Richard A. Fleming
@donflan.bsky.social
Birder, writer, artist, sound-recordist. Author of Walking to Guantánamo. Following mostly traveling birders and posting mostly bird travels.
Greater white-fronted goose at Hamden Pumping Station in #Hunterdon county, NJ. As you can see, this one is vocalizing! I was able to record it, and it’s now the 803rd species in #eBird for which I have contributed audio! #birding #birdsseenin2025
November 28, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Greater white-fronted goose at Hamden Pumping Station in #Hunterdon county, NJ. As you can see, this one is vocalizing! I was able to record it, and it’s now the 803rd species in #eBird for which I have contributed audio! #birding #birdsseenin2025
Burchell’s Coucal is an absolutely mind-blowing giant cuckoo that I saw exactly this single one of in two weeks in #SouthAfrica, a bird made all the more special because I didn’t have it on my list of likely or even unlikely sightings for the trip! #birds #birding #birdsseenin2025
September 27, 2025 at 12:14 AM
Burchell’s Coucal is an absolutely mind-blowing giant cuckoo that I saw exactly this single one of in two weeks in #SouthAfrica, a bird made all the more special because I didn’t have it on my list of likely or even unlikely sightings for the trip! #birds #birding #birdsseenin2025
An Eared Grebe I found four days ago at Jamaica Bay’s West Pond in NYC. It’s a rare but approximately annual visitor to the region that looks like a floating Russian fur hat. #birding #birdsseenin2025
September 26, 2025 at 11:54 PM
An Eared Grebe I found four days ago at Jamaica Bay’s West Pond in NYC. It’s a rare but approximately annual visitor to the region that looks like a floating Russian fur hat. #birding #birdsseenin2025
Booted Eagle last month near Paarl, #SouthAfrica, where it is an uncommon migrant visitor. Not much larger than many hawks, it still has the structure and long-fingered look of an eagle. #birdsseenin2025 #birds #birding
September 8, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Booted Eagle last month near Paarl, #SouthAfrica, where it is an uncommon migrant visitor. Not much larger than many hawks, it still has the structure and long-fingered look of an eagle. #birdsseenin2025 #birds #birding
I’m a complete sucker for elegant ducks, many of which turn out to be teal! This is the Cape Teal, snapped at Strandfontein in Cape Town, #SouthAfrica a few days ago. Petite, handsome, red-eyed, the whole package. #birds #birding #birdsseenin2025
August 19, 2025 at 5:47 PM
I’m a complete sucker for elegant ducks, many of which turn out to be teal! This is the Cape Teal, snapped at Strandfontein in Cape Town, #SouthAfrica a few days ago. Petite, handsome, red-eyed, the whole package. #birds #birding #birdsseenin2025
Southern Boubou, uncharacteristically and very briefly sitting out in the open in the coastal scrub of the Western Cape, #SouthAfrica. Their liquid calls are usually heard coming from somewhere deep inside a dense, dark bush. #birdsseenin2025 #birding
August 19, 2025 at 8:01 AM
Southern Boubou, uncharacteristically and very briefly sitting out in the open in the coastal scrub of the Western Cape, #SouthAfrica. Their liquid calls are usually heard coming from somewhere deep inside a dense, dark bush. #birdsseenin2025 #birding
Superficially confusing in both name and appearance, the Little Rush Warbler and the Lesser Swamp Warbler occur abundantly together in the vast reedbeds at Strandfontein in Cape Town. This is one of those two #birds. Can you tell which, without reading the alt text? #birdsseenin2025 #birding
August 17, 2025 at 12:07 PM
Superficially confusing in both name and appearance, the Little Rush Warbler and the Lesser Swamp Warbler occur abundantly together in the vast reedbeds at Strandfontein in Cape Town. This is one of those two #birds. Can you tell which, without reading the alt text? #birdsseenin2025 #birding
Karoo Long-billed Lark on territory a few kilometers south of Robertson, #SouthAfrica a few days ago for @birdsseenin2025. These #birds do an amazing vertical display flight and emit a piercing whistle, making them much easier to find in the pre-breeding season! #birding
August 16, 2025 at 1:05 PM
Karoo Long-billed Lark on territory a few kilometers south of Robertson, #SouthAfrica a few days ago for @birdsseenin2025. These #birds do an amazing vertical display flight and emit a piercing whistle, making them much easier to find in the pre-breeding season! #birding
Rock Kestrel at Strandfontein in Cape Town, #SouthAfrica about four hours ago, and only about an hour after my landing at the airport here. The #birding has already been awesome! #birdsseenin2025
August 5, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Rock Kestrel at Strandfontein in Cape Town, #SouthAfrica about four hours ago, and only about an hour after my landing at the airport here. The #birding has already been awesome! #birdsseenin2025
It took three visits to the lily-clogged Sharrott’s Pond on Staten Island, and multiple hours of careful scanning, before this #purplegallinule, the county’s first, finally poked its head up out of the pads just while I was looking in the right place! #birds #birding #birdsseenin2025
July 1, 2025 at 11:22 AM
It took three visits to the lily-clogged Sharrott’s Pond on Staten Island, and multiple hours of careful scanning, before this #purplegallinule, the county’s first, finally poked its head up out of the pads just while I was looking in the right place! #birds #birding #birdsseenin2025
What is a double grosbeak day? Is it these two birds with massive bills? From the Pole Farm, Mercer, NJ, #birdsseenin2025 #birds Rose-breasted, and Blue
July 1, 2025 at 2:11 AM
What is a double grosbeak day? Is it these two birds with massive bills? From the Pole Farm, Mercer, NJ, #birdsseenin2025 #birds Rose-breasted, and Blue
I was requested not to share the location of this breeding-plumage Dickcissel, actually breeding. It’s very rare as a breeder on the eastern seaboard. I didn’t see the female until HE dropped down low in the tree and they did the wildest wild thing! #birds #birding #birdsseenin2025 New Jersey….
June 22, 2025 at 1:25 AM
I was requested not to share the location of this breeding-plumage Dickcissel, actually breeding. It’s very rare as a breeder on the eastern seaboard. I didn’t see the female until HE dropped down low in the tree and they did the wildest wild thing! #birds #birding #birdsseenin2025 New Jersey….
A star bird from a few days ago at Plumb Beach, Brooklyn was this Caspian Tern, the world’s largest species of tern, looking crisp and ready to breed! They can show up at almost any time except the dead of winter, but usually aren’t around until post-breeding. #birdsseenin2025 #birds #birding
June 10, 2025 at 12:41 PM
A star bird from a few days ago at Plumb Beach, Brooklyn was this Caspian Tern, the world’s largest species of tern, looking crisp and ready to breed! They can show up at almost any time except the dead of winter, but usually aren’t around until post-breeding. #birdsseenin2025 #birds #birding
If you’re here for pretty bird pictures you came on the wrong day! This is the Black-necked Stilt I found yesterday, far, far away across Jamaica Bay’s west pond, at the edge of my camera’s capability, and tortured by heat shimmer. #birds #birdsseenin2025 #birdoftheyear #birding Can you see it?
June 5, 2025 at 10:24 PM
If you’re here for pretty bird pictures you came on the wrong day! This is the Black-necked Stilt I found yesterday, far, far away across Jamaica Bay’s west pond, at the edge of my camera’s capability, and tortured by heat shimmer. #birds #birdsseenin2025 #birdoftheyear #birding Can you see it?
The Olive-sided flycatcher is a scarce passage migrant through NY city, but an incredibly consistent one. Invariably a king-of-the-hill, it always hunts from bare, high branches. And it is only seen here, in spring, from roughly May 20-June now-ish! #birdsseenin2025 #birding #birds
June 3, 2025 at 8:06 PM
The Olive-sided flycatcher is a scarce passage migrant through NY city, but an incredibly consistent one. Invariably a king-of-the-hill, it always hunts from bare, high branches. And it is only seen here, in spring, from roughly May 20-June now-ish! #birdsseenin2025 #birding #birds
In my view one of the world’s most stunning #shorebirds, especially in breeding plumage. Here’s a Red Knot I was able to get very close to in Jamaica Bay, NY, a few days ago, only because I was #birding by #kayak. #birdsseenin2025
June 2, 2025 at 10:10 AM
In my view one of the world’s most stunning #shorebirds, especially in breeding plumage. Here’s a Red Knot I was able to get very close to in Jamaica Bay, NY, a few days ago, only because I was #birding by #kayak. #birdsseenin2025
Boat-tailed Grackle, a giant salt-marsh-loving blackbird, continues its range and population expansion in NYC—we found this one yesterday at Bush Terminal in NY Harbor, staring up at the sky to look for threats. This year’s are the first records there in #eBird #birds #birding #birdsseenin2025
June 1, 2025 at 10:32 AM
Boat-tailed Grackle, a giant salt-marsh-loving blackbird, continues its range and population expansion in NYC—we found this one yesterday at Bush Terminal in NY Harbor, staring up at the sky to look for threats. This year’s are the first records there in #eBird #birds #birding #birdsseenin2025
After a couple of days without any reports it seems likely this staggering Randall’s Island rarity has moved on, probably with the Kingbirds it was hanging around with. This was a USA first for me and a fabulous bird for NY state! #birds #birding #birdsseenin2025 Extra rarely, it stayed several days
May 27, 2025 at 2:39 PM
After a couple of days without any reports it seems likely this staggering Randall’s Island rarity has moved on, probably with the Kingbirds it was hanging around with. This was a USA first for me and a fabulous bird for NY state! #birds #birding #birdsseenin2025 Extra rarely, it stayed several days
May 25, 2025 at 12:57 AM
This Clapper Rail wandered casually out of the marsh onto the sand, looked around, suddenly realized 6 birders were staring right at it from about 75 feet away, and started to sprint! #birds, #birding #birdsseenin2025 Plumb Beach, Brooklyn
May 20, 2025 at 5:50 PM
This Clapper Rail wandered casually out of the marsh onto the sand, looked around, suddenly realized 6 birders were staring right at it from about 75 feet away, and started to sprint! #birds, #birding #birdsseenin2025 Plumb Beach, Brooklyn
Although you can have no idea how long the bill is on this bird, this is a Short-billed Dowitcher, which, confusingly, has a very long bill, although they say it’s shorter than the Long-billed Dowitcher’s, but barely shorter, if at all, do you get what I’m saying? #birds #birdsseenin2025 #birding
May 20, 2025 at 12:57 AM
Although you can have no idea how long the bill is on this bird, this is a Short-billed Dowitcher, which, confusingly, has a very long bill, although they say it’s shorter than the Long-billed Dowitcher’s, but barely shorter, if at all, do you get what I’m saying? #birds #birdsseenin2025 #birding
Home #patchbirding doesn’t get much better than going out on the back deck in Brooklyn in response to hearing a Cape May warbler singing and immediately finding this Summer Tanager munching on yellowjackets. #birds #birdmigration #birdsseenin2025 #birding
May 13, 2025 at 3:25 AM
Home #patchbirding doesn’t get much better than going out on the back deck in Brooklyn in response to hearing a Cape May warbler singing and immediately finding this Summer Tanager munching on yellowjackets. #birds #birdmigration #birdsseenin2025 #birding
The hand-cut noodles drying on skewers.
May 12, 2025 at 2:04 AM
The hand-cut noodles drying on skewers.