bjanish.bsky.social

A digital illustration of a black crowned night heron in profile looking right, with a prominent bright red eye making them look especially expectant. Standing on a rock with green river-like swirly colors behind. The drawing is framed by a simple line, and under the frame lettering reads, 'Maybe it will happen today'.

We are loving this year's theme for Plover Appreciation Day, #ploverart. Your Chicago Piping Plover Monitor 🧡 Brenda Janish made these sweet treats for the monitor season-end bash. She had the mold made and decorated the cookies - perfection! 🤍

One of the Funniest Documentaries of the Year Is Streaming for Free on YouTube Listers is a journey into the dark and cringy heart of one of the world’s most peculiar hobbies.

I wrote about the Reiser brothers and their hilarious, disgusting Listers documentary for Slate:

slate.com/culture/2025...

A great egret stands on a rock in the Osaka Garden in Jackson Park, Chicago, Illinois, overlooking a calm lagoon.

Not to add to the discourse, but…

It’s ‘toe the line,’ not ‘tow the line.’
It’s ‘free rein,’ and not ‘free reign.’
It’s ‘eke out,’ not ‘eek out.’
It’s ‘sleight of hand,’ not ‘slight of hand.’
It's ‘Anchors aweigh,’ and not ‘Anchor's away!’

The last piping plover monitoring sesh of 2025 is in the books. We spent a quiet morning with El at 63rd street beach and pier where she took a nice bath and ate her weight in bugs on the pier. Good luck, little one. Hope to see you next year! 🧡

following in dad's footsteps... he (and his sibling) buddied up with a sanderling at the end of his fledgling summer, right before he left Chicago

Monty, an art print by Phineas Jones Gallery Quality Prints

update: it has been sold. Prints available here: www.inprnt.com/gallery/phin...

Monty — Phineas X. Jones 6” x 6” Oil on Panel Price includes domestic US shipping.

This painting by @phineas.bsky.social is still available! The grandplover of Montrose Beach, Monty. 6"x6" oil on panel.
octophant.us/paintings/mo...

T-shirt with text "Piping Plovers, Est. 2019, Montrose Beach"

I added a simpler design for the new shirts, for those not into emo latin sayings 😉 teamplover.threadless.com

Back at ya

The sad reality of monitoring… we observe but there’s not a lot we can do to protect. RIP little one, it was a delight knowing you. 💙

The beach seemed very quiet this morning without him 🥲

young piping plover standing on a Chicago beach wearing a college-style t-shirt that says "Piping Plovers, Est. 2019, Montrose Beach"

New t-shirt dropped today! teamplover.threadless.com

I'm the human guardian in the photo 😎 I was primarily watching for gulls and other threats, there are no people on the protected beach (thankfully)

Now THAT’S a name

Our beautiful little charges have shiny new jewelry! Superstars, all 💙❤️💚

This is the actual artist: bsky.app/profile/phin...

It's time to get a resupply on the cat's diabeetus medication (don't tell him). This stuff is $150 a month, but I like having my cat around. Exchanges of currency for imagery are welcome and encouraged.

Here’s a New York Times photo of the Chicago “No Kings” rally. NYT said the march that followed spanned at least 10 blocks.

Freshman year of college, first week, my suitemate introduced me to her friend from home (Dekalb, IL) who was also a freshman. She was a pretty, tall, nice enough girl. Introduced to me as Cindy and then they stared expectantly at me. It took me more than a year to realize "Cindy" was Cindy Crawford

Chicago Is Ready for Large Anti-ICE Protests, Johnson Says, Blasting Trump as a ‘Tyrant’ “I am counting on all of Chicago to resist in this moment,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said. “Whatever particular vulnerable group is being targeted today, another group will be next.”

Chicago is ready for large-scale protests on Saturday against President Trump and his efforts to carry out mass deportations of undocumented people, Mayor Johnson said Wednesday.

“I am counting on all of Chicago to resist in this moment."

to.wttw.com/3ZuWcvo

A crowd of people holding Pride flags gathers outside a mural-covered building on a sunny day; some police officers and safety vests are visible among the attendees.

250 Edgewater (Chicago) residents and allies protected kids and parents participating in drag story hour this morning at @chicagopubliclibrary’s Edgewater Library.

Chicago-Style Pope. A white man with a robust dark mustache wearing sunglasses along with the formal white and gold garb of the pope. The white cape has medallions on either lapel showing red 6-pointed stars as seen on the Chicago flag, and two sky blue bars wrap around the cape horizontally, also in reference to the flag. His belt/sash is also decorated with blue bars. The space inside his mitre is filled with oversized Chicago hot dog toppings (tomato, sport peppers, green relish, a pickle) and some yellow mustard is running down the front of the hat which also bears the Chicago municipal device, a Y in a circle, representing the Chicago River. In his left hand he’s holding a gold staff topped by a gilded Italian beef sandwich with a little halo and wings and he’s making a blessing gesture with his right hand. He's framed by a gothic arched window that contains a stained glass rendition of down Chicago looking past the top of the Sears Tower out toward the green lake and blue sky. At the bottom of all this is a red banner with large blackletter text that says 'Da • Pope' separated by a gold 6-pointed star, and below that in smaller blackletter text reads 'Chicago-style with Everything'.

The weekend project was doing a real version of the Chicago-Style Pope. I hope we're all still excited about the pope.

🖼️ www.inprnt.com/gallery/phin...

👕 octophant.threadless.com/designs/da-p...

Grackle got no boss

bsky.app/profile/phin...

Chicago-Style Pope. A white man with a robust dark mustache wearing sunglasses along with the formal white and gold garb of the pope. The space inside his mitre is filled with oversized Chicago hot dog toppings (tomato, sport peppers, green relish, a pickle) and some yellow mustard is running down the front of the hat. In his left hand he’s holding a good staff topped by a gilded Italian beef sandwich with a little halo and he’s making a blessing gesture with his right hand.

A great blue heron posing in left facing profile among rocks and river. Looking handsome as all get out.

On top of some rocks, looking left is a black crowned night heron. In a pool those rocks surround, with his head raised to the same height, is a great blue heron looking right, with roiling green river behind.

A black crowned night heron in right facing profile standing on a river rock with water behind. He sun is catching out his round red eye making him look hilariously manic.

A black crowned night heron perched on a branch in a tree looking left surrounded by new leaves

Did you want some more of yesterday's herons? No? Too late now.

Some more Big Blue portraits from yesterday 🪶

YouTube video by CaptainValor Jonathan Coulton - First of May - ASL Song

It's that time again, for all who celebrate
youtu.be/gEjRHFom1Kk?...