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rp-photographic.bsky.social
@rp-photographic.bsky.social
1.4K followers 170 following 240 posts
Middle school science teacher and photographer based in Reno, NV.
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rp-photographic.bsky.social
Today’s #BirdoftheDay is #HeronsandEgrets. I’ve posted this before but never for Birdoftheday, the scene was at a tiny cooling pond in the middle of the desert in Northern Nevada south of Silver Springs. A combination of both Great and Snowy Egret and a natural shadow in the reeds.
Black and white image, extremely high contrast. A shadow in reeds creates a circle of dark water that perfectly fills the square image. Cutting horizontally thru the middle is a group of white birds and their reflections glowing against the dark water.
December 14, 2025 at 9:47 AM
rp-photographic.bsky.social
Excuse the awful audio and my labored breathing, neither was I prepared with an external mic nor am I back into Bighorn-shape yet….
December 14, 2025 at 9:07 AM
rp-photographic.bsky.social
The Bighorn Sheep have returned from the peaks for the winter to my favorite lichen-covered volcanic ridge. Trail cam in place at one of their favorite bedding sites and many, many photos to process! Washoe County, NV

#wildlifephotography
#travelnevada
#washoe #nevada
#bighornsheep #canon
December 14, 2025 at 8:43 AM
rp-photographic.bsky.social
Thank you so much!
December 12, 2025 at 9:01 AM
rp-photographic.bsky.social
The #BirdOfTheDay theme is #splashes! Ruddy Duck making a scene in Reno, Nevada.
The duck zips across the water from right to left. Blue bill level with the horizon, wingtips grazing the water outstretched forward. Hunched back of deep red feathers meets a plume of water propelling the bird forward.
December 12, 2025 at 7:50 AM
rp-photographic.bsky.social
Belted Kingfisher, #alansnemesis , likely cackling at the target of his torment. I think. Lake Tahoe, California. #birdoftheday #kingfisher
The bird, head unusually large for its body, beak even more so, sits astride a small branch. Blue back and breast with a white belly. Mohawk lifted to the sky it turns towards the camera, beak open.
December 11, 2025 at 5:00 AM
rp-photographic.bsky.social
Love the attitude!! 🤣
December 10, 2025 at 12:28 AM
rp-photographic.bsky.social
It was a miserable season for bears at Tahoe this year, so I’m really looking forward to the weather showing up and pushing the local #Bighorn Sheep down to their winter range. Few things I enjoy more than being out in tough conditions with these ridiculously hardy animals. #wildlifephotography
A rocky snow-covered ledge and cliff rise to the right against a snow-white oblivion on the left. One sheep stares at the camera, while the larger looks down the line between earth and sky.
December 8, 2025 at 6:43 AM
rp-photographic.bsky.social
Today’s #BirdoftheDay theme is #BirdsOnTwigs so here’s one of my favorite twig-sitters, a sparrow that comes to the Great Basin to breed: the Black-throated Sparrow. Northern Nevada
Perched atop a twig rising out of a central mass of twigs in the center bottom, the bird stares to the right. Tan and grey with a deep black beard.
December 7, 2025 at 9:39 AM
rp-photographic.bsky.social
Well shoot, sounds like the #birdoftheday theme is actually #borbs. This Song Sparrow was just about as round as I’ve seen one…it was a bit cold!
A sparrow sits atop a branch, feathers puffed out into a nearly perfect circle, its head barely protruding from the round mass of feathers.
December 6, 2025 at 7:41 AM
rp-photographic.bsky.social
Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is #movement. This Prairie Falcon caught the setting sun as it flared in for a landing, and it was too perfect an opportunity to make a composite showing the mechanics behind landing. Northern Nevada
Dark volcanic boulders hidden in shadow but a lone Prairie Falcon, white with black markings is caught in 7 frames placed into one image showing it approaching the boulder, flaring its wings and tail while arching upwards increasing the angle of attack, resulting in a delicate stall dropping the bird perfectly atop the boulder on the left. The whole sequence the feathers are lit up brilliant golden white by the setting sun.
December 6, 2025 at 7:32 AM
rp-photographic.bsky.social
Ha ha, thank you. To be fair I was in a ghillie too, and laying there napping on a rock isn’t the worst thing in the world…🤣
December 6, 2025 at 4:42 AM
rp-photographic.bsky.social
I would be remiss to point out that all the road noise you hear in the background is traffic to this monstrosity. My video was taken just a few miles from the cover photo below: www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
The AI boom is heralding a new gold rush in the American west
Once home to gold and prospectors, the Nevada desert is now the site of a new kind of expansion: tech datacenters
www.theguardian.com
December 5, 2025 at 8:43 AM
rp-photographic.bsky.social
The trick is to sneak up on their favorite singing spots before dawn and get as comfy as you can, lol. I can sneak up on anything in the dark 🤣
December 5, 2025 at 8:36 AM
rp-photographic.bsky.social
#birdoftheday is #songbird so why not actual song? I’ve only ever seen photos, but why not, here’s a Canyon Wren doing its thing in Northern Nevada!
December 5, 2025 at 8:32 AM
rp-photographic.bsky.social
The #birdoftheday theme is #lookingatyou and I don’t think I have a better example than my profile pic! A Northern Pygmy-Owl peeking out of its nest cavity at me. Next time I’ll make sure I’m NOT running mechanical shutter, sheesh!
A black and white image dominated by the intense stare of a tiny owl peeking out of a hole in a tree trunk. Beak glows threateningly white while white eyebrows accent the ferocious gaze. The tree trunk itself is dead, deep cracks in the bark spread like dark canyons across the surface of the tree. A lone dead branch extends over the hole.
December 4, 2025 at 12:41 AM
rp-photographic.bsky.social
“Too close for tele, switching to macro…”
#BirdOfTheDay is #stripes! While lying in wait for some Bighorn Sheep an entire covey of chukar walked thru my position. I unfortunately missed a lot of shots when they were too close. Minimum focus on the lens was just less than a meter. From the sensor.
Two stubby partridge-type birds stand on a rocky ridgeline, both bodies are facing away from the camera showing their brown and grey backs, but their fronts are still visible showing their stripes running vertically down their chests. The bird furthest away stares at the bird behind it waiting for it to catch up.
December 3, 2025 at 12:29 AM
rp-photographic.bsky.social
For the #MorningLight theme for #BirdoftheDay I share a fun one: “Get your butt downstairs, breakfast is ready!” A 48hr fledged Northern Pygmy-Owl climbing thru the first light beams of the day to reach a waiting parent with a dragonfly. Near Lake Tahoe, California
The left side of the picture is blurred background. The right tree bark. In a bright patch of light in the center a tiny owl with comically large talons climbs down the trunk. Hidden below in shadow but barely visible is another owl, mouth holding a dragonfly.
November 29, 2025 at 7:55 AM
rp-photographic.bsky.social
One of my favorites from the 11/11 storm. This small cloud lined up perfectly with the peak below it right as the salmon flash was at its most ominous. 😄 Northern Nevada.
A foreground, dark with barely legible brush and rocks that lead to a small rocky peak. The skies behind it are brilliant salmon, floating above the peak is a circular cloud, like an upside down jellyfish descending down from the glowing skies to touch or perhaps split apart on the peak…it’s an ominous scene. Birth? Destruction? Planetary shields defending our atmosphere from being stripped away by our raging star.
November 27, 2025 at 6:11 AM
rp-photographic.bsky.social
Thanks, ha ha! I wanted so bad to catch one with an egg, but it wasn’t meant to be. It didn’t matter, dippers are just so much fun to watch regardless.
November 26, 2025 at 8:45 AM
rp-photographic.bsky.social
For the #OnTheEdge prompt for #Birdoftheday I immediately thought of American Dipper as they spend so much time staring into the water, and I quickly came down to this as my favorite. This one was watching for Salmon eggs floating down Taylor Creek into Lake Tahoe.
A reddish-brown branch stretches across the top of a small waterfall in a creek, underneath the waves can be seen fall foliage and green algae. The dipper is a dark and non-descript bird sans for its practically missing tail. Don’t need it where it’s going, no sir. It’s a diver and the cold waters of the creek are its playground and its buffet all rolled into one. I digress. It stands perched on the left edge of the branch staring into the water.
November 26, 2025 at 8:11 AM
rp-photographic.bsky.social
Nice! Now I’ll be up all night obsessively looking thru my pics of American Dipper….🤣🤷‍♂️🤘
November 26, 2025 at 7:24 AM
rp-photographic.bsky.social
Thank you! At the time I had no idea the caterpillar was there, the excitement of catching it fledge after camping at the tree for days just waiting was a little intense! 🤣
November 25, 2025 at 9:40 AM
rp-photographic.bsky.social
For the #birdoftheday prompt I had to go with the alternate of yellow-eyes over warbler. This Northern Pygmy-Owl fledged then within 5 minutes was hunting caterpillars. Lake Tahoe basin. #birds
A diminutive owl hidden behind smooth branches of red manzanita brush, stares into the camera. Dangling next to its head is a caterpillar, like a child standing next to a piñata.
November 24, 2025 at 7:48 PM
rp-photographic.bsky.social
One for Rob’s #birdoftheday theme of #Mr&Mrs: wild Turkey from near Yosemite. The timing of the heads lining up into that heart shape like that was pretty awesome…
The male turkey walks thru the farm from left to right, further back from the camera than a female turkey strutting thru from right to left. His tail feathers are up, his wings down and spread to the ground in a showy display. Their heads intersect lining up like two perfect puzzle pieces forming a red and blue heart in the center of the frame.
November 24, 2025 at 7:11 AM