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Ryan Bebej

@ryanbebej.bsky.social
431 followers 105 following 726 posts

Calvin Univ professor + alum // anatomist + marine mammal paleontologist // birder + amateur photographer // science + faith speaker // Univ of Michigan alum // fan of St Louis Cardinals + Star Wars + other nerdy things // surname pronounced "BB"

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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 42m
Sanderling (Calidris alba) – Wind 'em up, and let 'em go. Here's a cute little sanderling during the fall migration a few years back. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Sanderling foraging among the rocks along Lake Michigan
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Common yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) – From the Instagram archive… I can almost hear the WITCHITY-WITCHITY-WITCHITY when I see this little masked warbler. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Male common yellowthroat perched on a branch
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
💯💯💯
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Blackburnian warbler (Setophaga fusca) – For this week's #WarblerWednesday, here's a warbler in the act of catching some breakfast during the early days of fall migration. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Blackburnian warbler during fall migration perched on a branch and about to snatch an insect out of midair
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Sandhill cranes (Antigone canadensis) – From the Instagram archive… Just a couple of dinosaurs walking through a field. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Two sandhill cranes standing next to each other in a field and looking to the left
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Red-breasted merganser (Mergus serrator) – It's Merganser Monday, so here's a stylish shaggy-headed diver that I saw on Lake Michigan a couple winters ago. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Male red-breasted merganser swimming on Lake Michigan
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Vermilion flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus) – It's FLYCATCHER FRIDAY, so here's a shot I got of this ruby-colored fire-head when I was in southern California this past summer. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Brilliant red male vermilion flycatcher perched on a short branch
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Indigo bunting (Passerina cyanea) – From the Instagram archive… One of my favorite summer-time residents in West Michigan. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Indigo bunting peeking out from amongst some green foliage
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Prothonotary warbler (Protonotaria citrea) – Seeing a swamp lemon is always a great way to brighten your day. Happy #WarblerWednesday! www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Prothonotary warbler perched on a branch
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Medium ground-finch (Geospiza fortis) – From the Instagram archive… One of the endemic ground-finches that I saw in the Galápagos Islands when I taught there in 2018. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Medium ground-finch perched in a tree
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) – I pulled over to the side of the road to take these photos when I spotted this bird in a field north of the Grand River this past spring. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Ring-necked pheasant in a field along the side of the roadRing-necked pheasant in a field along the side of the road
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) – As summer nears its end, here's the source of one of the most ubiquitous sounds of the season. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Red-winged blackbird perched on a cattail stemRed-winged blackbird perched on a cattail stem
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Ruby-crowned kinglet (Corthylio calendula) – From the Instagram archive… A frenetic little bird that is always tricky to get in focus! www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Ruby-crowned kinglet perched on a branch
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Ruddy turnstone (Arenaria interpres) – One of the more striking shorebirds that can show up along Lake Michigan during migration. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Ruddy turnstone on the rocks along the shore of Lake Michigan
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Cedar waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) – From the Instagram archive… I will never tire of seeing these sleek songbirds. One of my all-time favorites for sure. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Cedar waxwing perched among some colorful flora
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
LeConte's sparrow (Ammospiza leconteii) – Is it autumn yet? Here's a sharp little pumpkin-faced sparrow to celebrate the coming of my favorite season. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography #sparrowappreciationsociety
LeConte's sparrow foraging in the grass
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Red-breasted nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) – After a relative dearth of these birds in recent years near my house, it was nice to see a good influx of them this past winter. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Red-breasted nuthatch foraging in a conifer
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Red-headed woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) – From the Instagram archive… Such a striking bird. Not super common where I'm at in West Michigan, but there are a handful of reliable locations. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Red-headed woodpecker ascending an angled trunk
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Northern parula (Setophaga americana) – Here's a sharp little parula for #WarblerWednesday. I describe their song as sounding a bit like a zipper being zipped up. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Northern parula perched on a branch
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Lava heron (Butorides sundevalli) – From the Instagram archive… This bird was long considered a subspecies of the striated heron, but new data suggest that it is its own species endemic to the Galápagos. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Striated heron (lava subspecies) perched on a trunk along the shore
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Northern rough-winged swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis) + tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) – Just a couple of swallow species sitting together on a branch, with one definitely looking like a borb. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Northern rough-winged swallow and a very spherical tree swallow sitting together on a branch over a river
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Solitary sandpiper (Tringa solitaria) – From the Instagram archive… This sandpiper was enjoying an afternoon snack when I spotted it through my lens a couple springs ago. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Solitary sandpiper wading through a flooded lowland
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Yellow-rumped warbler (Setophaga coronata) – Fall migration is underway, but I've been too busy to get out much. So here's a scrumptious little butterbutt from a previous autumn. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Super cute yellow-rumped warbler on a leafy branch
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla) – From the Instagram archive… One of my favorite warblers singing its little heart out. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Ovenbird singing on the forest floor
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Yellow-throated vireo (Vireo flavifrons) – I had a lot of fun watching this bright little bird forage in a blossoming eastern redbud tree a couple springs ago. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Yellow-throated vireo foraging along a branch in a blossoming redbud treeYellow-throated vireo foraging along a branch in a blossoming redbud tree
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
White-faced ibis (Plegadis chihi) – I was floored by the gorgeous iridescent plumage of this ibis when I encountered it foraging this summer. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
White-faced ibis with gorgeous iridescent plumage wading through the water
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Scarlet tanager (Piranga olivacea) – From the Instagram archive… One of my spark birds. DNA demonstrates that these birds are not true tanagers—they're actually more closely related to cardinals! www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Bright red male scarlet tanager sitting on a stick with a green background
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Palm warbler (Setophaga palmarum) – It's a glorious #WarblerWednesday, so here's a curious little palm warbler for your viewing pleasure. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Palm warbler perched on a branchPalm warbler perched on a branch and tilting its head
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Tufted titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) – Happy #TitmouseTuesday! This species is undoubtedly one of my favorite year-round residents in West Michigan. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Tufted titmouse on a twig with a moth in its bill
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Ring-necked duck (Aythya collaris, 10 Apr 2024) – From the Instagram archive… An absolutely gorgeous duck on a pond that was as smooth as glass. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Gorgeous ring-necked duck floating on pond that is as smooth as glass
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
American avocet (Recurvirostra americana) – As summer wanes, I found myself recalling a run-in with two avocets in 2024 that helped me win a local photo contest. Here are a few shots from that encounter. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
American avocet wading along the shore of Lake MichiganAmerican avocet wading along the shore of Lake MichiganAmerican avocet wading along the shore of Lake Michigan
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Louisiana waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla) – From the Instagram archive… The specific epithet of its scientific name means tail-wagger, which is pretty appropriate given its frequent sashay. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Louisiana waterthrush perched on a log over a creek
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Hooded warbler (Setophaga citrina) – For #WarblerWednesday, here's a glimpse of this lemon-colored moth-eater hiding behind a spiderweb. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Male hooded warbler hiding behind a faintly visible spiderweb
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
White-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) – From the Instagram archive… Could this be the bird to make you join the #SparrowAppreciationSociety? www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
White-crowned sparrow perched on a vine
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) – This will always and forever be one of my favorite birds. Whenever I see one, it makes my think of my dearly departed mom and her parents. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Male northern cardinal perched on a branch
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) – From the Instagram archive… A few summers back, I found a whole bunch of young swallows side-by-side on a power line. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Young tree swallows perched on a power line
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Blackpoll warbler (Setophaga striata) – This spring I finally got some decent shots of this striped moth-eater and its dapper orange legs. Have a great #WarblerWednesday! www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Blackpoll warbler ascending a branch
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Common muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) – It’s #MammalMonday! Given my scholarly research on early whale evolution, I have a serious soft spot for all semiaquatic mammals. So I love seeing little muskrats do their thing. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography #wildlifephotography #mammals
Common muskrat munching on some grass
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Field sparrow (Spizella pusilla) – Last summer I spied this tiny little finch eating its breakfast. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Field sparrow with a bill full of wormsField sparrow with a bill full of worms
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Blue-winged warbler (Vermivora cyanoptera) – If you're on a hike & hear that distinctive "BEE-buzz," then turn your eyes to the trees to find this blue-winged worm-eater. Have a great #WarblerWednesday! www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Blue-winged warbler perched on a branchBlue-winged warbler perched on a branch
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Black-throated blue warbler (Setophaga caerulescens) – From the Instagram archive… It's always a good day when I hear a buzzy song and spot one of these bluish moth-eaters. One of my favorite warblers. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Black-throated blue warbler perched in the canopy
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
#ArchaeocetesAreAwesome
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Short-billed dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus) – These gray marsh runners aren't super common in West Michigan, so I was thrilled to spot several of them this past spring. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Short-billed dowitcher foraging in the margins of a lake
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Northern flicker (Colaptes auratus) – For #FlickerFriday, here's a gilded chiseller that I came across this spring. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Northern flicker perched on a branch
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) – From the Instagram archive… Here's a cute little bunny to brighten up your Tuesday. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography #mammals #rabbits #wildlifephotography
Eastern cottontail rabbit munching on some grass
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Double-crested cormorant (Nannopterum auritum) – This young bird gave me great views as it confidently swam right past me a few autumns ago. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Double-crested cormorant swimming in the water
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Pine siskin (Spinus pinus) – It’s #FinchFriday, so here’s one of my favorite visitors during Michigan winters. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Pine siskin feeding on some cones
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Common yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) – For #WarblerWednesday, here’s the masked bandit caught in the act of singing witchity-witchity-witchity. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Male common yellowthroat singing from a branch
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
I’ve kind of fallen in love with #Jimothy.
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Ryan Bebej @ryanbebej.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Brown creeper (Certhia americana) – These birds have such excellent camouflage on their backs that they frequently climb up a tree without me ever seeing them. www.instagram.com/ryan.bebej.photography 🪶 #birds #birding #birdoftheday #wildlifephotography
Brown creeper pausing while climbing up a trunk
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