Gregory Rothman

On a calm, gray body of water, an adult male Hooded Merganser duck floats in the foreground, facing slightly left. His plumage is crisp and high-contrast: a glossy black head with a bold white oval “hood” patch on the side, a bright golden eye, a clean white chest, and warm chestnut-brown sides. A thin, pointed black bill extends forward just above the water’s surface. Soft ripples spread outward from his body, creating gentle rings that distort his reflection. Behind him, farther away and out of focus, a second duck—likely a female Hooded Merganser—appears smaller and browner, with a subtle crest shape. The background water is smooth and muted, giving the scene a quiet, subdued atmosphere, as if on an overcast day. Overall, the image conveys a peaceful moment of two Hooded Mergansers resting on still water, with the sharply detailed male standing out against a softly blurred backdrop. Photo Credit: Gregory Rothman 2026 Info about Hooded Mergansers 1. Their “hood” is adjustable The male’s white crest is made of specialized feathers he can raise into a dramatic circular fan during courtship displays or flatten when relaxed. 2. Expert underwater hunters They are diving ducks that pursue prey visually, mainly eating small fish, aquatic insects, and crustaceans. Their eyes can rapidly adjust focus underwater. 3. Built-in fish grips Like other mergansers, their bills have fine serrations along the edges—often described as “saw-toothed”—that help hold slippery prey. 4. Cavity nesters Unlike most ducks, they nest in tree cavities (often old woodpecker holes) and readily use nest boxes near wooded wetlands. 5. Early leap of faith Hooded merganser ducklings jump from the nest cavity—sometimes 10–15 meters (30–50 ft) above ground—within a day of hatching, bouncing safely due to their light weight and down. 6. One of the smallest mergansers At roughly 40–49 cm (16–19 in) long, they’re the smallest species in the merganser group and are native to North America.

An adult male Hooded Merganser duck is centered on a calm, gray lake, captured mid-motion as he rises partly upright from the water. His body is vertical, with his chest lifted clear of the surface while his tail and lower body remain submerged. Its wings are extended outward in a broad arc, showing layered feathers in shades of brown, gray, and black, like a partially opened fan. His head is turned slightly to the right, displaying the species’ distinctive pattern: a glossy black head with a large, bright white crest patch and a vivid yellow eye. The slim black bill points forward. Small splashes and droplets surround his body where the water breaks, and faint ripples spread outward from the movement. The background is softly blurred water with muted tones, emphasizing the duck’s striking black-and-white head and the dynamic wing stretch. The moment feels brief and energetic, as if the Hooded Merganser has just popped up to stretch before settling back down.

Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #BestOfTheMonth
A Pair of #HoodedMergansers are mergansering about. I was lazy this month. Low on posts and images. My apologies.
#EastCoastKin #PhotographerUnited #SwimmingDucks #urbanWildlife #NorthPond

Gorgeous!

Beautiful!

In 2016, Obama addressed the media at his final press conference as president. His approach was quite different from the one Trump has taken toward reporters... #Obama #Trump #FreedomOfPress #Media TikTok video by Brut.

www.tiktok.com/t/ZThbcedMv/

A large eagle is flying very low over choppy blue ocean water, wings stretched wide and slightly arched. Its body is mostly dark brown, but the shoulders and parts of the wings are bright white, creating a bold contrast. The bird’s head is dark with a massive, thick, golden-yellow beak that stands out clearly. One talon is extended downward as if preparing to grab prey from the surface. The scene feels cold and windswept, consistent with a northern winter coastline. Identification This is a Steller’s sea eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus), a species strongly associated with winter in Hokkaido. Key field marks visible here are the very large yellow bill, white shoulder patches, and overall bulky build. During winter in Hokkaido, Steller’s sea eagles gather along coasts and rivers, often near sea ice, where fish are concentrated. Feeding strategy: They frequently snatch fish from the water surface (as this bird appears poised to do) but also scavenge carrion and will pirate prey from other birds. Dominance hierarchy: They are behaviorally dominant over the similar white-tailed eagle; disputes over food can involve dramatic aerial grappling. Partial migration: Many individuals breed in far eastern Russia and migrate south to Japan for the winter, returning north in spring.

StellarsEagle
#BirdOfTheDay sporting #OneLeg swoops down for a bite.
#EastCoastKin #Birds #OceanLife #PhotographersUnited #HaliaeetusPelagicus

Johannes Høsflot Klæbo wins sixth gold, most ever in a single Winter Olympics Klaebo became the winningest athlete at a single Winter Olympics, sweeping the men's cross-country golds in Italy.

From @theathletic.com: Johannes Høsflot Klæbo of Norway on Saturday won his sixth gold medal, the most by any athlete at a single Winter Olympic Games.

Accessible description (refined with context): A sharply focused macro image shows a small, leaf-green insect perched on the disk of a bright yellow daisy. Its body is slim and slightly translucent, with very long antennae extending forward like fine wires. The hind legs angle upward in a poised stance. A tiny droplet hangs beneath its mouth, glistening. The flower fills most of the frame, while the background fades to deep shadow, making the insect stand out vividly. Photo Credit: ©Gregory Rothman 2025 A bush katydid nymph, genus Scudderia, most plausibly the Common Bush Katydid. Seasonality: Scudderia nymphs are abundant in the Midwest in mid-summer (June–August). Morphology: Slender body, extremely long antennae, and undeveloped wing pads match early–mid instar bush katydids. Habitat behavior: They frequently rest on flowers and foliage, including garden composites like daisies.

A #Katydid nymph- not to be confused with a grasshopper. They make noise and hear from completely different parts of their body. Who knew? Katy did, Obviously!Oye.
#GreenSat #EastCoastKin #PhotographersOfBlueSky #Insect #BadPun

Lovely

Wow!!!

What a beautiful animal!

Thank you.

I feel the same way! I love to watch them.

Thank you.

A shearwater seabird is flying extremely low over the ocean, just off the coast of Rhode Island. Its long, narrow wings are fully outstretched, nearly touching the water on either side, giving it a gliding, skimming posture typical of these birds. The underside of the body is bright white, while the wings and back are darker gray-brown, creating a strong contrast. Its feet are briefly contacting the surface, kicking up small splashes and a short trail of ripples, as if it’s pushing off the water to gain lift. The entire background is open sea — gently rolling, deep blue waves with soft highlights — and there are no boats, land, or sky visible, making the bird the sole focal point in a wide, calm marine scene. Photo Credit:©Gregory Rothman 2015 Shearwater Info: Energy-efficient flight: They use dynamic soaring, gliding along wave slopes to harvest wind energy, allowing long travel with minimal flapping. Ocean wanderers: Many species forage hundreds of kilometers from breeding colonies and can stay at sea for months outside breeding season. Flexible feeding: They catch prey by surface seizing, shallow diving, or scavenging, often gathering where fish are driven up by tuna, whales, or dolphins. Strong sense of smell: Shearwaters can locate food by detecting ocean scents linked to plankton and fish activity — unusual among birds. Nocturnal colonies: To avoid predators, they typically return to nesting sites only at night, creating loud calling choruses. Burrow nesters: Pairs raise a single chick in underground burrows and often reuse the same site for many years. Epic migrations: Some species travel tens of thousands of kilometers annually, following ocean productivity in large looping routes.

A #shearwater skipping. Just off the coast of #RhodeIsland.

#birdoftheday #wingsoverwater #Eastcoastkin #PhotographersofBluesky #flyday #birds #oceanlife

#yellowThurs
#colorADay #EastCoastKin #Chicago

#yellowThurs
#colorADay #EastCoastKin #Chicago

YouTube video by Governor Wes Moore The President is Lying to the Public

The President is lying to the public:

1) For the past century, the federal government has been responsible for the Potomac Interceptor – not Maryland. The sewage pipe is on federal land.

youtu.be/OKyIKHW8ONI

A tiny, translucent shrimp resting on a dark sponge surface. The sponge appears almost black and slightly textured, filling most of the background. The shrimp’s body is long and mostly see-through, allowing you to see vivid red internal organs and clusters of small pale eggs packed inside its abdomen. Its head features two prominent round eyes on short stalks, facing slightly outward, with thin antennae extending forward. Near the middle of its body, a bright red oval organ stands out sharply against the otherwise transparent tissue. Its tail narrows toward the end and shows faint reddish bands. The contrast between the glowing reds inside the shrimp and the deep black sponge beneath makes the animal look almost illuminated. Photo Credit : ©Gregory Rothman 2017.

An unidentified female shrimp with eggs that are visible through her clear abdomen. If you know the species, please mention it in the comments.

#RedWed #ColorADay #EastCoastKin #oceanlife #UWPhotography

Gorgeous!

A tiny, translucent larval fish floats in dark open water. Its body is round and glassy with a faint pink-brown core. The eyes are large and forward-facing, giving a surprised expression. Wispy, delicate fins extend like soft feathers from the top and sides, catching the light against the black background so the animal appears suspended in space. Photo credit: ©Gregory Rothman 2024 Identification: Larval stargazer (family Uranoscopidae). Behavior & natural history (notable facts): Adult lifestyle: Stargazers are benthic ambush predators that bury themselves in sand with only the eyes and upward-facing mouth exposed. Feeding strategy: They lunge upward to capture fish and crustaceans; some species possess a worm-like lure inside the mouth to attract prey. Electric capability: Several genera can produce mild electric shocks for defense. Larval phase: Unlike the bottom-dwelling adults, larvae are pelagic, drifting in the plankton. Ontogenetic shift: As they grow, they settle to the seafloor and develop the robust head and upward-oriented gaze characteristic of the group.

Sticking with the #blackwater theme from yesterday, I present a pea sized, larval, grumpy faced #Stargazer.

#Uranoscopidae #MacroMonday #EastCoastKin #Anilao #CBR #PhotographersUnited #Scuba #Oceanlife #Nauticam #NikonZ8

Wowza! Gorgeous and just reminds me of how much I need to visit!

Today was a truly glorious one. I’ve collected a few of these images over the years and whenever it happens it leaves me in awe.

A minimalist seascape fills the frame, dominated by soft, muted colors. The horizon line sits low and faint, separating a pale sky from very calm water. The sky transitions in gentle horizontal bands: light blue at the top fading into subtle pink and peach tones near the horizon, suggesting either sunrise or sunset. The water mirrors these colors, with a smooth, glass-like surface and barely visible ripples, giving a tranquil, almost dreamy feel. Near the left side of the horizon, tiny dark specks—possibly distant boats or birds—add scale but remain indistinct. In the top-left corner, there is small text reading “© Gregory Rothman 2026.” Overall, the image conveys stillness and quiet, with a soft pastel palette.

A late entry for #stunday. Late light on Lake Michigan as the sunsets in the west.

#EastCoastKin #iPhone17 #PhotographersUnited #Minimalism #LakeMichigan #Chicago #PastelPallete

I think so, too. :)

They are remarkable little critters. I just consider myself lucky for the opportunity.

Thanks for the correction — here’s a refined description emphasizing that detail: A very small, translucent octopus larva floats alone against a deep black ocean background. Its body looks soft and gelatinous, with a clear, rounded head like a tiny glass dome. Through the dome, a faint reddish patch is visible- internal tissue showing through the transparency. All of its arms are tightly curled inward, forming compact spirals clustered beneath the head. Rather than spreading outward, they bunch together like delicate ribbons coiled into loops. Each arm is pale and semi-transparent, sprinkled with tiny golden flecks that catch the light, giving the animal a faintly speckled appearance. Because the arms are curled, the animal looks compact and almost flower-bud-like, drifting weightlessly in the dark water. The surrounding space is empty and black, making the larval wonderpus appear luminous and fragile, as if it’s glowing softly in the void. Photo Credit ©Gregory Rothman 2024

#WonderpusPhotogenicus
Or a bad Sci-fi SpaceShip
#OCTOPUS
Tell me, O Octopus, I begs, Is those things arms or is they legs?
I marvel at thee, Octopus; If I were thou, I'd call me Us.
-Ogden Nash

#imageandverse
#stunday #eastcoastkin #oceanlife #uwphotography #photographersUnited
#cephalopod #scuba

Says the guy who auctioned off little girls

Says the guy who trafficked little girls

Says the guy who raped little girls

Voter cheating, or electoral fraud, is extremely rare in the USA

Only 39 cases of voter fraud were ID'd in a recent election, a mere 0.000039% of over 100 million ballots cast

Beautiful Composition! What a lovely image. Thanks for posting!

A small hummingbird is hovering in midair while feeding from a cluster of delicate white flowers. Its long, thin beak is inserted into one of the blossoms. The bird’s body shimmers with iridescent green on its back and shoulders, while its wings are outstretched and slightly blurred, suggesting rapid movement. Its tail feathers fan downward in a deep purplish-black hue. The flowers hang in bunches from thin, pale green stems, each bloom shaped like a small bell with soft petals and yellow centers. Surrounding the scene is lush green foliage with rounded leaves, creating a soft, natural background that is slightly out of focus. The overall impression is of a quiet garden moment captured in bright daylight, with the hummingbird suspended gracefully among the blossoms. Photo Credit: Gregory Rothman 2026

A little busy. #AntilleanCrested #Hummingbird #OrthorhyncusCristatus

#SmallBirdSaturday #Birds #BirdofTheDay #EastCoastKin #BirdsOfBlueSky #PhotographersUnited #foto #Dominca

Wow