It's been too hot to see many birds lately, but this grasshopper was being very cooperative by posing in nice light #grasshopper #insect #macro #photography

I saw this insect in the middle of a flower and thought it was a small mosquito until I saw its huge eyes after zooming in on the photograph. It turned out being an insect I’ve never seen before called a bald bee fly. #insect #macro #photography

Very tiny baby monarch caterpillar hanging off a milkweed leaf #insect #macro #photography #monarch

A mourning dove who couldn't be bothered to take a couple steps into better light (even though I like how this photo turned out) #birds #mourningdove #photography

First monarch photo of the summer #butterfly #insect #monarch

There is a zero percent chance this robin is happy I took this photo #birds #robin #photography

I got this photo watching a few cormorants recently. Cormorants take off over water, and it's always a bit of a struggle. They run along the surface while flapping their wings until they can get enough lift, leaving big splashes behind them. #birds #cormorant

Bluejays are amazing birds and quite common around here but for whatever reason I don't see them very often. So I was glad one finally stood still long enough for a portrait this week. #birds #bluejay

I took this photo this morning and I don’t mean to alarm anyone because I couldn’t hear what they were talking about but I assume the dragonflies are planning something big because they're recruiting the regular flies to help

My favorite photo from earlier in the week is this bee getting covered in pollen in the swirling yellow center of a pink flower.

I wish I had set the shutter fast enough to stop the wing movement, but I did get a good shot of the unusual things on this bee's legs I hadn't noticed before. Some females bees have what are called corbiculae or pollen baskets—little pocket-like structures to bring pollen back to the hive.

My attempt to start a trend in wildlife photography where you just take photos of the backs of animals' heads #wildlife #photograph

Does anyone know about any photography competitions for unflattering bird images? Because I have an entry #birds #photography #sparrow

So close! #birds #grackle

If you're a merganser scheduled for a photo shoot with me, do yourself a favor and run a comb through the feathers on your head, because I won’t be fixing that in editing. #birds #merganser #photography

Grackles can be noisy and often aggressive, but the colors on their head and wings are pretty incredible. #birds #photography #grackle

This look says, "We're cool now but in about a month I am going to dive-bomb you into oblivion." #birds #blackbird #photography

As soon as I went to photograph this grackle he flew into a shady spot with the bright sky in the background, so I underexposed the shot and got a pretty neat silhouette. #birds #grackle #silhouette #photography

My first blue jay head shot of the spring! I was happy he flew close enough so I could capture some nice detail of his head feathers. #birds #bluejay #photography #nikon

This is the time of year when all the fancy ducks start showing up, like this northern shoveler. I'm not a wildlife expert but I assume they use their huge bills to eat ice cream much more effectively than any other kind of duck. #birds #ducks #photography #nikon

A cardinal trying to look dramatic for his head shot. #birds #cardinal #photography #nikon

I've never seen a bird more completely over the return of snow and cold weather to the Midwest this week. #birds #sparrow #photography #nikon

2026 Photo Challenge: take more photos of wild animals licking themselves. #photography #wildlife #nikon

House sparrow looking very distinguished posing for his head shot #birds #sparrow #photography #nikon

Today I had a photo shoot with the most judgmental sparrow in the Midwest #birds #sparrow #photography #nikon

Sunlight illuminating some fall leaves, from a few months ago when the trees had a little more color. #leaves #autumn #photography #nikon

Goose photobomb. A big part of bird photography is constantly explaining to the geese that not every photo is about them. #birds #egret #goose #photography #nikon

Great egret watching the water, hoping for lunch to swim by. #birds #egret #photography #nikon

Not a lot of wildlife active this week, but there were lots of non-migratory birds around. I saw this downy woodpecker braving the cold for some lunch. #birds #woodpecker #photography #nikon

I offer this tree sparrow as further proof that bird photos are 78% funnier if taken head-on. #birds #sparrow #photography #nikon