Eric F. Frazier

Quicker Flicker For today’s main and alternate themes, I have the same Northern Flicker #Branched and #grounded —highlighting his intricate camo plumage. Made both within minutes in Jan 2025, and still annoyed I missed him in flight between the two spots. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Cold Feet? A Dark-eyed Junco perches #OnOneLeg on a snow/sleet-covered branch in late January as tiny ice crystals still fall. I assume that branch is freezing cold, but I’ve seen birds retract one leg this way in warm weather, too. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Bath Battle Maybe House Finches love Eastern Bluebirds for their fearlessness. At the birdbath, the #FightingFeathers emerge when this male bluebird charges a migratory Cedar Waxwing. The waxwing fled, and our resident #BrownBirds celebrated their colorful hero. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Backside Beauty Today’s bird is brought to you by the letter N ( #LMNO theme) for Northern Flicker. These birds have so much going on, plumage-wise, no one angle can capture it all. This shot from June 2024, on a neighborhood trail, highlights that white rump. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Kids in Clover Two still-fuzzy Canada goslings forage in a field of clover that forms a rich, #Green background for their photo. Caught these siblings at a local pond last summer. Both parents were nearby & honked consents for their #Juveniles to be photographed. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Up with the Crows An American Crow, a #Corvid, perches among #Seasonal changing leaves on October 6, using its nictitating eyelids as shades in bright sun. Here (Raleigh-Durham area), sunny skies, cool AMs and warm PMs make this the month of fairs and festivals. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Detective Downy on the Job A female all- #Black&White Downy Woodpecker searches carefully for insects in the fissures of a decaying tree stump. Captured September 29 at Shelley Lake Park in Raleigh, NC. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Tiny Tenor A #Brown bird with #LittleLegs? That must the Carolina Wren. He also comes with a big sound! This crooner filled the air with his artful trills and buzzy calls at Flat Brush Nature Preserve in Charlotte, NC, on October 2. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Goose Monday? A #Pair of Canada geese swim together as only their ripples and #reflection break the placid surface. Captured September 29, at Shelley Lake in Raleigh, NC. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Why So Serious? An Eastern Bluebird, member of the #Turdidae family, focuses intently on something in the distance. Captured this guy at Shelley Lake in Raleigh, NC, this March while staking out a nearby Bald Eagle nest. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Mallard Sunset A couple of Mallard Ducks watch the sun slip below the tree line October 6, near #Dusk, from a sandbar in a local pond. They were preening there for about 15 minutes and stopped to appreciate the last rays before the light failed them and me. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Leggy Lunch A Tufted Titmouse, of the #Paridae family, holds an insect in its beak that it just caught in a holly tree. The bird flew away with it, and given the date, April 21, I’d say the leggy bug was destined for a hungry hatchling. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Quiet Mocker This Northern Mockingbird, for the #JKLM and alt #Grey themes, perched quietly in a thicket, neither singing nor bothering any other birds. S/he has been waiting to be shared since August 2024, so I’m finally releasing this mocker for good behavior. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Casting a Long Shadow Many #ShoreBirds sport long legs, but Laughing Gulls, with crow-sized bodies, boast wingspans up to 48 inches. These opportunistic omnivores play clean-up crew from beaches, here at Isle of Palms, SC, to points far inland. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Opposites An American White Ibis #LookingDown walks behind a Double-crested Cormorant #LookingUp at Lake Viridian in Arlington, Texas. The momentary alignment highlights how different the two species are, in build and strategy, as they feed in the same waters. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

#MallardMonday You have to squint to see that tiny patch of #Blue peeking through the #Brown plumage of this Mallard duck dabbling in shallow water at Lake Myvatn, Iceland. I captured this three-fer in mid August this year. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Mallard Liftoff A male Mallard Duck in breeding plumage lifts off from his perch on an exposed stump to join others dabbling in nearby shallows. Captured this guy in early May last year at Shelley Lake in Raleigh, NC. #Ducks&GeeseInFlight #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Backlit Bird A #Green Heron perches on a leafless stick to warm his/her back in bright, morning sun at Lake Viridian in Arlington, Texas. Happy to catch this patient pose out in the open of a bird known for hunting in seclusion. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

High-Stepper Some #Waders lift their lower leg above the water while walking in the shallows— stirring up fish and other prey below. With their bright yellow feet, Snowy Egrets make this behavior easy to see, like this one at Lake Viridian in Arlington, Texas. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Yappy Bird A fresh face among the OG #Crooners, this juvenile Northern Mockingbird attempts lung power alone to clear some House Finches from the hanging feeder above. Minutes later, mom swooped in to show the kid how it’s done using aerial maneuvers. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Dreamlike I shot this Snowy Egret surrounded by #BlueWater through some shoreline vegetation, and the result is rather dreamlike. Captured early September at Lake Viridian in Arlington, Texas. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Ready for the Runway? This Barn Swallow has the elements to become a #BirdSupermodel — flashy attire, dark eyeshadow, and pouty expression. But like all swallows, needs a lot of work on staying still! Caught this looker at Lake Lynn, Raleigh, NC in late April. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Sky Watch Not a single cloud in these mid-May #BlueSkies, but Bald Eagle mom Shelley sees trouble. A Red-shouldered Hawk has flown too near her nest. She screams warnings before chasing it away. Captured two years ago at Shelley Lake in Raleigh, NC. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Throwing Shade While diving birds spread their #WingsOpenNotFlying to dry them, waders, like this Snowy Egret, sometimes use their large wings to block glare, so they can see prey underwater. Captured this beauty September 4, at Lake Viridian in Arlington, Texas. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Listening for Ants A Pileated Woodpecker fits today’s #Black&Red theme and might earn honorable mention for #LongBeaks. But ears are his superpower. Imagine being able to hear carpenter ants inside trees! Captured at Shelley Lake in Raleigh, NC, in February. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

What a Schnoz! The White Ibis has one of the #BestBeaks for a wader—ideal for bottom feeding and slightly longer than their legs. Fun fact: hatchlings are born with straight bills that grow curved. Captured this ibis foraging at Lake Viridian in Arlington, Texas. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Contrasts A Common Grackle on beach sand seems well-suited for a #Black&White image. Meanwhile, it’s hard to find a more #Vivid yellow than this American Goldfinch in bright, late sun. (No twofers today, AB!) #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Stumped For this Snowy Egret, perched on a tall stump in a rich wetland, where to fish next is a real chin scratcher. I made my #BestOfTheMonth shot at Lake Viridian, Texas, September 4. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Am I Being Followed? A Gray Catbird ( #EFG theme) stops on a hook in our yard while carrying a meal back to the nest. Catbirds prefer thickets and avoid long flights over open ground. This seemed a security check before flying across the street to a wooded area. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Fabulous Finch This female House Finch, a common bird that some might cast as a plain Jane, takes her star turn as #BokehBird. She is highlighted by large bokeh balls behind her as the late afternoon sun creates deep shadows among the trees. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Tagalong Among the #Seabirds tailing our whale-watching boat out of Isafordur, Iceland, was this #Airborne Northern Fulmar. They resemble Herring Gulls but feature odd-looking nasal tubes on the top of their beaks. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Meet the Poopers This Canada Goose couple foraging on a hilltop is one of the loveliest #Pairs I’ve captured., and there is even a bit of #Green in the background. Big, bold and beautiful to look at—just watch your step following them around! #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Brown and Round Finding birds looking like #Borbs is easier in cold weather. This #Brown House Finch on a bare maple branch was puffing herself up pretty round on January 8. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Puffin Passing Among the #TheDivers we saw on an August whale-watching trip off Isafordur, Iceland, was this Atlantic Puffin. Flying faster than our speeding boat, I captured this one panning handheld as it passed us going the same direction—back to land. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

The Chase Staking out a Bald Eagle nest at Shelley Lake in Raleigh, I heard squawking overhead and spun to capture (barely) two crows chasing dad. Teamwork gives crows an advantage, but this eagle led the crows farther away from his own nest. #Corvids #Raptors #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

‘Reddy’ for Springtime Love “Hey, ladies, this head will never be redder,” crows a male House Finch, maybe the most common of avian #Redheads. The date is March 16, with most trees still bare, and this guy can’t wait to find a mate. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Spotlight on Table Manners #LightAndShadow frame a Red-shouldered Hawk’s blood-splattered face as s/he dissects lunch—a snake from a brook below. This hawk was tending a nest in woods at my daughter’s house in north Raleigh last year. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

#CaptionThatBird “OK, that does it! Humans are hereby banned from making photographs of me in the birdbath. They post nothing but fake views! Thank you for your attention, Mr. Mean N. Mocker, Ruler of All Birds.” #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Before and After However #Elegant birds look when they arrive at the birdbath, they leave looking #Scruffy. Here’s a dashing, male Northern Cardinal impressing a young female House Finch before bathing and a view of him after. The old guy’s hiding a lot of gray! #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Don’t Drown! A Carolina Chickadee, a member of the #Paridae family, hangs almost upside down to sip water on a hot July day. This hanging water bowl is too small for bathing, so the water stays cleaner, but evaporation makes it harder for tiny birds to reach. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Stay in Your Lane, Buddy For today’s #ODG (owls, ducks, geese) theme: In late June, I was shooting Brown Pelicans languidly cruising the shoreline at Isle of Palms, S.C., when a lone Mallard flapped past in a hurry. Looks like he may be entering pre-basic molt. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Ravenous Robins Sharing this photo again from late January 2025, when our holly bushes were chock full and a flock of American Robins showed up like a bus full of hungry teenagers. Have never seen so many #BirdsWithBerries a one time, before or since. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Inspecting a Bloom The sun’s angle and bird movements can quickly turn a shot aimed at rim lighting into more of a #Silhouette. House #Finches are common enough, you could ID this shape without the wiggly stripes peeping from the shadows. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Cheek to Cheek A male and female Mallard cuddle up to enjoy late afternoon sun in a photo from March 11, 2025 Given the season and plumage, they are about to be among the #Mammas&Pappas raising ducklings in one of our local ponds. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Never Cracks a Smile “What do you mean, let’s try another pose? This IS #MyBestSide!” Northern Mockingbirds are preternaturally #AngryBirds. I’ve captured them looking curious, fearful and even contemplative. But never really looking happy. I’ll keep trying. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Double Vision Today’s #BirdsInAbstract theme may be my only chance to share this one—a double exposure made by accident with a Canon RP in 2023. I kept it, hoping to someday figure out how it happened without turning on multiple exposures in settings. Any ideas? #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Tenderizing a Grub An Eastern Bluebird with more than a #Mouthful slaps his catch before eating on a utility pole, using it as both hunting perch and chopping block Saw this behavior for the first time at Isle of Palms, S.C., from a beach house upper deck. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Black, White & Shimmery Two birds with primarily #BlackAndWhite plumage that shows #Iridescence under strong light: A male Bufflehead Duck flashes a green spot as he splash lands in late December. A European Starling goes prismatic under a cloudless October sun. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Hawk Wannabe Brown Thrashers (straddling today’s #ABCD - #RSTU themes) are superb songbirds and ground foragers. But with their large talons, wide tails, speckled breasts, yellow eyes, and deadly stares, they sometimes seem eager to release their inner hawk. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography

Bath Buddies I’ve heard House Finches called “bluebird groupies.” This lass sure looks like she’s enjoying having a male Eastern Bluebird give her a shower. The two species can be #BirdBuddlies because they don’t compete for the same foods or nesting spots. #birds #BirdoftheDay #photography