Wildlife · Birds · The quiet outdoors
Life, caught
in the wild.
Photography by Stephen R. D. Thompson—observing the color, character, and small dramas of the natural world.
Explore selected work ↓Ringed Kingfisher · Costa RicaA powerful waterside hunter found across the Americas.
Through the lens
From hummingbirds in a moment of stillness to butterflies moving through summer light, these photographs celebrate the details that reward a patient eye.
Selected work
Recent observations
Western TanagerSongbirdsA vivid western songbird, photographed with crisp feather detail and a clean, softly colored background.
Monarch ButterflyPollinatorsAn unmistakable orange-and-black traveler whose life cycle depends on milkweed.
Great Blue HeronWaterbirdsA Great Blue Heron in full flight, isolated against quiet water with room to move through the frame.
Catch of the DayBirds in actionAn osprey carries its catch beneath outstretched wings—a memorable wildlife moment with strong symmetry.
Tiger SwallowtailPollinatorsA large yellow butterfly named for its bold black stripes and elegant tail-like wings.
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Audience favorites
Memorable encounters from across the archive.
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Choose a subject
Five paths into more than 3,700 photographs.
A photographed life list
For me, seeing the bird is only the beginning.
I only count a bird when I’ve been able to photograph it.
I began actively pursuing my birding life list in 2012, although a few photographs in the collection predate it. Birds and nature had always been part of my life, but I did not become a birder until a fall 2011 trip to Barr Lake, Colorado, with my wife.
The wall of sound from hundreds of songbirds—and the flashes of color from orioles, kingbirds, warblers, and other species—was breathtaking. I knew right away what I wanted to do.
My early attempts produced hundreds of blurred things, along with some very nice photographs of the bushes and trees where the bird had been.
Things are going better now. I may get five or six usable photographs from every two hundred frames, but that is part of the pleasure: watching, experimenting, and slowly building a record of the birds I have encountered.
Explore the life list on FlickrBehind the camera
A lifelong eye for nature.
Stephen R. D. Thompson photographs birds, insects, landscapes, and the unexpected encounters found outdoors. What began as a birding life list has grown into a visual record of patience, discovery, and time spent in the natural world.
The full collection now includes more than 3,700 photographs on Flickr.