William Hemstrom
@birdpicsandscience.bsky.social
Population/conservation Geneticist at Colorado State University. Avid birder and extreme nerd. More of my photos hosted at the Macaulay Library/eBird (https://search.macaulaylibrary.org/catalog?searchField=user&userId=USER416741).
A Jocotoco Antpitta from Tapichalaca reserve, Ecuador. "Discovered" (by western scientists) in 1997, this critically endangered species lives in three disconnected patches in southern Ecuador and Peru. One of my favorite birds I've ever seen. Fundación Jocotoco is their key protector.
#birds
#birds
November 3, 2025 at 9:13 PM
A Jocotoco Antpitta from Tapichalaca reserve, Ecuador. "Discovered" (by western scientists) in 1997, this critically endangered species lives in three disconnected patches in southern Ecuador and Peru. One of my favorite birds I've ever seen. Fundación Jocotoco is their key protector.
#birds
#birds
A Short-tailed Shearwater from Rausu, Hokkaido, Japan. Dad and I went out on a whale watching trip with our guide. Didn't see any whales, but did see somewhere around 10-50k Short-tailed Shearwaters. Incredible numbers, more seabirds than I've ever seen.
#birds
#birdsphotography
#birdsofjapan
#birds
#birdsphotography
#birdsofjapan
October 18, 2025 at 4:56 AM
A Short-tailed Shearwater from Rausu, Hokkaido, Japan. Dad and I went out on a whale watching trip with our guide. Didn't see any whales, but did see somewhere around 10-50k Short-tailed Shearwaters. Incredible numbers, more seabirds than I've ever seen.
#birds
#birdsphotography
#birdsofjapan
#birds
#birdsphotography
#birdsofjapan
A Blakiston's Fish-Owl from Hokkaido, Japan. This giant species is endangered and restricted to a few locations.
Washi no Yado has shepherded generations of owls over the last few decades; they are one heck of a draw for birders. Worth a visit!
#birds
#birdsofjapan
#birdphotography
Washi no Yado has shepherded generations of owls over the last few decades; they are one heck of a draw for birders. Worth a visit!
#birds
#birdsofjapan
#birdphotography
October 16, 2025 at 4:04 AM
A Blakiston's Fish-Owl from Hokkaido, Japan. This giant species is endangered and restricted to a few locations.
Washi no Yado has shepherded generations of owls over the last few decades; they are one heck of a draw for birders. Worth a visit!
#birds
#birdsofjapan
#birdphotography
Washi no Yado has shepherded generations of owls over the last few decades; they are one heck of a draw for birders. Worth a visit!
#birds
#birdsofjapan
#birdphotography
A Black-tailed Gull from Miyakejima, Japan. A very abundant species in the area, but still a really nice bird when seen well! Gulls get too little love.
#birdsofjapan
#birdsofbluesky
#birds
#birdphotography
#birdsofjapan
#birdsofbluesky
#birds
#birdphotography
August 22, 2025 at 1:07 AM
A Black-tailed Gull from Miyakejima, Japan. A very abundant species in the area, but still a really nice bird when seen well! Gulls get too little love.
#birdsofjapan
#birdsofbluesky
#birds
#birdphotography
#birdsofjapan
#birdsofbluesky
#birds
#birdphotography
Bathing White-browed Fulvettas from Kathmandu, Nepal. Super cute. Super fluffy. I have so many photos from this bathing spot that are just lovely, one of my favorite places I've ever birded.
#birds
#birdsofnepal
#birdphotography
#birdsofbluesky
#birds
#birdsofnepal
#birdphotography
#birdsofbluesky
July 12, 2025 at 6:46 AM
Bathing White-browed Fulvettas from Kathmandu, Nepal. Super cute. Super fluffy. I have so many photos from this bathing spot that are just lovely, one of my favorite places I've ever birded.
#birds
#birdsofnepal
#birdphotography
#birdsofbluesky
#birds
#birdsofnepal
#birdphotography
#birdsofbluesky
An Izu Robin from Miyakejima, Japan. I've kinda fallen in love with island endemics--made a trip to Japan almost entirely for the purposes of seeing these and the other endemics on Miyake.
Miyake was awesome: rainy, chill little island with nice people and great birds.
#birds
#birdsofjapan
Miyake was awesome: rainy, chill little island with nice people and great birds.
#birds
#birdsofjapan
July 5, 2025 at 11:27 PM
An Izu Robin from Miyakejima, Japan. I've kinda fallen in love with island endemics--made a trip to Japan almost entirely for the purposes of seeing these and the other endemics on Miyake.
Miyake was awesome: rainy, chill little island with nice people and great birds.
#birds
#birdsofjapan
Miyake was awesome: rainy, chill little island with nice people and great birds.
#birds
#birdsofjapan
The only endemic bird of Nepal, a Spiny Babbler. This bird was a serious adventure to get--ended up pulling myself up the side of a ~70-80% grade via all of the vegetation to get to the spot where these were active.
#birds
#birdsofnepal
#birdsofbluesky
#birdphotography
#birds
#birdsofnepal
#birdsofbluesky
#birdphotography
July 5, 2025 at 1:27 AM
The only endemic bird of Nepal, a Spiny Babbler. This bird was a serious adventure to get--ended up pulling myself up the side of a ~70-80% grade via all of the vegetation to get to the spot where these were active.
#birds
#birdsofnepal
#birdsofbluesky
#birdphotography
#birds
#birdsofnepal
#birdsofbluesky
#birdphotography
White-capped Redstart from the Helambru area of Nepal. This one is just about to take off from a rock in a fast, clear, high elevation stream where it was foraging.
Light was excellent so I was able to shoot with a fast shutter speed and get this one in action!
#birdphotography
#birdsofnepal
Light was excellent so I was able to shoot with a fast shutter speed and get this one in action!
#birdphotography
#birdsofnepal
June 7, 2025 at 5:32 AM
White-capped Redstart from the Helambru area of Nepal. This one is just about to take off from a rock in a fast, clear, high elevation stream where it was foraging.
Light was excellent so I was able to shoot with a fast shutter speed and get this one in action!
#birdphotography
#birdsofnepal
Light was excellent so I was able to shoot with a fast shutter speed and get this one in action!
#birdphotography
#birdsofnepal
White-crested Laughingthrush. Fabulous.
From Kathmandu, Nepal.
#birdsofnepal
#birdphotography
#birdsofbluesky
#goodhairday
From Kathmandu, Nepal.
#birdsofnepal
#birdphotography
#birdsofbluesky
#goodhairday
May 29, 2025 at 4:44 AM
White-crested Laughingthrush. Fabulous.
From Kathmandu, Nepal.
#birdsofnepal
#birdphotography
#birdsofbluesky
#goodhairday
From Kathmandu, Nepal.
#birdsofnepal
#birdphotography
#birdsofbluesky
#goodhairday
A Blue Whistling-thrush from Nepal. I adore Whistling-thrushes; both of the species I've seen so far (Blue and Taiwan) have huge personalities and usually aren't shy at all.
#birdsofnepal
#birdphotography
#birdsofbluesky
#birdsofnepal
#birdphotography
#birdsofbluesky
May 12, 2025 at 9:03 PM
A Blue Whistling-thrush from Nepal. I adore Whistling-thrushes; both of the species I've seen so far (Blue and Taiwan) have huge personalities and usually aren't shy at all.
#birdsofnepal
#birdphotography
#birdsofbluesky
#birdsofnepal
#birdphotography
#birdsofbluesky
A Jungle Owlet from Chitwan NP, Nepal.
Tiny bird, big poof.
#birdsofbluesky
#birdphotography
#birdsofnepal
Tiny bird, big poof.
#birdsofbluesky
#birdphotography
#birdsofnepal
May 10, 2025 at 11:23 PM
A Jungle Owlet from Chitwan NP, Nepal.
Tiny bird, big poof.
#birdsofbluesky
#birdphotography
#birdsofnepal
Tiny bird, big poof.
#birdsofbluesky
#birdphotography
#birdsofnepal
A Brown Boobook from Sauraha, Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Tracked this one around through dense vegetation for a solid 45 minutes before finally getting a nice look at it.
#birdsofbluesky
#birdsofnepal
#owl
#birdphotography
#birdsofbluesky
#birdsofnepal
#owl
#birdphotography
April 17, 2025 at 5:32 AM
A Brown Boobook from Sauraha, Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Tracked this one around through dense vegetation for a solid 45 minutes before finally getting a nice look at it.
#birdsofbluesky
#birdsofnepal
#owl
#birdphotography
#birdsofbluesky
#birdsofnepal
#owl
#birdphotography
A Japanese Accentor from Lake Miyagase, Kanagawa, Japan. One of several Accentors I saw on my trip to Nepal and Tokyo last January. Near-endemic to Japan and a really nice bird to find!
#birdsofbluesky
#birdsofjapan
#birding
#birdsofbluesky
#birdsofjapan
#birding
April 6, 2025 at 5:50 AM
A Japanese Accentor from Lake Miyagase, Kanagawa, Japan. One of several Accentors I saw on my trip to Nepal and Tokyo last January. Near-endemic to Japan and a really nice bird to find!
#birdsofbluesky
#birdsofjapan
#birding
#birdsofbluesky
#birdsofjapan
#birding
A Long-billed Thrush. Very appropriately named. Usually very cryptic.
We spent an hour and a half chasing them up heavily forested streams to no avail. The next morning we walked out of our lodge and immediately saw one just chilling on a stone fence.
#birdsofnepal
#birdsofbluesky
#birding
We spent an hour and a half chasing them up heavily forested streams to no avail. The next morning we walked out of our lodge and immediately saw one just chilling on a stone fence.
#birdsofnepal
#birdsofbluesky
#birding
March 31, 2025 at 7:21 AM
A Long-billed Thrush. Very appropriately named. Usually very cryptic.
We spent an hour and a half chasing them up heavily forested streams to no avail. The next morning we walked out of our lodge and immediately saw one just chilling on a stone fence.
#birdsofnepal
#birdsofbluesky
#birding
We spent an hour and a half chasing them up heavily forested streams to no avail. The next morning we walked out of our lodge and immediately saw one just chilling on a stone fence.
#birdsofnepal
#birdsofbluesky
#birding
Had high variance in coverage at the VCF stage AFTER downsampling bams. I'd marked but not removed dups. Found out I had large variance in duplication rates (and high rates period) across samples. Good reason to remove them!
#genomics
#PopGen
#PopulationGenetics
#PopulationGenomics
#genomics
#PopGen
#PopulationGenetics
#PopulationGenomics
March 18, 2025 at 5:47 AM
Had high variance in coverage at the VCF stage AFTER downsampling bams. I'd marked but not removed dups. Found out I had large variance in duplication rates (and high rates period) across samples. Good reason to remove them!
#genomics
#PopGen
#PopulationGenetics
#PopulationGenomics
#genomics
#PopGen
#PopulationGenetics
#PopulationGenomics
A Striated Laughingthrush from Tarkeghyang, Bagmati, Nepal. It's hard not to just continuous photos of laughingthrushes--they are all too dang pretty. Even a "bland" one like this species.
#birdsofnepal
#birdsofbluesky
#birding
#birdphotography
#birdsofnepal
#birdsofbluesky
#birding
#birdphotography
March 18, 2025 at 5:35 AM
A Striated Laughingthrush from Tarkeghyang, Bagmati, Nepal. It's hard not to just continuous photos of laughingthrushes--they are all too dang pretty. Even a "bland" one like this species.
#birdsofnepal
#birdsofbluesky
#birding
#birdphotography
#birdsofnepal
#birdsofbluesky
#birding
#birdphotography
A Rufous Sibia from Kathmandu, Nepal at the bathing pond on Phulchowki hill.
#birdsofnepal
#birdsofbluesky
#birding
#birdsofnepal
#birdsofbluesky
#birding
March 16, 2025 at 3:36 AM
A Rufous Sibia from Kathmandu, Nepal at the bathing pond on Phulchowki hill.
#birdsofnepal
#birdsofbluesky
#birding
#birdsofnepal
#birdsofbluesky
#birding
A Brown Wood-Owl from Kathmandu, Nepal. We had a really solid trip owl-wise. Found this one as we were driving back and saw a promising patch of woods to check right as it started to get dark.
#birdsofnepal
#birdsofbluesky
#birding
#birdsofnepal
#birdsofbluesky
#birding
March 6, 2025 at 3:28 AM
A Brown Wood-Owl from Kathmandu, Nepal. We had a really solid trip owl-wise. Found this one as we were driving back and saw a promising patch of woods to check right as it started to get dark.
#birdsofnepal
#birdsofbluesky
#birding
#birdsofnepal
#birdsofbluesky
#birding
This female Hodgeson's Redstart doesn't seem to care about her spiky perch.
I love that I took this photo in the middle of downtown Kathmandu, but it looks like a grassland; makes me appreciate natural areas, even tiny ones, wherever you can find them.
#birdsofnepal
#birdsofbluesky
#birding
I love that I took this photo in the middle of downtown Kathmandu, but it looks like a grassland; makes me appreciate natural areas, even tiny ones, wherever you can find them.
#birdsofnepal
#birdsofbluesky
#birding
March 5, 2025 at 8:22 AM
This female Hodgeson's Redstart doesn't seem to care about her spiky perch.
I love that I took this photo in the middle of downtown Kathmandu, but it looks like a grassland; makes me appreciate natural areas, even tiny ones, wherever you can find them.
#birdsofnepal
#birdsofbluesky
#birding
I love that I took this photo in the middle of downtown Kathmandu, but it looks like a grassland; makes me appreciate natural areas, even tiny ones, wherever you can find them.
#birdsofnepal
#birdsofbluesky
#birding
A Crimson Sunbird from Kathmandu, Nepal. Pretty bird! They have a large range in southeast Asia from Nepal to Borneo. We saw this one engaging in a bit of casual thievery, stealing nectar from some flowers by piercing the base.
#birdsofnepal
#birding
#birdofbluesky
#birdsofnepal
#birding
#birdofbluesky
March 4, 2025 at 2:59 AM
A Crimson Sunbird from Kathmandu, Nepal. Pretty bird! They have a large range in southeast Asia from Nepal to Borneo. We saw this one engaging in a bit of casual thievery, stealing nectar from some flowers by piercing the base.
#birdsofnepal
#birding
#birdofbluesky
#birdsofnepal
#birding
#birdofbluesky
A Chinese Hwamei from Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. This in an introduced species in Japan (and in Taiwan and a few other places), but this was still a life bird for me. They are a laughingthrush, which are one of my favorite taxa of birds.
#birdsofbluesky
#birdsofjapan
#birding
#birdsofbluesky
#birdsofjapan
#birding
March 3, 2025 at 3:25 AM
A Chinese Hwamei from Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. This in an introduced species in Japan (and in Taiwan and a few other places), but this was still a life bird for me. They are a laughingthrush, which are one of my favorite taxa of birds.
#birdsofbluesky
#birdsofjapan
#birding
#birdsofbluesky
#birdsofjapan
#birding
A Scaly Thrush from Kathmandu, Nepal. I missed these in Taiwan a year ago, so I was very glad to see one last month, particularly with such a great view! In Taiwan they're found alongside the extremely similar White's Thrush, which makes them a bit of a trial.
#birdsofbluesky
#birdsofnepal
#birdsofbluesky
#birdsofnepal
February 14, 2025 at 3:45 AM
A Scaly Thrush from Kathmandu, Nepal. I missed these in Taiwan a year ago, so I was very glad to see one last month, particularly with such a great view! In Taiwan they're found alongside the extremely similar White's Thrush, which makes them a bit of a trial.
#birdsofbluesky
#birdsofnepal
#birdsofbluesky
#birdsofnepal
Black-faced Warblers from the same water hole in Phulchowki Hill, Kathmandu, Nepal. These birds move in big packs; when you see one, you see many!
#birdphotography
#birding
#birdsofbluesky
#birdsofnepal
#birdphotography
#birding
#birdsofbluesky
#birdsofnepal
February 1, 2025 at 6:26 AM
Black-faced Warblers from the same water hole in Phulchowki Hill, Kathmandu, Nepal. These birds move in big packs; when you see one, you see many!
#birdphotography
#birding
#birdsofbluesky
#birdsofnepal
#birdphotography
#birding
#birdsofbluesky
#birdsofnepal
A Stripe-throated Yuhina from Phulchowki Hill, Kathmandu, Nepal. There's a pond about 2/3rds of the way up which offers amazing photo opportunities. I took a TON of photos along with a few friends and Yubin Shrestha, who guided for us.
#birdphotography
#birding
#birdsofbluesky
#birdsofnepal
#birdphotography
#birding
#birdsofbluesky
#birdsofnepal
January 29, 2025 at 12:27 AM
A Stripe-throated Yuhina from Phulchowki Hill, Kathmandu, Nepal. There's a pond about 2/3rds of the way up which offers amazing photo opportunities. I took a TON of photos along with a few friends and Yubin Shrestha, who guided for us.
#birdphotography
#birding
#birdsofbluesky
#birdsofnepal
#birdphotography
#birding
#birdsofbluesky
#birdsofnepal
A Lidth's Jay from Amami Island, Japan. They are one of a handful of endemic species on the island, and one of my favorite-ever birds.
#birdphotography
#birding
#birdsofbluesky
#birdphotography
#birding
#birdsofbluesky
January 26, 2025 at 6:26 AM
A Lidth's Jay from Amami Island, Japan. They are one of a handful of endemic species on the island, and one of my favorite-ever birds.
#birdphotography
#birding
#birdsofbluesky
#birdphotography
#birding
#birdsofbluesky