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Ryan Bebej

@ryanbebej.bsky.social

280 followers 100 following 390 posts

Calvin University professor + alum / anatomist + marine mammal paleontologist / birder + amateur photographer / science + faith speaker / University of Michigan alum / fan of St Louis Cardinals + Star Wars + other nerdy things / surname pronounced "BB"

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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 11h

Sapsuckers are the rarest for me by far!

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 11h

Would love to see an Arizona woodpecker some time!

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 20h

Yellow warbler (Setophaga petechia) – Here's a sharp-looking ray of sunshine to brighten your day on #WarblerWednesday!

www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography

🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography

Bright yellow warbler with rusty streaks on its breast, perched on a small twig against a light blue sky

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 20h

Same. Always happy to see one!

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 20h

I see / hear hairy woodpeckers pretty frequently when I'm out and about, but they don't visit our feeders quite as often.

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 20h

Thanks so much, Rob!

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 20h

Fun! A male and a female perhaps?

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 20h

Sorry to hear that. We've had them do that a few times at our house too, but nothing too persistent or destructive.

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 1d

Downy woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) – From the Instagram archive… Definitely the most common woodpecker here in West Michigan and one of the most frequent visitors to our bird feeders at home.

www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography

🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography

Male downy woodpecker on a tree trunk

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 2d

Northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) – Here's another one of my periodic reminders to not neglect the common things.

www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography

🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography

Male northern cardinal perched on a branch

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 5d

Hooded merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) – This female merganser was styling with its fancy hairdo (featherdo?) on New Year's Day.

www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography

🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography

Female hooded merganser

Female hooded merganser

Female hooded merganser

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 6d

Red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) – From the Instagram archive… When I look at this photo, I can practically HEAR the bird.

www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography

🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography

Red-winged blackbird calling loudly

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 7d

Bay-breasted warbler (Setophaga castanea) – I've got some serious FOMB from this fall's migration, so here's a cool warbler that I spotted this past spring for #WarblerWednesday.

www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography

🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography

Bay-breasted warbler perched high up in a tree

Bay-breasted warbler perched upside-down high up in a tree

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 8d

Tourmaline sunangel (Heliangelus exortis) – From the Instagram archive… One of the 130+ species of hummingbirds known from Ecuador. I took this photo while teaching there in 2018.

www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography

🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography

Tourmaline sunangel hummingbird showing its pink gorget

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 9d

Lava gull (Leucophaeus fuliginosus) – Endemic to the Galápagos Islands, this gull is considered the rarest gull in the world, with an estimated population of 300–600 birds. I saw this one on Isla Genovesa back in 2018.

www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography

🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography

Black lava gull strutting along a rocky shore on Isla Genovesa in the Galápagos Islands

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 12d

Thank you!!

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 12d

Well, at least it left parting gift! 😂

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 12d

Cedar waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) – Without a doubt, one of my spark birds. I captured this individual sporting a fake white beard. Perhaps it was auditioning to be an avian Santa Claus?

www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography

🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography

Cedar waxwing with some white fluff stuck under its bill, looking a bit like a fake Santa beard

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 13d

Thank you much!

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 13d

Belted kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) – From the Instagram archive… I love seeing kingfishers, but they rarely let me get close enough for a decent photo. I actually like how I could frame this one against the culvert.

www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography

🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography

Female belted kingfisher in front of a culvert

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 14d

Prothonotary warbler (Protonotaria citrea) – It's always a ray of sunshine when one of these little lemons brightens your day, especially on #WarblerWednesday.

www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography

🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography

Bright yellow prothonotary warbler looking up curiously

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 15d

Indeed it is!

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 15d

Common yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) – From the Instagram archive… These birds are often heard, but less often seen for me. Always pleased to get a decent photo of one.

www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography

🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography

Common yellowthroat on a stick

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 16d

Thank you much!

Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 16d

I’ve got photos of birds from as far away as New Zealand. But when a rare bird shows up near me, I usually cannot give chase due to professional and personal obligations.