Ben's Birds
@bensbirds.bsky.social
Screaming into the void and posting nature pics.
Boston-based PhD student and avid birder. Current setup is a Nikon D850 w/ 200-500mm Nikkor F/5.6
Boston-based PhD student and avid birder. Current setup is a Nikon D850 w/ 200-500mm Nikkor F/5.6
Pinned
Ben's Birds
@bensbirds.bsky.social
· Aug 19
First things first, this is a hard endorsement of both the laser-kiwified Right Whale & Sword Chickadee, would love to see either flying over Beacon Hill
Reposted by Ben's Birds
the annual snowfall required for me to take your city seriously is like 11” minimum. nobody is using 300 days of sun to serve the lord
December 3, 2023 at 4:18 PM
the annual snowfall required for me to take your city seriously is like 11” minimum. nobody is using 300 days of sun to serve the lord
Reposted by Ben's Birds
Also there was this Rusty Blackbird, posing beautifully in the early morning light
November 29, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Also there was this Rusty Blackbird, posing beautifully in the early morning light
A benefit of heading north for Thanksgiving this year was that it gave me an opportunity to chase this Scissor-tailed Flycatcher at Spencer Peirce Little Farm in Newbury. My second for both Massachusetts and Essex County
November 29, 2025 at 8:01 PM
A benefit of heading north for Thanksgiving this year was that it gave me an opportunity to chase this Scissor-tailed Flycatcher at Spencer Peirce Little Farm in Newbury. My second for both Massachusetts and Essex County
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you've seen in the wild:
North Atlantic Right Whale
Elfin-woods Warbler
White-tailed Ptarmigan
Bicknell's Thrush
Long-wattled Umbrellabird
North Atlantic Right Whale
Elfin-woods Warbler
White-tailed Ptarmigan
Bicknell's Thrush
Long-wattled Umbrellabird
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you've seen in the wild:
Serval
Caiman
Grey wolves
Whooping crane
African rock python
Serval
Caiman
Grey wolves
Whooping crane
African rock python
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you've seen in the wild:
Caribou
Ravens
Seals
Kea
Turkeys
Caribou
Ravens
Seals
Kea
Turkeys
November 29, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you've seen in the wild:
North Atlantic Right Whale
Elfin-woods Warbler
White-tailed Ptarmigan
Bicknell's Thrush
Long-wattled Umbrellabird
North Atlantic Right Whale
Elfin-woods Warbler
White-tailed Ptarmigan
Bicknell's Thrush
Long-wattled Umbrellabird
Reposted by Ben's Birds
I love the Dropkick Murphys because "Irish-American" + "gen X" + "punk rocker who's been at it for 30 years" should be the formula for the most racist guy alive but instead Ken Casey is constantly giving interviews where he's like "fascists are demons from hell and that's where they belong"
November 19, 2025 at 3:50 PM
I love the Dropkick Murphys because "Irish-American" + "gen X" + "punk rocker who's been at it for 30 years" should be the formula for the most racist guy alive but instead Ken Casey is constantly giving interviews where he's like "fascists are demons from hell and that's where they belong"
Reposted by Ben's Birds
Join us! 🧬🪰🎉🔬
We are currently advertising two #PhD projects to study the #evolution, #development and #genomics of sexual traits in stalk-eyed flies.
Deadline for applying is Wednesday, January 7, 2026. Get in touch for more info!
We are currently advertising two #PhD projects to study the #evolution, #development and #genomics of sexual traits in stalk-eyed flies.
Deadline for applying is Wednesday, January 7, 2026. Get in touch for more info!
November 17, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Join us! 🧬🪰🎉🔬
We are currently advertising two #PhD projects to study the #evolution, #development and #genomics of sexual traits in stalk-eyed flies.
Deadline for applying is Wednesday, January 7, 2026. Get in touch for more info!
We are currently advertising two #PhD projects to study the #evolution, #development and #genomics of sexual traits in stalk-eyed flies.
Deadline for applying is Wednesday, January 7, 2026. Get in touch for more info!
Reposted by Ben's Birds
As of this morning, Starbucks workers across the country are officially ON STRIKE. And we're prepared for this to become the biggest and longest ULP strike in Starbucks history.
Say #NoContractNoCoffee with us: DON'T BUY STARBUCKS for the duration of our open-ended ULP strike! $SBUX
Say #NoContractNoCoffee with us: DON'T BUY STARBUCKS for the duration of our open-ended ULP strike! $SBUX
November 13, 2025 at 11:33 AM
As of this morning, Starbucks workers across the country are officially ON STRIKE. And we're prepared for this to become the biggest and longest ULP strike in Starbucks history.
Say #NoContractNoCoffee with us: DON'T BUY STARBUCKS for the duration of our open-ended ULP strike! $SBUX
Say #NoContractNoCoffee with us: DON'T BUY STARBUCKS for the duration of our open-ended ULP strike! $SBUX
Reposted by Ben's Birds
1/9 Metagenomics lets us read microbiomes in nature without cultivation, but writing (editing) them in their native context is still a major challenge.
Meet MetaEdit: a platform for pathway-scale metagenomic editing inside the gut microbiome. science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Meet MetaEdit: a platform for pathway-scale metagenomic editing inside the gut microbiome. science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Metagenomic editing of commensal bacteria in vivo using CRISPR-associated transposases
Although metagenomic sequencing has revealed a rich microbial biodiversity in the mammalian gut, methods to genetically alter specific species in the microbiome are highly limited. Here, we introduce ...
science.org
November 14, 2025 at 2:25 PM
1/9 Metagenomics lets us read microbiomes in nature without cultivation, but writing (editing) them in their native context is still a major challenge.
Meet MetaEdit: a platform for pathway-scale metagenomic editing inside the gut microbiome. science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Meet MetaEdit: a platform for pathway-scale metagenomic editing inside the gut microbiome. science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Ben's Birds
Happy partially muscled skeleton screaming by the perimeter fence day to all who celebrate. A solemn 30 second screaming before vanishing will take place at 11am.
November 14, 2025 at 9:47 AM
Happy partially muscled skeleton screaming by the perimeter fence day to all who celebrate. A solemn 30 second screaming before vanishing will take place at 11am.
Aurora! Naked eye and everything from Newton right now!
November 12, 2025 at 2:25 AM
Aurora! Naked eye and everything from Newton right now!
Reposted by Ben's Birds
PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH THE FLUFF
November 10, 2025 at 6:31 PM
PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH THE FLUFF
Ran down to the cape yesterday to see one of the highlight rarities of the year. This Brown Booby has been hanging around the harbor in Dennis for the past week and was showing beautifully on the jetty when I arrived. Only my second for Massachusetts!
November 10, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Ran down to the cape yesterday to see one of the highlight rarities of the year. This Brown Booby has been hanging around the harbor in Dennis for the past week and was showing beautifully on the jetty when I arrived. Only my second for Massachusetts!
People gripe about separating Hairy and Downy woodpeckers in the field (especially with the former's recent move back to Leuconotopicus - meaning they're no longer even congeners!) but tbh I've never found them too difficult to ID. The vocal differences alone are usually more than enough
November 10, 2025 at 4:15 PM
People gripe about separating Hairy and Downy woodpeckers in the field (especially with the former's recent move back to Leuconotopicus - meaning they're no longer even congeners!) but tbh I've never found them too difficult to ID. The vocal differences alone are usually more than enough
Reposted by Ben's Birds
Most wolfpacks in Boston are leftist and politically correct
November 6, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Most wolfpacks in Boston are leftist and politically correct
Reposted by Ben's Birds
Can we normalize lighting stuff on fire?
November 5, 2025 at 8:08 AM
Can we normalize lighting stuff on fire?
Reposted by Ben's Birds
Also present were this Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and adult Cooper's Hawk, both posing in front of some lovely fall foliage
November 3, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Also present were this Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and adult Cooper's Hawk, both posing in front of some lovely fall foliage
Got some nice shots at Mount Auburn Cemetery yesterday while looking for a previously reported Clay-colored Sparrow, including these unintentionally artsy Great Blue Heron portraits
November 3, 2025 at 8:56 PM
Got some nice shots at Mount Auburn Cemetery yesterday while looking for a previously reported Clay-colored Sparrow, including these unintentionally artsy Great Blue Heron portraits
Reposted by Ben's Birds
And another!
Same spot, a week later
Same spot, a week later
October 27, 2025 at 11:25 PM
And another!
Same spot, a week later
Same spot, a week later
Reposted by Ben's Birds
The Haunting of Hill House (1999)
October 11, 2024 at 11:19 PM
The Haunting of Hill House (1999)
Good rainbow over Newton center this evening
October 24, 2025 at 9:33 PM
Good rainbow over Newton center this evening
Dipped on the Purple Gallinule in Longmeadow on Sunday so went on a pick-me-up wild goose chase ~20 min south in East Windsor, CT, where this Greater White-fronted and Pink-footed Goose have been hanging. Both birds flew in together after about 10 minutes, a rare sight on this side of the Atlantic!
October 22, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Dipped on the Purple Gallinule in Longmeadow on Sunday so went on a pick-me-up wild goose chase ~20 min south in East Windsor, CT, where this Greater White-fronted and Pink-footed Goose have been hanging. Both birds flew in together after about 10 minutes, a rare sight on this side of the Atlantic!
New computer so I'm finally able to do some photo editing again. Here's some very autumn-y shots of a Savannah Sparrow!
Taken at Millennium Park in Boston on the 15th
Taken at Millennium Park in Boston on the 15th
October 17, 2025 at 4:56 PM
New computer so I'm finally able to do some photo editing again. Here's some very autumn-y shots of a Savannah Sparrow!
Taken at Millennium Park in Boston on the 15th
Taken at Millennium Park in Boston on the 15th
Good morning sea watching from Rockport as this nor'easter continues to roll through. Missed out on the massive scoter push yesterday but still got my first Razorbill of the season, along with several Cory's Shearwater, Kittiwakes, and good views of a close Parasitic Jaeger
ebird.org/checklist/S2...
ebird.org/checklist/S2...
October 13, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Good morning sea watching from Rockport as this nor'easter continues to roll through. Missed out on the massive scoter push yesterday but still got my first Razorbill of the season, along with several Cory's Shearwater, Kittiwakes, and good views of a close Parasitic Jaeger
ebird.org/checklist/S2...
ebird.org/checklist/S2...
Reposted by Ben's Birds
YOUR BOSTON RED SOX ARE POSTSEASON BOUND!
September 27, 2025 at 1:58 AM
YOUR BOSTON RED SOX ARE POSTSEASON BOUND!
Finally got my daily ebird checklist streak up to 1,000 days! Not bad considering I was originally aiming for 365...
September 25, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Finally got my daily ebird checklist streak up to 1,000 days! Not bad considering I was originally aiming for 365...