Male bearded reedling, Norfolk, England Sep 30, 2026

Balanced on a slender stalk in Norfolk, England, the male bearded reedling in today"s image stands out with a pale blue-grey head, a bright orange bill and the black facial markings that give the species its name. Despite its striking appearance, this small bird spends much of its life hidden among the dense wetland vegetation of marshes, lakeshores and reed beds.

© Andrew Sproule/Shutterstock

palette

Today in History

Giants of the Southern Ocean
Sep. 30, 2023Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Sep. 30, 2024Walruses in Svalbard, Norway
Sep. 30, 2025Koala in the Great Otway National Park, Australia

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jun. 12, 2024Big Bend National Park, Texas, USA
Nov. 7, 2024Vancouver Coastal Sea wolves in the Great Bear Rainforest
Aug. 20, 2024Sunrise at Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA
A bevy of buzzers
Chasing rainbows
Jun. 6, 2024The 80th anniversary of D-Day
Apr. 18, 2026World Heritage Day
Apr. 25, 2025World Penguin Day
Jun 7, 2026Ruins of Dunseverick Castle, Northern Ireland
Feb. 24, 2024Almond trees in full bloom, California
Positively purple peaks
Nov. 1, 2023Kenny Lake, Lake Superior Provincial Park
May 30, 2025Little Pigeon River, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, United States
Sep. 26, 2025Least chipmunk, Kootenai National Forest, Montana, United States
Aug. 3, 2024Three Natural Bridges, Wulong National Park, China
Dec. 7, 2024Lake Ontario, Toronto, during winter
Dec. 27, 2025Plate ice along Lake Superior, Grand Marais, Minnesota, United States
The old castle at sunrise
Jan. 14, 2024Whooper swans
Sep. 19, 2025Thousand Islands region, St. Lawrence River, USA-Canada border
Mar. 22, 2025Happy World Water Day!
Mar. 20, 2024Cave Dale and Peveril Castle, England
When just a pinch of salt won’t do
The largest gypsum dune field
Sep. 5, 2025Pacific Park, Santa Monica State Beach, California, United States
Mar. 10, 2024Daylight Savings
Jan. 24, 2026Andermatt village in the Alps, Switzerland
Aug. 26, 2024Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, Central Pacific Ocean
Nov. 17, 2023Copper Falls State Park, Wisconsin
Is a hug really that magical?