Dad

ebird describes this bird as: A slender, long-billed warbler with distinctive pattern. Look for yellow throat, black mask, and black streaks on sides. All plumages are very similar; females and immatures often show a light buffy wash on the sides

ebird describes this bird as: A slender, long-billed warbler with distinctive pattern. Look for yellow throat, black mask, and black streaks on sides. All plumages are very similar; females and immatures often show a light buffy wash on the sides

New lifer part 2 with the yellow-throated warbler. They're apparently rare in central Iowa. I had first assumed it was a magnolia warbler, but I'm happy I was wrong.
#birds #naturephotograpy #ornithusiast

described on e-bird as: Bright yellow face with olive cheeks, crown, and back. Only breeding males have solid black throat. In all plumages, look for dark streaks on white flanks and yellow wash on vent.

described on e-bird as: Bright yellow face with olive cheeks, crown, and back. Only breeding males have solid black throat. In all plumages, look for dark streaks on white flanks and yellow wash on vent.

A quick birdwatching outing after dropping the kids off at school. New lifer number 1: black-throated green warbler.
#birds #naturephotography #ornithusiast

Somebody is mad that I greased the bird feeder pole
#birds

A turkey vulture perched in a distant tree seems to be watching a squirrel that is blurry in the foreground of the image. The squirrel is eating newly growing leaf buds.

#birds #naturephotography #ornithusiast

A yellow-rumped warbler peeks over a large lichen covered treebranch. Its white head with black eye stripe and black streaked breast are all that are visible. New leaf buds are blurry in the imaged foreground.

Spring may be here, but the spring migrators have been elusive so far... [yellow-rumped warbler]
#birds #naturephotography #ornithusiast

Bats are important, wonderful, beautiful creatures.

A comparison of four similarly blurry photos of a brown and white bird flying over water.

What do we think y'all? Rough winged swallow? Bank swallow? Seen today 18April2025 in central Iowa, USA.

#birds #naturephotography #ornithusiast

a trio of red-breasted mergansers, two male and one female, swimming near the stony shore of a river island. Males have a red-brown chest, white neck band, and green head with a shaggy Mohawk. females are brown and gray. Both males and females have long thin orange bills.

Red-Breasted Merganser was a nice addition to my life list. There were around 30 of them diving in a bit of faster moving water between shore and the stony island seen in the background.
#birds #naturephotography #ornithusiast

a group of more than 20 white pelicans standing or resting on a stony island in a river. the orange legs, and yellow beaks contrast their bright white feathers, and murky brown water nearby.

American white pelicans just below RedRock dam in Iowa.
#birds #naturephotography #ornithusiast

A very long haired, shaggy golden-doodle cuddling with a black and brown mastiff mutt

A Rosie and Sange cuddle puddle should help anyone feel relaxed.

I hate bursting bubbles, but it's a white orchid that they added blue dye while watering it. the plant will take up the dye with the water and it temporarily turns blue.

a hawk (either coopers or sharp-shinned), heavily obstructed by lichen covered tree branches. Its gray back feathers and striped tail can be seen, and an eye can just barely be seen past a branch.

This was the best photo I got of the hawk that scared off the smaller birds. I think it was a coopers hawk, but I still get them and sharp-shinned hawks mixed up.
#birds #ornithusiast #whatsthisbird

a black-capped chickadee looking to the left while perched on a thin treebranch. It's holding a pecked-open sunflower seed between its feet, resting on its twig perch. The chickadee has a black head and chin, with an acute triangle of feathers starting at its beak, running under its eye, to then wrap around the back of the head. it has white breast feathers, and gray and black wings. Its perched on a small twig, with gray, and yellow-green lichen growing on other nearby twigs

I only managed this shot because it was almost as if this chickadee was lost in thought. A partially eaten seed resting on a branch under it's feet. Although they're fairly common, I'm always happy to see a chickadee, and I was thrilled to get this great photo.
#birds #photography #ornithusiast

a hazy, blurry photo of a large weasel called a pine martin. it's brown fur stands out against the snow it's sitting in. The photo was taken through grass, underbrush, and some tree branches. The pine martin seems to have a food item in its mouth.

This pine martin was an un-targed highlight of my trip to @saxzimbog.bsky.social . A coopers hawk drove off the mixed flock of redpolls, pine siskin, chickadees, and nuthatches we were watching and as we were turning around to leave, my brother spotted it.
#naturephotography #photography

A male redpoll sitting near a cluster of lichen on a treebranch. Most of its feathers are light gray, with black and white wings. It has a dark red patch on its forehead, and some light red feathers along the top of its breast.

I don't have the best camera, or lenses, but I make due. This is one picture that could have been a bit better focused, but I still love it.
This redpoll was watching a flock of siskins at a birdfeeder, before being scared off by what I believe was a cooper's hawk.
#birds #photography #ornithusiast

a red-breasted nuthatch perched on the edge of a wooden birdfeeder. it has a black head, with a white streak that runs from it's bill, over its eye, down to its neck. Its back and wings are blue-gray to black, and it's breast feathers are a light reddish-brown color. The background is of blurred pinetrees.

While red-breasted nuthatches are native around me in Iowa, it took a trip to northern Minnesota to finally add it to my life list.
#birds #photography #ornithusiast

a male white winged crossbill working a pinenut from a small pinecone it harvested. It's perched on a pine branch, using it's crossed bill to wedge open the pinecone, working the pine nut free with it's tongue. The white winged crossbill is a mostly reddish pink color. Its black wings accented with a small patch of white.

This male white winged crossbill was a nice surprise. It was tough to get a clear picture of him while he harvested pine-nuts. I remember learning about their unique beak morphology in school, and it was so much fun seeing it in action.
#birds #photography #ornithusiast

a large great gray owl looks past the viewer, perched on a thin treebranch.. Its dark gray and brown feathers contrast the light gray overcast sky in the background. The white chin feathers were the only way I could tell the owl might have been looking my direction

The great gray owl was the main motivator for our trip to northern Minnesota. It was hard to tell when it was looking my direction, but fortunately if you take enough pictures, one or two are bound to look okay.
#birds

a male redpoll standing on snow, surrounded by a flock of pine siskin. The redpoll's dark red forehead, and light red breast feathers contrast the pine siskin's brown, white, and yellow feathers.

A male redpoll standing among a flock of pine siskin near @saxzimbog.bsky.social from last weekend's birding trip.
Taken on Canon Rebel T5 with 75mm-300mm kit lens.
#birds

A northern hawk owl staring at the photographer through a maze of tree branches. It's brown and white breast feathers are puffed out to combat the cold weather.

The best photo I managed to capture of the Northern Hawk Owl I saw at @saxzimbog.bsky.social last friday.
Taken on Canon Rebel T5 with 75mm-300mm kit lens.

A male evening grossbeak perched on a birdfeeder that looks like a log cabin. It has a gray-brown head with a bright yellow patch of feathers that look like a unibrow. Its beak is off white. The gray-brown color of the head fades into a bright yellow body, interrupted by white, then black streaks of wingfeathers. There are tree branches in the foreground and background. The overall color of the image suggests an overcast day.

I went on my first trip last weekend specifically for birding. I went to @saxzimbog.bsky.social with my dad and brother, and ended up adding 11 species to my life list in about 24hrs. It was a blast, and great to meet so many fellow birders. Image: Evening Grossbeak.
#addBirder #birds #photography

Finally, at the age of 34, I've beaten my first Pokemon game. I've always been interested, but wasn't allowed to play the games as a kid. I finally got around to picking up a DS and I hope to beat one game from each generation. Wish me luck!

#pokemon #gaming #abouttime

A mostly empty green 3.5 gallon bucket with a layer of popcorn crumblies on the bottom.

The aftermath...

A 3.5 gallon bucket filled with popcorn, held while waiting for my partner and gremlins in the bathroom. Ugly red movie theater carpet in the background.

Happy popcorn day!
#popcorn #movie #sonicthehedgehog

For the people in the back…

Every one of these cards has a fact about the animal on the front, *and* an action people can take to protect that animal.

We’re looking at cute art.
We’re learning about cool bugs.
We’re caring for our wildlife.

What are you waiting for?? Get this year’s valentines here
squidfacts.net

This is the moment of contact as a RedTail hawk knocks a bald eagle of it's perch. The RedTail has both legs out and down and both wings up and out. It hits it with it's breast bone. #birder

Just got back from a family vacation in Albuquerque. Go figure Iowa's weather followed us. I still managed to add 6 birds to my life list though.
#birds #Albuquerque #Iowa

Brown tan and white cat with a black spot on his nose, gazing at photographer while cuddling on blanket on photographers lap.

We just got back from vacation and I think Orsetto missed us. #cat #cute

A overfull rummikub rack where I couldn't play for an entire round.

My inlaws taught my partner and I how to play rummikub. Lady luck was not on my side...