from a building. Its wings are stretched out straight, pointing skyward, while the bird is starting its dive down to pickup speed.

Mike N., MSN, RN@mniesphoto· Feb 17

Pair of desert lilies from Anza-Borrego Desert State Park today. Lots of flowers still blooming in the desert if you go looking for them! #flowers #photography #nature

Photo of a desert lily surrounded by purple and while wildflowers. The sun is rising in the background, partially obscured by a bush.

Photo of a desert lily in the foreground, against a blue sky with wispy white clouds. The spindly arms of an ocotillo rise in the background too.

Mike N., MSN, RN@mniesphoto· Feb 14

Biblically accurate Brandt's cormorant wishes you a very happy Valentine's day! #birds #nature #wildlife #photography

Photo of a Brandt's cormorant putting on a mating display. His wings are out, tail is up and splayed, and head is looking up to display his bright blue gullet. This is the Brandt's cormorant equivalent of "Please notice me from across the bar!"

Thanks to the blue pattern in his eyes, they appear doubled: like there are 2 on each side.

Mike N., MSN, RN@mniesphoto· Feb 14

It's baby seal time! This little one really wanted its mom to wake up and play, but mom really just wanted to sleep in for once on a Saturday. #photography #wildlife #mammals

Photo of a baby harbor seal flopped on the sand, looking very kitten-like. It's has Dalmatian-like spots.

Photo of a baby harbor seal lifting its head off the sand and scratching its face. It is extremely cute.

Photo of a baby seal rolling back on its back and winking at the camera. Still not beating the "they're kittens of the sea" allegations.

Photo of a baby harbor seal giving it's mother a kiss.

Mike N., MSN, RN@mniesphoto· Feb 12

Post a tree you photographed #trees #photography

Photograph of a very dead tree sticking out of a salt flat in the Salton Sea. The sun peaking from behind clouds is framed by the branches, like a winking eye, and a bright spot on the other side of the tree makes it look like the sun is the tree's eyes. There's a stream in the foreground that is smoothed out, and carries the reflection of the sun. It's a barren landscape, but still with some green life left.

Mike N., MSN, RN@mniesphoto· Feb 7

Oh you know, just cat things.

Photo of two cats lying on an ottoman. There's an orange cat on the left, flopped out in long mode. She's looking up at the camera slightly.

There's a tuxedo cat on the right who has snuggled up against the orange cat, after orange cat wouldn't wake up to give her head licks on demand.

Mike N., MSN, RN@mniesphoto· Feb 2

I'm sorry Martin, that really sucks. Pumpkin sends purrs and KittySnores