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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ryanbebej.bsky.social
Sapsuckers are the rarest for me by far!
ryanbebej.bsky.social
Would love to see an Arizona woodpecker some time!
ryanbebej.bsky.social
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
ryanbebej.bsky.social
Same. Always happy to see one!
ryanbebej.bsky.social
I see / hear hairy woodpeckers pretty frequently when I'm out and about, but they don't visit our feeders quite as often.
ryanbebej.bsky.social
Thanks so much, Rob!
ryanbebej.bsky.social
Fun! A male and a female perhaps?
ryanbebej.bsky.social
Sorry to hear that. We've had them do that a few times at our house too, but nothing too persistent or destructive.
ryanbebej.bsky.social
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.

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🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography
Male downy woodpecker on a tree trunk
ryanbebej.bsky.social
Northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) – Here's another one of my periodic reminders to not neglect the common things.

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🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography
Male northern cardinal perched on a branch
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Hooded merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) – This female merganser was styling with its fancy hairdo (featherdo?) on New Year's Day.

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🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography
Female hooded merganser Female hooded merganser Female hooded merganser
ryanbebej.bsky.social
Red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) – From the Instagram archive… When I look at this photo, I can practically HEAR the bird.

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🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography
Red-winged blackbird calling loudly
ryanbebej.bsky.social
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.

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🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography
Bay-breasted warbler perched high up in a tree Bay-breasted warbler perched upside-down high up in a tree
ryanbebej.bsky.social
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.

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🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography
Tourmaline sunangel hummingbird showing its pink gorget
ryanbebej.bsky.social
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.

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🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography
Black lava gull strutting along a rocky shore on Isla Genovesa in the Galápagos Islands
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Well, at least it left parting gift! 😂
ryanbebej.bsky.social
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?

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🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography
Cedar waxwing with some white fluff stuck under its bill, looking a bit like a fake Santa beard
ryanbebej.bsky.social
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.

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🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography
Female belted kingfisher in front of a culvert
ryanbebej.bsky.social
Prothonotary warbler (Protonotaria citrea) – It's always a ray of sunshine when one of these little lemons brightens your day, especially on #WarblerWednesday.

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🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography
Bright yellow prothonotary warbler looking up curiously
ryanbebej.bsky.social
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.

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🪶 #birds #birding #wildlifephotography
Common yellowthroat on a stick
ryanbebej.bsky.social
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.