Bird of the Day, theme 'Your Choice'

natureJul 30, 20261323,717

Today's Bird of the Day is a daily prompt titled Your Choice, letting participants post any bird shot they have been wanting to share. Entries show a wide range of subjects and moods, from sunlit songbirds and close-up duck portraits to dramatic raptors and quiet wetland scenes. Standout examples include a starling glowing in sunlight, a swan caught in circular ripples at RSPB Rainham Marshes, and an adult barn owl perched high in a church belfry in South Wales. Look for portraits of mallards and meadow pipits, flight shots of kestrels and barn swallows, and rarer captures like a fledgling powerful owl and a southern cassowary interpretation.

Alan H

@alan678.bsky.social

Good morning birders. Today I thought I would let you post freely so the #BirdOfTheDay theme is: #YourChoice bird capture/ captures you’ve been itching to post. No alt obviously. I’ve went with the unloved but beautiful in sunlight Starling. Taken a few days ago. #birds #photography #ECK

Close-up portrait of a European Starling perched among leafy branches. The bird’s glossy black plumage shimmers with iridescent purple and green highlights in bright sunlight, while neat white speckles cover its breast and flanks. It faces to the right with its long, pointed bill and dark eye sharply in focus. Soft green foliage and blurred leaves create a smooth natural background, drawing attention to the starling’s striking metallic sheen and intricate feather detail.

3687h ago

Comrade Dogboy KC AO8

In the car park on the way out of work 40 mins ago #BirdOfTheDay #YourChoice

Sabine Shutterbug2

Hahaha, just yesterday I talked to Anna @annalois36.bsky.social about the next week’s palace theme and for lack of any other idea we decided to give participants carte blanche like you today. Great minds… 😅😂🫶

ronm123photo2

Great shot Alan 👌 I guess they are unloved because of their mob behaviour but definitely beautiful so I’ve posted a little colourful starling too.

Graham Jones1

Good morning marra. Ah, Starlings. The great love-hate relationship. So very beautiful while being possibly one of the most annoying of garden birds, as I'm sure the little 'uns would agree. Loudmouthed bullies, they arrive mob-handed and clean out the fat in the coconut shell in seconds. Pah.

Atlantic Birding1

Beautiful shot Alan; I love Starlings, depending on plumage and light you can different colours

alisonwillis1.bsky.social1

Wow!!! That really captures their feathers iridescence and intricate patterns. Beautiful ❤️

Rina

@rina2012.bsky.social

Curl into a loop... 🪶 #BirdOfTheDay #YourChoice #birds #birding #BirdsSeenIn2026 #Austria #wildlife #photography #naturephotography #thelittlethings #ECK #Scape

A mute swan has curled its neck so that it forms a loop. Its beak is tucked into its plumage. The background is light and blurred.

1955h ago

Pirritin1

This is such a fabulous one, superb capture Rina 😍

Laurette

@laurette1.bsky.social

Swan in the middle of circular ripples and caught in the sunlight at RSPB Rainham Marshes. #Swans #BirdoftheDay #YourChoice #Essex

This is a photo I took 10 years ago. I l like it because I think the swan looks so joyous.

1505h ago

Alan H1

So beautiful Laurette. Excellent photography.

HLK

@hlkfotos.com

Sharp shots of birds in flight are rare for me, and I was pretty pumped that this was an especially photogenic little kestrel. Now if there's a Best of July hashtag I'll have nothing. #BirdOfTheDay #YourChoice 🌿📷🪶

A photo of a female American kestrel (Falco sparverius) in flight against a clear gray-blue sky, banking with wings lowered. It's a small raptor with rufous-and-black barred wings and tail, a streaky breast, dark round eyes, black face stripes, white cheeks, and a small hooked beak. It is moving toward the right of frame, looking very fierce.

1466h ago

Mike2

Wow! You took this photo? Incredible.

Barrie Cull1

That’s a beautiful capture HLK 👏One of my favourite birds.

Doug Engstrom1

That is an astonishingly sharp image, even for a bird that isn't in flight. You go!

Fraggs Photography 📸🦊🦉🦋🦔 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

@fraggenstein.bsky.social

Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #YourChoice bird capture/ captures you’ve been itching to post set by @alan678.bsky.social - Adult Barn Owl perched high up in a church belfry - South Wales 🪶🦉 #birdingWales #ukbirding #birdphotography #ECK #naturephotography #naturetherapy #owllovers #owl

1205h ago

Rob Baron1

I'm not a photographer so was pleased with this shot of a Gannet with nesting material (Bempton Cliffs, UK).

saepurusass.bsky.social1

I recall years ago being the non-English speaker in a largely English-speaking group, and having to ask what bird they kept referring to that sounded as "banol" to me. They kindly spoke it a bit slower.

Nature, Preserved

@simonecannon.bsky.social

The unfortunately named White-rumped Shama is a stunning songbird known for its incredible, beautiful vocal mimicry and striking long tail. Native to South and Southeast Asia, it has also been introduced to parts of Hawaii. #BirdoftheDay #YourChoice #Songbirds #NaturePhotography #Wildlife #Honolulu

1082h ago

Amy Gann

@amygann.bsky.social

We must remember that we share the planet, and must care for it rather than exploit it. All hands on deck. For the #birdoftheday theme of #yourchoice #birds #heron #protectnature #EastCoastKin #greatblueheron #nodatacenters #protectpubliclands

A great blue heron preening. It has one delicate feather in its beak

994h ago

Gray2

Lovely photo, subject, & message, the trifecta, Amy 😻🖖🏼

Niamh Ní Longáin (pronounced ‘Knee-uv’)2

So well said! Gorgeous photo

Aj d'Wit (Audrey)2

Indeed! As they say, there is no backup planet. Fantastic photo. 👌🏼😍

𝙲𝙰𝙿𝙴 𝙲𝙾𝙳 𝙿𝙾𝚂𝚃𝙰𝙰𝙷1

Lost in thought. or… “Hey, look…a bug!” Good morning, Amy!🌞

Marjo Slingerland-Boks1

Such a wonderful photo and words Amy🙏❤️

Cecilia1

Amazing shot and you are right, this exploitation of our planet is heartbreaking 💔 . Thank you Any.

Lyndy Lambert

@lyndyphotos.bsky.social

I figure we might never get a #DarthVader theme for #BirdOfTheDay, so I will post this very puffy, pissed-off looking common grackle under the #YourChoice theme. #EastCoastKin #birds

1035h ago

Alan H1

So so good. Love this capture Lyndy.

mims-news.bsky.social1

If you listen carefully, you can hear him Growl 🤣

Helena Ludwig 🇪🇺🇦🇹🎶📸1

I'd love a Dark Vader theme too! But your brilliant capture is allready unbeatable. 👍🏼🖤

Yvonne Redknap

@yredknap.bsky.social

I chose this photo of a female mallard for today's #BirdOfTheDay because she swam over to me, posed and then looked right at me. #YourChoice #Photography #ECK #Birds

875h ago

Alan H1

Wonderful choice and great capture Yvonne.

Sabine Shutterbug1

It’s a tad bit of a side eye, isn’t it? 😉💛

Helena Ludwig 🇪🇺🇦🇹🎶📸1

What a wonderful human/bird meeting! 🤩

Atlantic Birding

@atlanticbirding.bsky.social

🪶 Alan has decided that today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is #YourChoice I find it hard to choose from my own shots but I’m going with this Meadow Pipit perched on a post by the sea in the rising sunshine #birds #birdsofbluesky #birdphotography #ECK #irishbirding #naturephotography #sunshine #seascape

A Meadow Pipit perched on a wooden post in the dawn sunshine. The bird is left of centre of the shot perched on the top of a round wooden post. The bird is looking to the right of the frame, into the sunshine which is lighting up its head and chest as well as its left leg, extended in front of it.
Behind the wooden post the top of a series of wooden palings making up a fence can be seen.
Long grasses can be seen in the foreground, straw yellow with full seed heads, some are out of focus and some in. The background is a soft, out of focus straw yellow turning to green

776h ago

Alan H1

Stunning little pipit shot AB. Love it. 🥰

alisonwillis1.bsky.social1

And a beautifully reflective shot it is too. ❤️

Aj d'Wit (Audrey)1

Really beautiful photo. Love your composition. The lighting is wonderful. 👌🏼

Doug Engstrom1

There's a bird that's risen to meet the new day.

Dave Meredith

@davemeredith.bsky.social

Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #YourChoice. Portrait of a summer plumage Ring-billed Gull as @alan678.bsky.social likes gulls. 🤣 #BruceCounty #ECK #photography #birds #nature #wildlife #TenMinutesFromHome #Velvia #2000s #VintageLens #ManualFocus

Portrait of a summer plumage Ring-billed Gull with an out of focus brown background of sand. Photographed on the beach at Southampton, Ontario in the mid 2000s.

606h ago

Gray

@grays.art

Ruffled Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) yesterday evening 7-29-26 at Flint pen strand trails in Bonita Springs, Florida Alan & Rob’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is: #YourChoice bird capture/ captures you’ve been itching to post. #birds #photography #ECK #threeWordGenre #birding #smallBirdSaturday

An open-mouthed, grey and white bird with a black mask across its eyes perches on a bare, thin branch against a pale, solid sky. The bird leans forward with its beak wide apart, showing a pink interior and a dark tongue. Its feathers ruffled, displaying a mix of light grey on its back and a white underside, while its long tail extends downwards. The dark, weathered branches twist around the bird, creating sharp angles in front of the overcast background.

554h ago

@solorover.bsky.social1

Thanks for my WoW moment😁

Three Word Genre1

Magnificent feather detail. Your three words ruffled all the right feathers. Ruffled Loggerhead Shrike. #ThreeWordGenre

Pirritin

@pirritin.bsky.social

Friends taking a walk and chitchatting #BirdOfTheDay #YourChoice #BOTD #Birds #Nature #Friends #Crows #Oystercatchers #meriharakka #varis #luonto #ECK

585h ago

Heather D 🇨🇦1

Adorable! I wonder what they're chatting about

fozziefotos.eurosky.social

@fozziefotos.eurosky.social

#BirdoftheDay #YourChoice #birds #ECK @alan678.bsky.social #photo #photography #birdphotography #mygardenwatch #nature #wildlife not an unusual bird, not an awesome shot, not a funny theme, just liked the light and the colour palette

got a lot of chaffinches in the garden at the moment which is nice, and not sick ones as they often have whatever illness befalls the greenfinches too. this is a female chaffinch sat on some hydrangea stems in the garden. The stems are pale and cane-like and the bird is a mixture of pretty peach, slate grey, lemon and white. The background offers soft greens, pale pinks and bluey-greys in soft focus complementing the softness of the bird. Her head is tilted upwards as if in silent thought

534h ago

Occasionally Lost

@mostlyrambling.bsky.social

Today's Bird of the Day prompt is 'Your Choice' Going with this pic from Galway City last month. I took it for Urban Gaze but accidentally caught a pigeon coming in to land right in the centre of the frame. #UrbanGaze #HumansOfBluesky #CityLife #BirdOfTheDay #YourChoice #ClassicMono #B&W #ECK

466h ago

Alan H1

Ah just so perfect OL. This is what I’m talking about. 👌🏼👌🏼

Dominicoq1

Parece que hace fresquito en Galway. Es una suerte en los tiempos que corren

Reform‑run council proposes quarry expansion in ancient Oaken Woodnature Bird of the Day, theme 'Your Choice'nature

Bird of the Day, theme 'Your Choice'

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