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Bird of the Day, theme 'Touchdown'

Bird of the DayJun 23, 20261947,401

A little egret landing in muddy golden hour wetlands showed the literal touchdown; the prompt asked for birds at the moment of landing. Others read the alt theme as white plumage, like a white peacock striding past dark green bushes. Some favored dramatic contact landings, shown by a double-crested cormorant landing on another bird to claim a fish.

Touchdown · 157 photos

A dramatic wildlife photograph showing two little egrets engaged in a territorial dispute on a muddy wetland at golden hour. One little egret is landing with wings fully spread, long black legs extended and elegant white plumes catching the warm light, while the other strides forward defensively with its beak open in challenge. Their bright white feathers stand out against the dark mud and soft green background, capturing a fleeting moment of tension, movement and interaction between the two birds.
@alan678.bsky.social433
A white peacock is photographed from the side as it strides from left to right. On the right side, there is a very dark green colour from some bushes.
@rina2012.bsky.social313
A Great Egret lands, wings spread above and behind him, leaving a narrow trail in olive green marsh water in a protected wetlands in Michigan. His reflection is just below him in sparking green water. Green ferns on a strip of land and more sunlit water and reflections sit beyond him in the background at the top of the photo.
@learls.bsky.social285
Photo by Kort Duce A killdeer lands along the shoreline at a nature area in Longmont, Colorado, appearing to proclaim, “I swear I did not purposely poop on that man!” In reality, however, it is instinctively attempting to lure the photographer—or any potential predator—away from its nest or young. To me, killdeer always seem to be crying wolf. In this horizontal color photograph, a killdeer occupies the left half of the frame with its wings raised high as it touches down in shallow pond water. Shown in right profile, the bird has its beak open as it splashes through the water. Its left leg stretches far forward while its right leg is planted firmly, sending droplets into the air. The muddy shoreline extends from the lower left corner to the middle right side of the frame and is littered with organic debris. The water in the background reflects the cloudless sky, creating a rich blue backdrop that contrasts with the earthy tones of the shoreline. This humorous image captures a killdeer in its natural environment during what appears to be a particularly animated moment.k
@kortduce.bsky.social270
One more for today's theme of . This little tern came in for a landing on an old piling in Apalachee Bay in North Florida. I held the shutter down as it filled
@msriffle.bsky.social193
A Vermilion Flycatcher lands in SE Arizona.
@dwebstersf.bsky.social160
A small egret just landed in shallow water and is starting to fold its wings. It is all white except for a back bill and yellow lores.
@pacbirds.bsky.social155
A female red-winged blackbird, wings still spread, sticks the landing on a thin branch. Her bill is filled with caterpillars and insects destined for young in the nest.
@julielfrost.bsky.social154
Good morning all, for the today from @robcrank68.bsky.social I have one of my favorite birds this holiday the Eurasian Jay for its daily peanuts 🥜
@marjosl.eurosky.social137
A Little Egret coming in to land on the coast; the bird is in side profile, coming in from the right to land. Its legs and feet are outstretched beneath and slightly ahead of it while its wings are outstretched as brakes. It is landing on a dark rock covered in clumps of seaweed with other flat risks in the background covered in barnacles and a hint of the sea behind them
@atlanticbirding.bsky.social111
Landing Swan
@thegardenjungle.bsky.social105
Männlicher Buchfink, ausgerichtet zur linken Bildseite, mit nach oben stehenden Flügeln, und nach vorn geschobenen Füßen, kurz vor der Landung auf einem hölzernen Untergrund.
@annaquent.bsky.social102
I haven't seen many aquatic crows, but this one put on its best Osprey impression for today's by @robcrank68.bsky.social. It came screaming in, hit the water an
@taminf.bsky.social100
Today's theme is with the alternative theme . A male Common Tern about to land next to a female on a boulder on the Lake Huron shoreline at Southampton, Ontario
@davemeredith.bsky.social89
A photo of a great egret (Ardea alba) standing in shallow blue water facing toward the left of frame. It is a large bright white wading bird with a long neck held in the shape of a S, a bright green patch of skin between its eyes and its beak, yellow eyes, and long black legs. Small water droplets drip from its long, dagger-like orange beak lit by late afternoon sunlight.
@hlkfotos.com86
A high-angle, wide shot captures a brown mottled duck hovering just inches above the rippling blue surface of a large body of water, about to land. The duck, positioned slightly left of centre in the upper portion of the frame, is frozen mid-action with its wings fully extended and angled upward and slightly backward, showcasing the lighter, whitish underside of its wings and darker primary feathers. Its body is tilted forward, with its chest pushed out and its orange webbed feet extended downward and slightly forward, prepared to make contact with the water. The duck's head is upright, with a dark bill pointing forward, its eye fixed on its landing spot. The water, which fills the entire background of the composition, is a deep, rich blue with subtle variations in tone, from darker navy shades in the troughs of the small waves to lighter, reflective highlights on the crests. The surface is textured with countless small, gentle ripples and wavelets that create an intricate, undulating pattern across the frame, suggestive of a slight breeze. Directly beneath the hovering duck, its reflection is visible on the surface of the water, mimicking its shape in a darker, slightly distorted form, creating a subtle visual anchor. The lighting appears bright and direct, casting a soft glow on the upper surfaces of the duck's feathers and creating sharp, clear details in the water's texture. The focus is sharp on the duck, capturing the individual feathers on its wings and body, while the water surface shows a natural depth of field, with slight blurring occurring towards the upper edges of the frame. The colour palette is dominated by the cool, deep blues of the water, which contrast sharply with the warm, earthy brown, tan, and orange tones of the duck. There are no other elements, such as shorelines, vegetation, or other wildlife, visible in the frame, focusing the attention entirely on the duck's graceful and precise landing maneuver.
@young-spartacus.bsky.social84
A Bald Eagle about to land on a snowy field.
@invisitech.bsky.social77
A tri-colored heron is in the midst of landing in some green marsh leaves, and directly in front of it a single common gallinule swims on, unaware that it is about to be landed upon. Background is clear blue rippled water that gets lighter as your eye moves up the frame.
@kevin.wertman.org76
a Great Egret flying low over the sea about to land, or just taken off. The sea is mostly a greenish blue but seaweed is visible in the foreground as this bird was very much in the shallows. Its large white wings are spread wide with the feathers at its tips splayed out like fingers. Its long bright orange beak leads the way at the front and its long black legs trail out at the back.
@fozziefotos.eurosky.social67
Shelduck landing into a pasture field, wings up showing the underside. A post with wire fencing in the background.
@pintailpictures.bsky.social66
"I got this. I've seen Mum and Dad do it. Can't be that hard. Uh, oh. Not so sure now. Phew, made it. Never in doubt." Our juvenile GSW lad successfully makes the transition to reach the prized fat-balls. The young bird has a distinctive red cap but its bum plumage is still pink. Other features of adulthood are in place with white bars on the wings and white and black face mask. The backdrop to the drama is my neighbour's brown garden waste bin. Camera: iPhone 15 Pro.
@oldmanrambling.bsky.social62
yellow bird landing on bare branch, wings outspread
@albatrossity.bsky.social56
Puffins on a grassy hill with the sea behind them. A puffin is landing with wings extended and feet splayed.
@bettycrackerfl.bsky.social53
‪This Great White Egret qualifies on both @robcrank68.bsky.social's themes today - , birds at the moment of landing and , birds with mainly White plumage. @wwtw
@emyr-wyn.bsky.social49
Morning A Black Necked Stilt landing on one of the ponds at the Gilbert Riparian area in Gilbert Arizona.
@gleng.bsky.social48
Great Egret landing in Merimbula Lake (a few years ago).
@leo-in-merimbula.bsky.social47
A black swan touching down at sunset.
@janephuong.bsky.social47
Here's a twofer, covering both today's theme of and the Alt Theme of . White Ibis about to touch down on a dock railing.
@abbphotos.bsky.social43
A TriColored Heron coming in for a landing in a marshland
@roabrams.bsky.social43
Mystical creatures they are! Yellow-crowned Night Heron
@pxnd.bsky.social43
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