Sandra Aamodt
LightNews LightNews
banner
sandra-aamodt.bsky.social
Sandra Aamodt
@sandra-aamodt.bsky.social
850 followers 500 following 780 posts
Novelty seeker, nature photographer, neuroscientist, dancer, sailor, science writer and editor. Photos my own.
Posts Replies Media Videos
sandra-aamodt.bsky.social
Collared aracari feeding from a fruiting tree at Burbayar Nature Reserve in Panama, for the #BerriesandBeaks theme of #BirdOfTheDay
#birds
Large bird with a huge, serrated beak containing a red berry, standing on a branch surrounded by green leaves and more berries. Its back and head are black, with a red patch around its yellow eye. Its beak is beige on top and black on the bottom, with a thin white stripe around the base. Its belly is yellow with a red stripe at the top and a black chest patch.
November 30, 2025 at 3:07 PM
sandra-aamodt.bsky.social
Chestnut-backed chickadee from Gualala, California, closest I could get for #BirdOfTheDay (same family as the tits, though decidedly not blue)
#birds
Small bird in profile on a branch with blurred brown pine needles in the background. Its head is black with a bold white triangle between the black eye and the black chin. The wings and tail are gray, and the back and flanks are reddish brown.
November 29, 2025 at 3:05 PM
sandra-aamodt.bsky.social
Ross's goose (white morph) coming in hot at Colusa National Wildlife Refuge in California for #Flyday
#birds
White goose with black wing edges coming in for a water landing. Its wings are raised over its head, and its red feet are dangling. Its beak is red with a white tip and brown base. The background is blurred geese and water.
November 28, 2025 at 4:50 PM
sandra-aamodt.bsky.social
Western tanager male in Portal, Arizona, shining in #MorningLight for #BirdOfTheDay
#birds
Bird on a branch, in quarter profile, framed by another branch above. His head is orange, his body is yellow, and his wings are black with yellow patches. The bird is sharp, but his feet and the two branches are blurred by a smaller branch in between. Behind him are blurred leaves and branches.
November 28, 2025 at 4:22 PM
sandra-aamodt.bsky.social
Common gallinule #HeadShot from South Padre Island in Texas for #BirdOfTheDay
#birds
Waterbird swimming with sticks and reeds floating by. Its beak is red at the base and yellow at the tip, with a red extension up the forehead. Its head, eye, and chest are dark gray-blue, and its back is chestnut. A small white stripe separates those two colored regions. A few water droplets are visible on its back.
November 27, 2025 at 4:04 PM
sandra-aamodt.bsky.social
Jabiru #OnTheEdge of a lake at Hato La Aurora Nature Reserve in Colombia for #BirdOfTheDay
#birds
Large stork standing in profile in shallow water surrounded by vegetation. The bird has a white body, black head, eyes, and beak, and a red band at the base of the neck.
November 26, 2025 at 4:04 PM
sandra-aamodt.bsky.social
Green turtles mating at Beveridge Reef in the South Pacific for #Twosday
Pair of large turtles floating in the ocean, with one on top of the other. The top turtle's head and flipper are visible, while the bottom turtle's shell is the only part that can be seen.
November 25, 2025 at 4:17 PM
sandra-aamodt.bsky.social
White-crowned #sparrow borb from yesterday's trip to Colusa National Wildlife Refuge in California
#birds #BirdOfTheDay
Sparrow in quarter profile standing on a reed and surrounded by other reeds. Its head has bold black and white stripes, its beak is light orange, and its body is light brown with darker brown and white patterning on the wings and back. The background is blurred brown and green.
November 25, 2025 at 3:38 PM
sandra-aamodt.bsky.social
Northern yellow #warbler male in Gamboa, Panama
#BirdOfTheDay #birds
Small yellow bird in profile, standing on a green branch (reed?), seen through a triangle of closer branches. His chest is streaked with chestnut, his eye is black, and his beak is gray. The background is blurred green.
November 24, 2025 at 2:46 PM
sandra-aamodt.bsky.social
#Mr&Mrs sandhill crane near Woodbridge Ecological Reserve in California. She doesn't seem too impressed with his mating display.
#birds #BirdOfTheDay
Pair of large birds facing each other in a field with some brush behind them. The one turned toward the camera has its wings spread and (for some reason) a stick in its beak. The one with its back to the camera is just standing still. Their bodies are gray, the tops of their heads are red, and the tips of the spread wings are black.
November 23, 2025 at 2:39 PM
sandra-aamodt.bsky.social
Variegated golden frog (AKA Madagascar poison frog) for the #BlueSkyArtShow theme of #small
Brightly colored frog in profile standing in leaf litter. Its back legs are orange with black patches. Its body is black with bright green patches, including an eye stripe and the front legs.
November 22, 2025 at 4:20 PM
sandra-aamodt.bsky.social
Broad-billed motmot at Burbayar Nature Reserve in Panama for #BirdOfTheDay #birdonawire #birds
Bird on a wire with its back to the camera, head turned to the right. Its head is orange, its back is green, and its tail is blue and ends in rackets that are blue with black tips. Its beak and eye are black, with a black stripe running through the eye. The background is blurred green.
November 22, 2025 at 3:11 PM
sandra-aamodt.bsky.social
Western meadowlark in breeding plumage #singing in my backyard in California for #BirdOfTheDay
#birds
Bird standing in profile on a tangle of branches at the top of an oak tree looking up with its mouth open, against a background of blue sky. Its throat is yellow with a black V across the bottom. Its back is light brown with dark brown streaks. Its flanks are cream with dark brown dots, and there are black dots on its yellow breast.
November 21, 2025 at 3:34 PM
sandra-aamodt.bsky.social
Yellow-legged #thrush male singing at Reserva ProAves El Dorado in Colombia
#BirdOfTheDay #birds
Black bird with yellow beak, feet, and eye ring stands on a horizontal branch with its beak open. His back and belly are slaty gray. The background is blurred gray.
November 20, 2025 at 1:48 PM
sandra-aamodt.bsky.social
American kestrel male at my place in California looking #round on a cold morning for #BirdOfTheDay
#birds
Small falcon standing on a broken branch against a green background. His body faces to the left, but his head is turned toward the camera. His back is rust-colored with black spots, and his wings are gray-blue with black spots. His belly is cream with black spots. His tail is rust-colored with black at the tip. His head has a rust patch on top, surrounded by a blue-gray tonsure just above the eyes. His face is cream with two black vertical stripes on each side. There are yellow patches in front of his eye and around his gray beak.
November 19, 2025 at 3:08 PM
sandra-aamodt.bsky.social
Potu from Hato La Aurora Nature Reserve in Colombia is the #mottled #BirdOfTheDay
#birds
Mottled brown and white bird on a large diagonal branch, sleeping stretched out in a line, pretending to be a part of the tree. The background is blue sky and a few other branches.
November 18, 2025 at 2:30 PM
sandra-aamodt.bsky.social
Burrowing owl and baby at Hato La Aurora Nature Reserve in Colombia for #staredown #BirdOfTheDay
#birds
Small owls standing on sand staring at the camera. The parent is fully visible, while the baby peers out over the edge of some dry grass. Their eyes are green, and their bodies are brown with white spots on the back and head, and white with brown spots on the belly. There are some tufts of grass around the edges of the frame.
November 17, 2025 at 3:01 PM
sandra-aamodt.bsky.social
Plain-colored tanager at Burbayar Nature Reserve in Panama for #shadesofgray #BirdOfTheDay
#birds
Gray bird with black mask and wings hanging on a branch full of yellow-green palm nuts with a bit of nut in its beak. The background is blurred long green leaves.
November 16, 2025 at 1:44 PM
sandra-aamodt.bsky.social
Another aurora shot from northern California for the #bright theme of #BlueSkyArtShow
#photography #scape
Tree silhouette against a bright pink sky with green at the bottom and dark blue at the top. A few stars are visible at the top and some city lights at the bottom.
November 15, 2025 at 2:52 PM
sandra-aamodt.bsky.social
Acorn woodpecker in my backyard in California for #Flyday
#birds
Woodpecker flying in profile with his wings raised. His body is white with a black tail and black on the back of the wings. His chest is black, extending to a patch around his white eye. The top of his head is red, and there is a cream-colored ring around the base of his black beak.
November 14, 2025 at 5:21 PM
sandra-aamodt.bsky.social
I thought I would have to miss today's #BirdOfTheDay because I rarely take photos of ducks, but then I found this male torrent duck from Ucumarí Regional Park in Colombia for #DucksOutOfWater
#birds
Duck standing on a rock above the rushing water of a river. His head is white with black stripes across the eye and the crown. His back is striped lengthwise in dark and light brown, and his chest and belly in dark brown on white. There is a patch of moss on the rock below him.
November 13, 2025 at 4:20 PM
sandra-aamodt.bsky.social
Little blue heron hunting at Hato La Aurora Nature Reserve in Colombia
#BirdOfTheDay #birds
Blue-gray bird with purple neck and a long bill, in profile, walking in a muddy river as it keeps an eye out for food
November 12, 2025 at 4:14 PM
sandra-aamodt.bsky.social
Naked-eye visible aurora north of San Francisco
Tree silhouette against a red sky with some green at the bottom
November 12, 2025 at 5:03 AM
sandra-aamodt.bsky.social
A pair of oriole blackbirds from Hato La Aurora Nature Reserve in Colombia for #Twosday and #BirdsOnTheGround
#BirdOfTheDay #birds
Two bright yellow birds stand on the ground in profile, reflected in a pond with little ripples. They have black backs, black patches around their black eyes, and black mustaches.
November 11, 2025 at 3:38 PM
sandra-aamodt.bsky.social
One of my #least photographed #birds is this wattled guan at Ucumarí Regional Park in Colombia, a bird I've only seen once. The guide was very excited to find it, and it was so far back in the trees that it took me half an hour of maneuvering to get a single decent photo.
#BirdOfTheDay
Large black bird with a light blue beak and thin red and yellow dewlap stands in profile on a moss-covered branch in dense foliage with a little sky peaking through
November 10, 2025 at 2:30 PM