Mark R. Courtney
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mrcourtney.bsky.social
Mark R. Courtney
@mrcourtney.bsky.social
440 followers 210 following 140 posts
Software developer, photographer, sometimes writer. Best when wandering in nature.

Photos by me unless otherwise noted. Some prints available through https://photo.mrcourtney.com or by contacting me.

Based in Southern New England
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mrcourtney.bsky.social
Crabapples adding a little color to the season
#Nature #NaturePhotography #Photography
Photograph of three small, red crabapple fruits hanging off a tiny stem along a larger branch. Many still-yellow fruits hang blurred in the background.
November 15, 2025 at 1:28 PM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
Went to rake some fallen sticks off the lawn before the season's final mow and discovered one was actually our friendly neighborhood praying mantis. Relocated her to a nearby bush where she could safely judge my yard-working skills.

#PrayingMantis #Mantis #Insects #NaturePhotography #Photography
Photograph of a praying mantis, mostly beige with green flanks, lurking lengthwise between blades of grass, its triangular head turned toward the camera. Photograph of a beige praying mantis facing the camera from where it's perched on a bush, its triangular head rising above the small leaves.
November 15, 2025 at 12:36 PM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
Ladybugs having a day out this past warm Saturday.

#Nature #NaturePhotography #Photography
Photograph of a small, orange-red beetle with black spots prowling downward on a grayed cedar shingle. Photograph of a small, orange-red beetle with black spots crawling up a darkened gap between grayed cedar shingles. Photograph of a small, red beetle with black spots brightly contrasting against the rough, dark surface of a grayed cedar shingle. Photograph of a small, red beetle with black spots crawling across the ridged surface of a grayed cedar shingle.
November 10, 2025 at 2:06 AM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
Providence, Rhode Island, from a distance

#ProvidenceRI #RhodeIsland #Landscape #LandscapePhotography #Photography
Photograph looking out over waves of autumn-colored trees to the skyline of Providence, Rhode Island, muted in the hazy distance.
November 9, 2025 at 6:34 PM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
Leaves vs. chain-link fence
#Autum #Photography
Photograph of a thin, curled leaf hooked over a bit of a dark chain-link fence. It dangles like a gymnast in the diamond formed between the fence’s wires, though at a jauntier angle than expected of a gymnast. Photograph of a small, red leaf caught against a dark chain-link fence. The sides of the leaf are curled inward and tucked under a wire of the fence as if bracing with its arms to keep its head peeking over a bar while swinging out its feet. Photograph of a multi-pointed yellow leaf caught squarely centered in a diamond gap in a dark chain-link fence. The leaf looks like it was attempting to squeeze through the opening in the fence but couldn’t quite make it so is now resigned to its fate as a decorative splash of color on the dark fence. Photograph of a yellow maple leaf caught against the pole of a dark chain-link fence and held up by the crossing wires. Might have been a good hide-and-seek hiding spot for it, except that its bright color clearly gives it away against the dark fence. Or maybe it’s just up there to take in the view.
November 9, 2025 at 10:43 AM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
For today's #BlueSkyArtShow theme of #Autumn
#Photography
Photograph at ground level of fallen leaves lit by the morning sunlight shining through a gap in the trees up ahead.
November 1, 2025 at 1:47 PM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
Cool light on this scene earlier this week after a heavy rainstorm moved through.
#Autumn #Landscape #LandscapePhotography #Photography
Photograph of a wetland pond with morning light breaking through dark clouds to illuminate swaths of the dried, golden grass around the water. Trees beyond are dressed in various autumn shades of red, orange, and yellow mixed with some remaining green. Numerous white seagulls scatter across the scene, in both the water and the air.
October 26, 2025 at 12:30 PM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
Great fall colors on the local sassafras tree this week.
#Autumn #Nature #NaturePhotography #Photography
Photograph of hanging sassafras leaves that transition from golden yellow near the stems to rich red at the tips.
October 25, 2025 at 12:52 PM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
Today's action: Cooper's hawk vs. raven

#Birds #Wildlife #WildlifePhotography #WildlifeWednesday #Photography
Photograph of a brown hawk, wings raised, banking down and away from a black raven with wings spread out. Photograph of a brown hawk closely followed by a black raven. Both birds have wings spread flat and are banking to the left in near perfect symmetry. Photograph of a black raven with wings flared in flight as it surges above a brown hawk with wings lowered, dodging the raven. Photograph of a brown hawk alone in the sky having gained a bit of distance from the pursuing raven... at least for the moment.
October 22, 2025 at 11:38 PM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
Under the dock
#Photography
Photograph of where a wooden beam and angled cross brace are joined to a post to support a dock above. The angled light of morning illuminates the grain of the wood, and three bolts, two on the beam and one on the angled brace, cast long shadows. The shadow of one vertical bolt above is visible, and beyond the structure is the light blue sky and darker blue water.
October 18, 2025 at 2:14 PM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
Beach still lifes

#StillLife #StillLifePhotography #Nature #NaturePhotography #Photography
Photograph of a green leaf with hints of yellow on a beach surrounded by shells, rocks, and a bit of coral. Photograph of shells and rocks on a beach, most prominently featuring a ridged scallop shell with striped shades of beige and dark brown. Photograph of colorful beach pebbles mixed with a few small shells, a translucent, yellow shell standing out among the bunch.
October 18, 2025 at 2:11 PM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
Mushroom season hereabouts continues with this surprisingly large one about the size of a softball

#Mushroom #Fungi #FungiFriday #Nature #NaturePhotography #Photography
Photograph of a large mushroom risen up from among green, glossy-leafed creeping myrtle. The mushroom has a round cap about the size of a softball with a creamy-yellow layer showing through the cracks of a rough, white outer shell. (Small but barely visible below the lower right of the mushroom, an ant sits on a leaf, presumably looking on in awe of the mushroom's magnificence.)
October 17, 2025 at 1:45 PM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
Great egret hunting in the salt marsh this morning

#Birds #BirdPhotography #Wildlife #WildlifePhotography #WildlifeWednesday #Photography
Photograph of a tall, white bird wading in a salt marsh pool surrounded by browning marsh grass. The egret has one black leg stepped forward, perhaps trying to scare up a potential snack.
October 15, 2025 at 4:14 PM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
Praying mantis prowling in our garden recently

#Wildlife #WildlifeWednesday
Photograph of a praying mantis, a long, brown bug with a triangular head, folded forearms, skinny legs, and green flanks along its wider abdomen. It's perched on the corner of a green bin, no apparent prey in sight.
October 15, 2025 at 4:13 PM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
Either a shy mushroom or a sly master of using forest materials for camouflage

#Mushroom #Fungi #FungiFriday #Nature #Photography
Ground-level photograph of a mushroom with a white stem and flat cap covered with dark leaves like it's trying to hide on the forest floor.
October 10, 2025 at 1:11 PM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
Some turkey tail mushroom glamour pics

#Mushroom #Fungi #FungiFriday #Nature #Photography
Photograph looking down a tree trunk where a spot of sunlight illuminates the striped tops of a patch of curved mushrooms extending shelf-like from the bark. Photograph from the side of flat mushrooms hanging out from the bark of a tree trunk. The mushrooms look slightly rumpled with sunlight hitting the tops and the undersides left in shadow. Photograph of a swath of curved, striped mushrooms hanging along a tree trunk mixed with faded green lichen. The mushroom stripes are a mix of faded green near the trunk (close to the lichen color), brownish orange at the outer rim, and thin lines of dark purple to almost black running in between.
October 10, 2025 at 1:09 PM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
Scenes from the forest today

#Nature #NaturePhotography #Photography
Photograph of a path through a patch of slender trees with side-lit trunks and green leaves higher up. Some lower greenery grows among the trees, and a larger, decaying stump sits alongside the path. Photograph of a sunlit spider web from an angle. The classic concentric circular form is clear, but the light also illuminates the structure of additional webs surrounding it in various directions to hold the whole thing in place among the low tree branches. Photograph of yellow leaves on a tall tree and blue sky overhead reflected in the still water of a mostly dry, rocky creek. Photograph of a reddish-brown acorn and separate cap among dried, brown leaves on the forest floor.
October 9, 2025 at 7:03 PM
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Fish touching the surface
#Nature #Photography
Minimalist photograph of concentric circles rippling out over smooth water caused by a fish just below the surface.
October 5, 2025 at 5:51 PM
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Time for autumn colors

#Autumn #Nature #NaturePhotography #Photography
Photograph of a hanging, yellow redbud leaf with some mottled brown spots. The leaf is backlit so the shadow of a twig behind it shows through and the whole leave appears to glow against the dark background. Photograph of wet leaves on a vine growing along a stone wall. The leaves have turned a rich, deep red. Photograph of ginkgo leaves hanging from a tree partway through their shift from green to yellow.
October 4, 2025 at 2:19 PM
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Another from earlier this week, the beach with the hurricane-induced waves and wind cutting along the shore
October 4, 2025 at 2:06 PM
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From earlier this week, the hurricane-induced waves on the Rhode Island coast
October 4, 2025 at 2:05 PM
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Rhode Island surfers taking advantage of the Hurricane Humberto waves

#MeerMittwoch #SeaWednesday #Photography
Photograph of a surfer with arms raised riding up the ridge of an angular wave breaking behind. Photograph of a surfer riding down the face of a breaking wave with another choppy wave rolling in behind. Photograph of a silhouetted surfer riding along the face of a long wave breaking behind. Photograph of multiple silhouetted surfers with only upper bodies visible as they wait in the water for a good wave. A large wave breaks behind them, a bit too far for them to catch and ride.
October 2, 2025 at 1:20 AM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
Spent some time just hanging out with this rock and watching the waves break on it

#MeerMittwoch #SeaWednesday #Seascape #Nature #NaturePhotography #Photography
Photograph of a large, angled rock with a big wave breaking on it and fanning out around all sides. Photograph of a large, angled rock with a big wave breaking on it from the side and mostly surrounding the rock in a curtain of water mirroring the rock's shape. Photograph of a large, angled rock with a big wave breaking on it with a splash angling up along the rock's slope.
October 2, 2025 at 1:19 AM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
More details of the waves hitting the Rhode Island coast from Hurricane Humberto today

#MeerMittwoch #SeaWednesday #Seascape #Nature #NaturePhotography #Photography
Photograph of a long, green-tinted wave with the top starting to curl and fall with a windswept spray. Closeup photograph of a green-tinted wave beginning to break. Photograph of a rolling wave collapsed into foaming layers. Photograph of a wave rolling as it breaks, part already a foaming mass and part a smooth curl.
October 2, 2025 at 1:17 AM
mrcourtney.bsky.social
Ventured to the coast today to check out the waves hitting the Rhode Island shore from Hurricane Humberto

#MeerMittwoch #SeaWednesday #Seascape #Nature #NaturePhotography #Photography
Photograph of large waves crashing as they approach shore with the wind causing spray to spread from the tops. Photograph of large waves foaming and crashing as they near shore. Photograph of a seagull on the beach backed by a large, foamy crashing wave. Photograph of the surf rolling in with a few larger waves further out and framed on the bottom by out-of-focus round beach rocks.
October 2, 2025 at 1:16 AM