Bird of the Day, theme 'Birds Up Close'

natureAug 31, 20261425,095

Today's Bird of the Day is the daily community event theme #BirdsUpClose, inviting close-range bird photos that reveal fine feather detail. The gallery favors tight portraits and action up close, from backlit Cattle Egret shots and a portrait of a male Common Kingfisher to a Robin mid-bath with water everywhere. Other entries include a Dunnock that came very near, a Twofer Cattle Egret image, a Northern mockingbird giving a side-eye, and close views of a Calliope hummingbird, Sandhill Crane, and Black Swan. Join in under the hashtag #BirdsUpClose or use the alternative theme #BirdNameC.

SaraG

@hardlikearmour.bsky.social

Little brown birds are beautiful. #BirdsUpClose #BirdOfTheDay #Birds

A Pacific Wren perched on a twig with a bright green background. It's in three- quarters view with its beak tilted up towards the upper right corner.

9277h ago

Justine Jones2

💚 Wonderful capture! and yes they are. 🤩

One Hundred and Sixty-One Wasps2

Fantastic shot, very challenging bird

22pcirish.bsky.social1

And wrens are particularly noisy little birds, for their size. Really rather lovely in the garden.

Rebecca Williams1

LBBs - little brown birds or little black birds. Some of the most seen in birders lists. 🤣

Helen Bennett 🌿

@helenbennett.bsky.social

For today's #BirdOfTheDay it's #BirdsUpClose Any bird at close range, allowing you to see their lovely fine details! Like this beautiful Dunnock who came very close to me! 😊 📷 🪶 🤎 Alt: #BirdNameC any bird whose common name starts with the letter C! Happy Monday! 🕊️👋 #Birds #MacroMonday #ECK

A close up photograph of a Dunnock standing squarely on a weathered stone surface. The small bird is puffed up into a round, fluffy ball, facing to the right in sharp focus against a softly blurred, dark grey background. Its head and breast are a beautiful, dense slate-grey, which contrasts with a warm chestnut-brown and black-streaked back and wings. A prominent, rich reddish-brown eye stands out on its face, positioned just behind a fine, sharply pointed beak.The bird balances on two thin, scaly orange-pink legs, its long, curved claws gripping the concrete. The smooth, out-of-focus background isolates the bird, emphasising the fine textures of its feathers.

3708h ago

DoRayMeFarTed2

Robins get all the praise, but I'm #TeamDunnock

Alan H1

Beautiful themes and stunning capture Helen. Good morning. Have a lovely day. ✨🙏🏼

It'sFromJenni1

A wonderful close up of a dunnock, Helen ☺️ i wish you a fine Monday and a fantastic week !!!

Frau Mährchen1

Wonderful portrait! Good morning, Helen 🎶

alisonwillis1.bsky.social1

I love a Dunnock 😍 Super capture 🥰

Nicki Stephens1

Oh, wow, If I had taken such superb photo I’d be dancing for joy.

Rina

@rina2012.bsky.social

Today’s #BirdOfTheDay is #BirdsUpClose Alternative: #BirdNameC – any bird whose common name begins with the letter C! A Crow: Watchful, clever and beautifully detailed. 🐦‍⬛ #birds #BirdsSeenIn2026 #Austria #wildlife #photography #nature #thelittlethings #MacroMonday #ECK

2176h ago

Helen Bennett 🌿1

Beautiful capture Rina.... Perfect for the theme, thanks for sharing 👌🖤✨

Aj d'Wit (Audrey)

@audjde.bsky.social

To say that I love this fella, would be an understatement. The #KingParrot is just magical. For 30 minutes I had the pleasure of his company one fine afternoon. I do so miss my backyard and the many feathered ones who visited. (Miss my fella too.) Helen's #BirdOfTheDay is #BirdsUpClose #ECK #Birds

An Australian King Parrot sits on a tree branch, facing left. His red head is highlighted by dappled light. The background is green.

Male Australian King-Parrots are the only Australian parrots with a completely red head. Females are similar to males except that they have a completely green head and breast. Both sexes have a red belly and a green back, with green wings and a long green tail. King parrots are normally encountered in pairs or family groups.

1254h ago

Martin Sepion1

Wow Audrey, what a beautiful creature! Nice photo too.

Marjo Slingerland-Boks1

What a lovely bird and wonderful photo ❤️ I can understand you missed those beauties Audrey 😍

Michael R Photography 🌿1

Oh wow, that's wonderful, Audrey. What a beautiful bird!

Atlantic Birding

@atlanticbirding.bsky.social

🪶 Helen has chosen #BirdsUpClose as today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme. Alt. is #BirdNameC I’m going for a Twofer with this closeup, backlit shot of a Cattle Egret. #birdphotography #ECK #birds #photography #birdsofbluesky #nature

A Close up shot of a backlit Cattle Egret. The bird takes up most of the frame, its head, neck and upper body are visible as it looks right so that the right side of its body can be seen. The bird is backlit so that the outline of its body is highlighted and the rest is in shadow.
The bird has a long, sharp, yellow beak, yellow eye and the rest of its plumage is white, with an orange tinge in places. The shadows give it an orange/pink appearance.
In the background blue water can be seen along the bottom and the grass on the bank towards the top.

1306h ago

Alan H1

Fantastic shot AB. I’ve only photographed this guy once. Not many about here.

Helen Bennett 🌿1

Wonderful shot AB👏... Cattle Egrets are beautiful birds! I rarely see them here but always a joy when I spot one. Hope you have a good day 🕊️

Marjo Slingerland-Boks1

Good morning AB, what is this beautiful with light behind the egret✨️🤍 Have a fine day.

Lizzie Wallis1

Super bird, super shot. And I hope you have a super day.

Doug Engstrom1

A wonderful shot, but that bird looks annoyed about whatever it has in its beak.

Yvonne Redknap1

Gorgeous shot and colours AB.

Dave Meredith

@davemeredith.bsky.social

Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #BirdsUpClose with the alternative theme #BirdNameC. Portrait of a male Common Kingfisher. Certainly not posted just to annoy @alan678.bsky.social #Cheshire #ECK #photography #birds #nature #wildlife #Kodachrome #1990s #ManualFocus

1065h ago

Rosemarie1

So very beautiful,Dave💙 hope Alan is ok with it 😉😊😅

Geert Klein Breteler

@geertkb.bsky.social

Robin having a bath. Water everywhere, feathers a mess. #BirdOfTheDay is #BirdsUpClose #birds #birdphotography #vogels #vogelfotografie #SonyAlpha #EastCoastKin

Close up of a European Robin (Erithacus rubecula) standing in shallow water, mid bath. The bird’s plumage is completely soaked, with feathers on the head, breast, and flanks spiked outward and dripping with water droplets. The orange breast and face are vivid against a wet, disheveled grey back. One dark eye is visible, looking directly at the camera. The beak is slightly open with a droplet clinging to the tip. The background is softly blurred in neutral tones, with a green and grey water reflection visible at the bottom of the frame. Photo by Geert Klein Breteler.

1066h ago

Amy Gann

@amygann.bsky.social

Sandhill crane for the #birdoftheday theme of #birdsupclose and #birdnamec #birds #crane #sandhillcrane #protectnature #EastCoastKin

A sandhill crane with its beak tucked under its wing. Its head is turned toward its back as it was preening

954h ago

jen 💙🤍🕊️

@jenzsky.bsky.social

Beauty…both fragile and unyielding #Birdsupclose #Birdoftheday #eck #swans #birdphotography #birds #photographersofbluesky #nature #photographersunited #australia

817h ago

Helen Bennett 🌿1

Lovely capture, Jen!👌 What a beauty, I have never seen a black Swan in real life ❤️🖤

Sharon1

A beautiful swan.🪶 Have a good week, Jen 🤍

Marjo Slingerland-Boks1

This is so wonderful and beautiful dear Jen ❤️ magical black swans ✨️😍

Gray

@grays.art

Northern mockingbird side-eye (Mimus polyglottos) Celery Fields, Sarasota, Florida 4-23-26 Helen’s #BirdOfTheDay is #BirdsUpClose: close range for birds’ lovely fine details! Alt: #BirdNameC any bird whose common name starts with the letter C! #Birds #BlueSkyMonday #ECK #threewordgenre #birding

A close-up shot of a Northern Mockingbird perched among the green leaves of a bush against a soft blue sky background. The bird is facing right but turning its head back to look toward the left, showing its pale grey breast, darker grey wings, sharp beak, and distinctive bright yellow eye.

867h ago

Aj d'Wit (Audrey)1

Fantastic photo, Gray. 👌🏼 Love the eye that it’s giving you. 😊

Three Word Genre1

Sharp-eyed portrait. Your three words give us quite the look. Northern mockingbird side-eye. #ThreeWordGenre

Neil Cameron

@neilcam57.bsky.social

Helen Bennett 🌿's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #BirdsUpClose An Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) - not actually a magpie or a corvid. Has a lovely snack in the first image.

Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) foraging for delicious, yummy grubs in grass at Jerrabomberra Wetlands, Canberra. This black and white bird with brown eyes and a grey neck is possibly a female or immature bird. It has caught a tasty tidbit

776h ago

Helen Bennett 🌿1

Wonderful captures Neil... what a great looking bird! 👏🖤

Marjo Slingerland-Boks1

That is a gorgeous magpie and beautiful photos Neil✨️

Aj d'Wit (Audrey)1

They really are quite something close-up. Wonderful photos, Neil. 👍🏼

Michael R Photography 🌿

@msriffle.bsky.social

Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #BirdsUpClose. This great egret flew right at me. It took a right right turn and did a fly by. I held the shutter down. I took significant liberties while processing this image. #photography #wildlife #ECK #birds #birdsinflight #Birdsky #birders #NikonZ8 #conservation

792h ago

Aintright

@aintright.bsky.social

Cackle the Crow scoring me a twofer today. #BirdOfTheDay #BirdsUpClose #BirdNameC #Birds #MacroMonday #ECK

755h ago

TARA SMITHSON -Wildlife & Nature Photographer 📸

@tarasmithson.bsky.social

Sulphur-crested cockatoo having dinner early just like I'm about to. Turns out, we're both having a salad! 🥗 #BirdsCloseUp #cockatoo #Australia #BirdOfTheDay #Birds #BirdPhotography #Nature #NaturePhotography