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justinejones.bsky.social
#BirdOfTheDay #LightAsAFeather, backlit feathers. #birds #ECK #MercedNWR #AmericanBittern

That hair has gone full bedhead-in-the-reeds.
American bittern standing upright in marsh grass, backlighting that highlights its raised neck feathers.
June 28, 2026 at 10:36 AM
justinejones.bsky.social
My First black-tailed jackrabbit Merced NWR

Snuck out of cover for the fresh greens.

#ColorAday #GreenSaturday #Black-TailedJackrabbit #MercedNWR
A tan jackrabbit with very large upright ears sits in bright green grass beside leafy plants, facing right.
June 13, 2026 at 6:06 AM
justinejones.bsky.social
#BirdOfTheDay theme is #SilentPresence #Mallard #Birds #MercedNWR I'm off to go camping on the east side of the Sierras and hope to spot some birds.

Enjoy your weekend BotD folks!😀😃
A juvenile mallard duck with brown-speckled plumage swims rightward on rippled water at sunrise, warm golden light highlighting its back and neck and tall green reeds blurred in the background.
June 14, 2026 at 3:54 PM
justinejones.bsky.social
Today's #BirdOfTheDay picked by Rob @robcrank68.bsky.social theme is #Reflections, any bird reflection, the Alt theme is #Paridae any of the Paridae Species (Tits).

I love the little Killdeer. This little one was taking a rest and offers a cool reflection. #Birds #MercedNWR #CentralCalifornia
A killdeer on a piece of drift wood surrounded by water.
February 3, 2026 at 11:44 AM
justinejones.bsky.social
Good Morning, yesterday I got lucky and captured this Northern Pintail. Playing with my settings, upping my ISO helped with the bird in flight. Thanks for the suggestions.

#flyday #Birds #MercedNWR #NorthernPintail
A Northern Pintail in flight against a clear blue sky, showcasing its long neck, distinctive chocolate-brown head, and extended pointed tail feathers.
March 20, 2026 at 1:52 PM
justinejones.bsky.social
Good Morning, Alan's @alan678.bsky.social theme #OddCouples, A fun moment captured at #MercedNWR, featuring an #AmericanCoot and a #Killdeer hanging out together.

While I've shared each bird separately in the past, I am excited to post a full photo. #Birds #BirdoftheDay
An American Coot standing in water next to a Kildeer that is on a a piece of weathered wood with water in the background.
February 10, 2026 at 1:51 PM
justinejones.bsky.social
The #BirdOfTheDay theme today is #EyeContact When the eye steals the frame. The alt is #gardenbirds.

March 2025 at #MercedNWR, I had a better angle and borrowed a friend’s camera to capture my very first #bird. I fell in love with the #Double-crestedCormorant blue eye and spotted green eye ring.
Close up of the head of a Double-crested cormorant, blue eye and green spotted eye ring and orange facial skin, all black feathers.
January 29, 2026 at 2:18 PM
justinejones.bsky.social
Insomnia strikes again, thankful for #BotD scrolling.

Rob’s theme for today’s #BirdOfTheDay is #Longbeaks. Alt. is #Gulls

A Snowy Egret observes its reflection, “Who has a pretty beak?”

#birds #naturetherapy #MercedNWR #CentralCalifornia #SnowyEgret
A Snowy Egret stands in shallow water, its long beak pointing downward as it looks at its reflection. Sparse twigs surround it.
January 14, 2026 at 7:48 AM
justinejones.bsky.social
Atlantic Birding's choice for #BirdoftheDay is #Silhouette.

The lighting was terrible, but at least it nailed the theme. A Cooper’s Hawk silhouette with prey dangling, captured in June. #Birds #ECK #MercedNWR #Cooper'sHawk
A Cooper’s hawk is perched on a single power line near the right side of the image, shown mostly in silhouette against a pale gray sky. The hawk’s body is dark, with its head turned slightly left and its tail hanging below the wire. A small prey item dangles beneath the bird from its talons. Bare tree branches frame the left edge and lower part of the scene.
September 15, 2026 at 2:57 PM
justinejones.bsky.social
#BirdOfTheDay #StrikeAPose — Birds caught in a particularly photogenic pose. #birds #photography #ECK

My first and only Great-tailed Grackle photo, and it was such a charming little poser. #MercedNWR
Great-tailed grackle facing right, shown in side profile with its head turned slightly forward. The bird appears glossy black with a faint blue-purple sheen, and a pale yellow eye is visible. Its long tail is mostly hidden by the reeds, but part of it can be seen behind the body. The reeds are tall, thin, and green, growing densely around the bird. They crisscross in different directions, with some upright stems and others leaning diagonally. Many have small tan seed heads or dried flower clusters near the tops, giving the scene a mix of fresh green stalks and lighter, dry-looking details. The bird is perched in the middle of the reed cluster, partially surrounded and framed by the plants.
August 17, 2026 at 2:36 PM
valerieblume.bsky.social
Snow goose landing at Merced Wildlife Refuge in El Nido, CA. #birding #birdphotography #mercedNWR
Snow goose landing into a pond at the Merced National Wildlife Refuge.
January 11, 2025 at 5:28 PM
justinejones.bsky.social
Heavily cropped as they were a distance away. Spent a wonderful day at Merced NWR. It was exciting to watch a young pied-billed grebe catch a crawfish. I think their sibling wanted them to share.

#BIrds #MercedNWR
Two dark, compact pied-billed grebes are swimming in shallow blue-green marsh water. The nearer bird faces away, showing a rounded head, short neck, and smooth dark plumage that blends into the water. The second grebe is farther left and has turned sideways while grabbing a crawfish in its bill; its head is low and focused on the catch. Thin green reeds bend across the scene, and small patches of floating vegetation dot the water around them.
June 29, 2026 at 5:19 AM
justinejones.bsky.social
#BirdOfTheDay #BestOfJune26 #Bird #MercedNWR #Pied-biledGrebe

Loved watching this juvenile pied-billed grebe wrestle a huge crayfish, catching it, losing it, grabbing it again, and finally high-tailing it away from the other young grebes. Best birding moment of June26
Juvenile pied-billed grebe in left-facing side view, floating low with its body mostly submerged and its neck angled forward. The bird is dark brown above with medium-brown sides, a paler buff to whitish throat and face, and narrow dark stripes on the cheeks and sides of the neck. The crown and back of the head are darker, creating a capped look. Its short, thick bill is pale gray and holds a bright red-orange crayfish crosswise, with the crayfish’s claws and legs extended. A small pale patch of rear feathers shows at the back.
June 29, 2026 at 5:24 PM
justinejones.bsky.social
#BirdOfTheDay #Firsts #Double-crestedCormorant #MercedNWR

These were my very first bird photos, taken with a borrowed camera, and they’re what made me fall in love with bird photography. Being able to capture details I might otherwise have missed made my birding adventures even more rewarding.
A dark waterbird, a Double-crested Cormorant , swims low in murky water facing right in side profile with its head slightly raised. It has glossy black plumage, a long S-curved neck, a slender hooked bill, a bright turquoise-blue eye, and a vivid orange patch at the base of the bill and throat. Soft ripples surround its mostly submerged body, with blurred reeds and pale water in the background. Close-up of a dark waterbird, a Double-crested Cormorant, facing right with its head slightly raised above marshy water. Its glossy black plumage, long curved neck, slender hooked bill, bright turquoise-blue eye, and vivid orange patch around the base of the bill and throat stand out against a softly blurred background of pale water and reeds.
August 3, 2026 at 12:15 PM
justinejones.bsky.social
Much too kind romn, 😊 thank you. Today’s theme rescued it from the trash. 😃

Actually going back to MercedNWR today to attempt better photos. Fingers crossed I see one again in better lighting. 😀
June 28, 2026 at 11:13 AM