Bird Nerd Jess
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birdnerd126.bsky.social
Bird Nerd Jess
@birdnerd126.bsky.social
Seeking a simpler life. I love nature, especially birds. Love my rescue dogs, too. Working on project to re-wild and reforest 16ha of cattle pasture in Pacific Coast Panama (most to be protected long term as a private nature reserve). Also, I make typos �
Having trouble IDing this teeny fall migrant... seen yesterday in Rhode Island (sorry for terrible pics- it was foraging way up in the canopy in late afternoon) I thought maybe a Kinglet or Gnatcatcher but doesn't seem to match. Any ideas? 🤔
#birding #nature #birds 🦉
@melchio1.bsky.social
October 7, 2024 at 7:02 PM
Red-Tails might be a dime a dozen up north but it’s exciting to see a pair in courtship 😊
Here’s a sequence just as one was flying away- it’s hard to tell but it seems bigger so maybe that’s the female? 🧐
#Birds 🦉
#birdbot
#ornithology
#nature 🌿
March 27, 2024 at 2:54 PM
First Blue Birds of the year in South Kingston, Rhode Island today. This pair was definitely house shopping if not already moved in ☺️
#Birds 🦉
#nature 🌿
#birdbot
#naturephotography
@melchio1.bsky.social
March 20, 2024 at 9:03 PM
So surprised to see that what I thought were scaup turned out to be Ring-necked Ducks! As if the pair of Northern Shovelers wasn't excited enough- both lifers!
(Plus: Coots and Ruddy Ducks... all in my home town!)
#Birds 🦉 #Science 🌎 #photography 📸 #nature 🌿 #birdwatching @melchio1.bsky.social
March 15, 2024 at 12:25 AM
Mushroom up on a cliff, right along a fairly remote cove. We noticed a lot less vegetation than in previous years and visits (mainly arid scrub/brush and cacti with some small trees).. so this fairly large fungi caught our eyes quickly. @melchio1.bsky.social
🌎
#nature
#fungi
#mushrooms
🍄
February 8, 2024 at 6:02 PM
This is the Grey Kingbird's 2nd attempt to toss and catch the berry, but it doesn't exactly work out that way... it watched it fall.
Any ideas about this behavior? Could it be practice for catching flying prey items? (2/2)
#birds 🦉🪶
@melchio1.bsky.social
February 2, 2024 at 10:55 PM
My previous post tried to show the sequence of this Grey Kingbird playing catch with a red berry, all in one image-
in hindsight it is easier to see with individual photos.
(1/2)
#birds 🦉🪶
@melchio1.bsky.social
February 2, 2024 at 10:45 PM
**I guess clicking doesn't make it much larger- I'll post some individual photos of the berry tosses:
February 2, 2024 at 10:39 PM
#throwbackthursday

Photos are super zoomed and cropped but glad I managed to document these 2 Peregrine Falcons battling (likely over a shorebird or baby chicken).
Look closely in the background of last photo & you’ll see a there’s a Brown-footed Booby!

#birds 🦉
#nature 🌿
@melchio1.bsky.social
February 1, 2024 at 3:19 PM
📢 Calling all herpetologists! Non-sea turtle seen on small Caribbean island w/no fresh h20, but some rainwater collection canals & brackish/saltwater mangrove ponds. I've been told "no freshwater turtles here" but saw many in the drainage canal- any ideas? #nature 🌿 #turtle
@melchio1.bsky.social
January 27, 2024 at 3:42 PM
Starting to get nostalgic preparing to move to the US then Panama🤞!

I'll miss the commute to work thru town even as it rapidly loses its authenticity

BUT it's well worth it if I get to enjoy a new commute in the not so distant future & work will be for a better good 🥰 #nature
@melchio1.bsky.social
January 26, 2024 at 4:05 PM
@wildgreenmemes if you are out there… this is amazing
#birdwatching

#birds #nature
🪶🦉🌿
January 26, 2024 at 3:15 PM
#ToughGuyTuesday … Is that thing?
Throwback to last year, when our neighborhood American Kestrel was being mobbed by, of all things, a Hummingbird!! ( A Green-throated Carib to be specific).
Quality of photo not good- came from phone vid 🤫
@melchio1.bsky.social
#birds 🦉🪶
#nature 🌿
January 16, 2024 at 8:00 PM
This Lesser Antillean Bullfinch seemed to be annoyed & in this pic he's letting us know! It seems that we interrupted the argument it was having (with its own reflection in the car mirror). Luckily no one seems to have gotten hurt
#nature 🌿
#birds 🪶🦉
#naturephotography 📸

@melchio1.bsky.social
January 16, 2024 at 12:32 AM
#birds 🪶 It's neck and head were so well hidden, as well as the size of its body. Seeing the legs we assumed it to be our resident immature Yellow-Crowned Heron, but instead it was the stealthy Great Blue @melchio1.bsky.social
January 16, 2024 at 12:24 AM
Nothing to see here, move along... just some flowers, a pair of legs and a razor sharp spear wielded by hunter with sniper-like precision.
Aside from the legs, this GBH had us totally fooled until, upon closer inspection we saw it's eye. Impressive!
@everyheron.bsky.social
January 16, 2024 at 12:14 AM
I concur. I've only seen pygmy owls, but of the two, without revealing my choice... Is there anything more charismatic than burrowing owls? Those legs!
So do these Ferruginous Pygmies @melchio1.bsky.social
January 8, 2024 at 8:56 PM
Ah... I can see the conflict, but you weren't driving the boat so glad you got to share their beauty and hopefully introduce them to people- that balances it out? 🙂
We almost walked right by one, had a nearby pair of Tody Flycatchers no captured our attention right nearby. It flew off pretty quickly
January 7, 2024 at 9:47 PM
In honor of #NationalBirdDay here are some Least Terns with their chicks that we had the pleasure of monitoring the year before last
🦉🌿📸
@melchio1.bsky.social
(They’re all fully zoomed and cropped, but better to be far away than to disturb 💚)
January 5, 2024 at 10:32 PM
Some more #birds 🦉 from last spring’s visit to the Western Azuero Peninsula, Panama… including a top ten must-see #lifer for me: the bizarre and beautiful, reclusive mangrove dweller, the Boat-billed Heron (1st pic).
@melchio1.bsky.social
#nature #naturephotography
🌿📸
January 3, 2024 at 6:27 PM
Missing Panama 🇵🇦 big time right now… but first things first. Have to work to fund our project (finca turned nature reserve), but so grateful to be closing in on our goal!
For now I have my obsessive photo taking to lean on & keep me filled with the joy of the nature there 🦉🌿
@melchio1.bsky.social
January 3, 2024 at 2:47 PM
Some screen grabs from video:
@melchio1.bsky.social & I came across a huge ant colony in the Tropical Dry Forest of Panama (this nest was still active- will post videos when possible).
We’ve seen the armies marching before but never the nest/colony.

✅Checked that off the bucket-list
#invertfest 🪲🐜
December 28, 2023 at 4:43 PM
Is it too late for #invertfest ? 🪲 Because this Giant Metallic Wood Boring Beetle (Euchroma gigantae) was hoping for its 15 minutes…
We had 2 buzzing around our Cabana in Panama and this 1 landed on a nearby tree to checkout our breakfast.
Unfortunately no wood left on our plates to share. 🤓🪲
December 28, 2023 at 4:16 PM
A few more pics of the GBH hunting and grooming at sunset... this adult is one of the most beautiful I've seen on the island, or maybe ever!That beautiful chestnut along the wings and legs 🤩
#birds 📸🪶
#goldenhour
#naturephotography
#nature
@melchio1.bsky.social
@everyheron.bsky.social
December 27, 2023 at 9:36 PM
Coming in for landing - I forgot that we saw this GBH in flight so I was confused when first looking at this photo until I zoomed in and then was delighted to see such a beautiful heron flying through the marsh. #goldenhour @melchio1.bsky.social
December 27, 2023 at 9:26 PM