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
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
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!
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
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
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
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...
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...
Contrast the drabness of this Phoebe which was flycatching from an electric fence nearby
September 15, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Contrast the drabness of this Phoebe which was flycatching from an electric fence nearby
Sometimes a subject just insists upon itself.
Monarch nectaring on some ungodly ornamental flower at Rock Meadow Conservation Area gardens in Belmont.
Monarch nectaring on some ungodly ornamental flower at Rock Meadow Conservation Area gardens in Belmont.
September 15, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Sometimes a subject just insists upon itself.
Monarch nectaring on some ungodly ornamental flower at Rock Meadow Conservation Area gardens in Belmont.
Monarch nectaring on some ungodly ornamental flower at Rock Meadow Conservation Area gardens in Belmont.
Sundog over I-90 and the BU campus this evening!
September 11, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Sundog over I-90 and the BU campus this evening!
Noticed a small orange butterfly flying around Hall's Pond in Brookline last week. On closer inspection it turned out to be a species I've spent a decade looking for -
a personal favorite and North America's only carnivorous butterfly, the Harvester!
a personal favorite and North America's only carnivorous butterfly, the Harvester!
September 9, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Noticed a small orange butterfly flying around Hall's Pond in Brookline last week. On closer inspection it turned out to be a species I've spent a decade looking for -
a personal favorite and North America's only carnivorous butterfly, the Harvester!
a personal favorite and North America's only carnivorous butterfly, the Harvester!
Spent some time down in Connecticut and Rhode Island recently trying to shore up my life lists for both states (finally broke 100 in CT!). Was super lucky to have this young Green Heron walk within about 8 feet of me!
At the Quonochontaug Breachway in Charlestown, Rhode Island
At the Quonochontaug Breachway in Charlestown, Rhode Island
September 4, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Spent some time down in Connecticut and Rhode Island recently trying to shore up my life lists for both states (finally broke 100 in CT!). Was super lucky to have this young Green Heron walk within about 8 feet of me!
At the Quonochontaug Breachway in Charlestown, Rhode Island
At the Quonochontaug Breachway in Charlestown, Rhode Island
Aside from these the bulk of the rest are just boring or feel way too much like corporate logos. That said I have a special hatred for the folks who spammed this AI-generated garbage into the submissions. If any of these make it onto the flagpole we've failed as a state.
August 19, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Aside from these the bulk of the rest are just boring or feel way too much like corporate logos. That said I have a special hatred for the folks who spammed this AI-generated garbage into the submissions. If any of these make it onto the flagpole we've failed as a state.
That said, whoever suggested the version with the cross of St. George in the canton should be thrown into Boston Harbor
August 19, 2025 at 4:56 PM
That said, whoever suggested the version with the cross of St. George in the canton should be thrown into Boston Harbor
We've also apparently been colonized by the Kuomintang
August 19, 2025 at 4:51 PM
We've also apparently been colonized by the Kuomintang
Kyrgyzstan apparently
August 19, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Kyrgyzstan apparently
Speaking of not found on this side of the Atlantic, what fucking genius decided a Great Spotted Woodpecker would be a good motif for a state flag in North America!?
August 19, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Speaking of not found on this side of the Atlantic, what fucking genius decided a Great Spotted Woodpecker would be a good motif for a state flag in North America!?
I mean seriously, you lot couldn't take the five seconds to google what a black-capped chickadee looks like? One of these would be a great flag for a county in Oregon. The other one isn't even found on this side of the Atlantic!
August 19, 2025 at 4:49 PM
I mean seriously, you lot couldn't take the five seconds to google what a black-capped chickadee looks like? One of these would be a great flag for a county in Oregon. The other one isn't even found on this side of the Atlantic!