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Teach Honest History

@Cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy
29 followers 2 following 417 posts

Retired software engineer living in Virginia, USA, happily married, wildlife photography (mostly birds) is my main hobby. I support democracy and embrace […] [bridged from mindly.social/@Cliftographer on the fediverse by fed.brid.gy ]

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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 17/10/2026
@jason Of course. But then if you don't buy it, Snowmageddon awaits!
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 16/10/2026
Great #egret, red-eared slider #turtles, and snapping turtles, oh my! Not too surprised that the sliders and snappers get along OK, but if I were that egret I'd keep an eye out on that big snapper. Snappers have been known to attack wading birds. Alexandria […] [Original post on mindly.social]
Multiple turtles and a great egret are sunning themselves on a partially submerged log in a shallow pond. All of them are oriented toward the right so the sun is shining on their backs. The egret is on the far right and the turtles closest to the egret appear to be red-eared sliders. On the left end of the log there are snapping turtles and at least one more red-eared slider. One of the snapping turtles is a large adult specimen.
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 15/10/2026
A great egret in the morning sun, reflecting on Fall life at the pond and reflected in the water below. Alexandria, Virginia, USA 13-OCT-2026. #birds #birdphotography #naturephotography
A great egret is perching on a tiny island in a pond amid some Fall brush and greenery.  Its body is facing the camera but its head is facing toward the morning sun to the left of the photo. The neck is contracted in a tight S-curve shape.  There is a high quality reflection of the entire scene in the water in the foreground.
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 14/10/2026
Liftoff! A lesser yellowlegs takes flight at Huntley Meadows Park, Alexandria, Virginia, USA 13-OCT-2026 #birds #birdphotography #naturephotography
A lesser yellowlegs shore bird is seen nearly straight on in flight with its wings spread wide. It is low over a shallow pond and some vegetation can be seen poking through the water.
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 14/10/2026
Veteran wildlife photographers and birders have seen this 1,000 times - the plunge, the catch, and the toss. But as an occasional amateur who has only been at this a few years, it's still a bit of a thrill to see and capture it. Great blue heron, Alexandria […] [Original post on mindly.social]
A great blue heron is seen in profile wading in a shallow pond. The heron has plunged its head down into the water which covers most of its long beak. There is a reflection of the heron in the rippled water. Most of the water appears green reflecting the foliage on the shore, but some of the water where the heron was wading reflects the blue sky.A great blue heron is seen in profile wading in a shallow pond. The heron has just caught a fish which is seen near the end of the heron's beak. The tip of the beak has just emerged from the water. There is a reflection of the heron in the rippled water. Most of the water appears green reflecting the foliage on the shore, but some of the water where the heron was wading reflects the blue sky.A great blue heron is seen in profile wading in a shallow pond. The heron has its head raised and its beak is open wide. In the opening of the beak a small fish appears airborne as it is being tossed back into the heron's gullet. There is a reflection of the heron in the rippled water. Most of the water appears green reflecting the foliage on the shore, but some of the water where the heron was wading reflects the blue sky.
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/10/2026
A pair of goldfinches looking very gold in the morning sun. My paranoid self imagines that the male on the left is leaning in toward the female and saying something unflattering about the photographer. Alexandria, Virginia, USA 13-OCT-2026. #birds #birdphotography #naturephotography
Two American goldfinches are perched together on small twig-like branches in a mostly barren tree. The male on the left is turned toward the female on the right. The female is facing the camera but with head tilted toward the male. There is bright blue sky in the background which contrast well with the golden yellow birds whose color is accentuated by the color of the morning sunlight.
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Reposted by Teach Honest History
fredc @fredc.pixey.org.ap.brid.gy · 11/10/2026
Reflected ©️ Frederick Calica 🏘️ Vieux Port ➕ GC5X+4QC Montreal, Quebec 📆 Saturday, October 10, 2026 at 8:30 PM #StreetPhotography #montreal
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 09/10/2026
Here’s my take on the planned public live stream of a firing-squad #execution of the #FortHood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan: It is snuff porn for anti-Islamic #MAGA sadists. #politics #USApol
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 07/10/2026
Almost a bird-in-flight shot! Least sandpiper about to launch into flight. Alexandria, Virginia, USA 5-OCT-2026. #birds #birdphotography #naturephotography
A least sandpiper in very shallow water is shown in profile with its wings upraised as it is about to launch into flight. The bird's reflection appears in the water.
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 06/10/2026
Great egret departures and arrivals. Alexandria, Virginia, USA 5-OCT-2026 #birds #birdphotography #naturephotography
A great egret is seen in profile flying over open water with its wings spread wide and its feet dangling down.A great egret is seen flying low over very shallow water. The wings and head are pulled back but the legs are extended far forward.  It's clear from this pose that the egret is just about to touch down in the shallow water.
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Reposted by Teach Honest History
Michael Fenichel @drmike.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 06/10/2026
Door/Doorway in Prague Revisiting some lost-now-found images from over 20 years of digital, many lost to Google +, and many still online in my own 'self-walking tour' collection @ www.fenichel.com/prague Also in an "album" on Flickr, getting large. @ […] [Original post on mastodon.social]
Photograph by Fenichel: Doorway in Prague

A carefully crafted wooden door is framed by wooden panels above and to the side, in darker toned wood. The door itself has a metal lock and curved carved lines. Above the door are some shapes in the wood, and a vertical bar between sides. Above that is anothercarving, with curved top to meet the stone above.
Framing the entire dooreway is stone/masonry formed in an arch above the door and woodwork. In the foreground is the stone sidewalk.
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 05/10/2026
Shorebirds seem to prefer open mudflats but this one lesser yellowlegs was determined enough to find a nice snack poking through shallow water. Alexandria, Virginia, USA 5-Oct-2026. #birds #birdphotography #naturephotography
A lesser yellowlegs shorbird is walking in very shallow water at the edge of a pond. He/she has what appears to be a snail of some kind in its beak. The bird is seen in profile with one leg bent in mid-stride. There are some ripples in the water near where the bird was walking and a good quality reflection of this scene in the water.
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 02/10/2026
Full story behind the legend of Bunny Man Bridge: wamu.org/story/17/10/31/true-story-…
wamu.org
The True Story Of The Bunnyman, Northern Virginia's Most Gruesome Urban Legend
According to the Bunnyman legend, Clifton, Virginia, is haunted by a roving murderer in a bunny costume. Where does fact end and fiction begin?
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 02/10/2026
"Don't go near this bridge on Halloween, or the Bunny Man will kill you with his hatchet!" Or so the #UrbanLegend of Bunny Man Bridge in Clifton, Virginia, USA goes. But it was a sunny morning so I thought it safe to stop briefly and take this photo of the […] [Original post on mindly.social]
A one-lane country road leads away from the viewer and through the arched portal of a short underpass.  The underpass has a cement facade and lining with heavy wooden beams above to stabilize the soil.  Railroad tracks pass laterally overhead. There are large mature trees and grass and a white rail fence to one side.  The dappled sunlight filtering through the trees enhances the pleasant countryside ambience in stark contrast to the vivid and gruesome urban legend surrounding this location.
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 19/09/2026
The eye of this green heron looks like some kind of plastic button to me, not an actual eye. It was hanging out close to the boardwalk so this photo is only slightly cropped. Alexandria, Virginia, USA 14-SEP-2026. #birds #birdphotography #naturephotography
The head and upper neck of a green heron are seen in profile. This is a close-up view and the bird fills most of the image.  There are lush green marsh plants in the background.
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 18/09/2026
Another 'birdscape' with a great egret and a stumpy island. I had to wait for the egret to turn this way to get the composition I wanted. Alexandria, Virginia, USA 14-SEP-2026 #birdscape #birds #birdphotography #naturephotography
A great egret at the left edge of the photo is wading in very shallow water and facing to the right. It appears to be looking at a tiny island with some old weathered tree stumps and a small fallen tree that occupies the middle and right foreground of the photo.  In the background there are more logs and stumps and dense green foliage of the far shore of the pond.
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 17/09/2026
My wife says this great egret looks like a bowling pin and now I can't stop seeing that. Alexandria, Virginia, USA 14-SEP-2026. #birds #birdphotography #naturephotography
A great egret is wading in a pond with its legs almost completely covered is seen from the rear. The body is upright and its neck is fully stretched and almost perfectly vertical, with the head turned slightly turned. The slender body as seen at this angle resembles a 10-pin bowling pin. There is a good quality reflection of the entire bird in the slightly rippled water in the foreground.
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 16/09/2026
Teach Honest History @cliftographer.bsky.social · 27s At first I tried to find a location where I could get a shot of this great egret without that stunted-tree-island being 'in the way'. Then I realized, hey that's actually a nice sculptural element for a […] [Original post on mindly.social]
A great egret is perched in a hunched-down pose in the shallow water of a pond in the middle distance of this photo.  In the foreground There is a small island-like outcropping with some greenery and a stunted mostly dead tree with multiple short thick limbs pointing at odd angles along with some smaller branches.
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 16/09/2026
Ma and Pa #grasshopper posed very nicely for their couples portrait but getting the whole family in the photo was a whole different story! Alexandria, Virginia, USA 14-SEP-2026. #herps #naturephotography
Two grasshoppers,  dark brown female at upper left, and brown and green at lower right are almost side-by-side as seen from above.Six grasshoppers are seen from above in various poses on a large leaf.  Two large adults, female and male at upper left are the same as shown in the previous photo.
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 15/09/2026
How about a birdscape with a great blue #heron surveying his domain? Gender differentiation with GBH's is tough, but I'm going with male due to the extensive 'chest hair' ornamental plumage. The golden light on the background water evokes a vision of the coming […] [Original post on mindly.social]
A great blue heron is seen in the middle distance of the photo standing on one of many tiny island-like outcroppings in the shallow water of a pond.  Part of the far shore covered in shrubbery is seen in the left background. The upper right shows the open waters of the pond with a pale green and gold reflection of the morning light. The mood is serene.
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 14/09/2026
If you are tired of all the ugliness being shoved in your face, than take a moment, breathe, and gaze upon the elegance of a great egret in flight. Huntley Meadows Park, Alexandria, Virginia, USA 14-SEP-2026. #birds #birdphotography #naturephotography
A great egret in flight with its wings spread wide. It's banking to the right and its legs are down indicating it's about to set back down in the shallow water of the pond beneath. There is good detail of the feathers. On the far shore there are logs and dense greenery.
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 11/09/2026
Nice to see a US court knocking down another Trump abuse of emergency powers. Trump's love of #coal is perverse. [I hope people can read the content at this link. The Washington Sun has many excellent people who left the Bezosified Washington Post] #politics #USApol […]
mindly.social
Original post on mindly.social
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 08/09/2026
@Powerfromspace1 I fully expect Fetterman to change parties and join the GOP after the mid-term.
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 01/09/2026
This snapping #turtle looks to me like it's blackened as from a bad fire, but my minimal research indicates that while uncommon, this color variation isn't anything to get too excited about. I wanted to learn of its life experiences but it wasn't granting […] [Original post on mindly.social]
A common snapping turtle is seen from above in very shallow water. The shell of the turtle is mainly a 'burnt orange' color and their are heavy black lines and ridges in the shell. The overall effect is similar to the appearance of a severly overcooked piece of beef.
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 31/08/2026
"Angel of the Mudflats" A lesser yellowlegs with its wings in the 'angel position' in flight in Alexandria, Virginia, USA 21-AUG-2026. #birds #birdphotography #naturephotography
A lesser yellowlegs shorebird seen head-on in flight low over the mudflats at the edge of a marsh. The wings are toward the back but pointing outwards in a pose often seen in classical depictions of angels.
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 29/08/2026
Some Good News! Virginia has removed 3 statues of Confederate generals from Capitol Square in Richmond, Virginia, USA. Donating & relocating them to Shenandoah battlefield parks. Change can happen when #Democrats take power. #USApol #civilwar #news #politics #history […]
mindly.social
Original post on mindly.social
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 27/08/2026
"Yes, did you have a question?" A lesser yellowlegs pauses in mid-stride to look my way. 21-Aug-2026. Alexandria, Virginia, USA. #birds #birdphotography #naturephotography
A lesser yellowlegs shorebirds walking left-to-right across a mud flat with just barely enough water to cover one foot. One foot is upraised in the beginning of a step forward.  The head is turned sharply to its right directly facing the camera.
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 26/08/2026
Up, up, and away! Two lesser yellowlegs taking flight. 21-Aug-2026. #birds #birdphotography #naturephotography
Two lesser yellowlegs shorebirds are taking off from a watery mud flat, flying right to left.  One bird on the left has its wings extended wide while the other bird on the right has its wings upraised. Reflections of both can be seen in the water below them.
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 25/08/2026
This is a male 'slaty skimmer' #dragonfly. I imagine that would be a good gang name -- "Did you hear, the slaty skimmers hit the liquor store on 3rd Street again?" #insects #insectphotography #naturephotography
A top view of a male slaty skimmer dragonfly with its wings spread wide perching on a thin wood stem, against an out-of-focus background of greenery. The body is a dark slate blue with a black head.
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 24/08/2026
This is an eastern comma #butterfly, a rather dull common name given its beauty and its much more provocative-sounding Latin species name libellula incesta. #Camouflage note, when its wings are folded up it looks like a dead leaf. #insects #insectphotography #naturephotography
An orange eastern comma butterfly with dark dark brown spots and dark brown trailing wing edges is seen with its wings spread wide on a surface of very small gray stones.An eastern comma butterfly with its wings up and closed, on a surface of tiny gray stones. The underside of the wings seen here are various shades of medium and dark brown. In this pose the butterfly can easily be mistaken for a dead leaf.
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 23/08/2026
A lesser yellowlegs looking majestic in the warm morning sun. Alexandria, Virginia, USA 21-AUG-2026. #birds #birdphotography #naturephotography
A lesser yellowlegs shorebird is seen flying with its wings spread wide across open water.  It's flying from right to left and the morning sun is illuminating the head, back, and wing feathers given them a warm glow.  The tail is fanned out wide and the legs are trailing down and behind.
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 23/08/2026
"My, what big antennae you have grandma!" Green #grasshopper, female (yes, the ladies wear brown not green. The females are also larger than the males). Alexandria, Virginia, USA 21-Aug-2026. #insect #insects #insectphotography #naturephotography
A large grasshopper is seen in profile on a vertical leaf. This is a female green grasshopper, colored brown instead of green. The photo is backlit allowing light to shine through the partly translucent upper leg.A 'head shot' of a female green grasshopper.  This shot gives a good view of the head, eyes, and prominent long antennae.
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 22/08/2026
This model struck a perky pose at the end of the runway. Lesser yellowlegs, Alexandria, Virginia, USA 21-Aug-2026. #birds #birdphotography #naturephotography
A lesser yellowlegs is seen walking across a mudflat at the edge of a marsh. The right leg is crossed in front of the left and the head and neck are turned to its right. The body is a speckled dark brown over a white background. The chest and belly area are mostly white.
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 21/08/2026
Shore birds like this lesser yellowlegs spend the vast majority of their time wandering around mud flats poking for grubs and such. So I was really happy to get this flight shot this morning. Huntley Meadows Park, Alexandria, Virginia, USA 21-AUG-2026. #birds #birdphotography #naturephotography
A medium-sized shorebird is seen in flight with its wings spread wide against a diffuse gray-blue background.  It's a lesser yellowlegs, and those yellow legs are seen trailing backward while it flies.  The bird is mostly a light grayish brown with darker specks. The wings are darker but the belly and rump area are nearly white.
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 20/08/2026
An illustration of shutter speed tradeoff when shooting hummingbirds. I used 1/2500s - slow for hummers. Beak & body sharp but wings quite blurry. Could've gone to 1/5000 or 1/8000 to freeze wings but with much higher ISO. #Nikon Z8, 1.4TC, 500PF, crop mode […] [Original post on mindly.social]
A female ruby-throated hummingbird is shown in profile hovering near a purple flower. The body, beak, eyes, and tiny feet are sharp. The wings, which are in mid-stroke and straight out from the body, are noticeably blurry to the relatively slow shutter speed (1/2500 second) used. The background is out-of-focus greenery.
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 18/08/2026
"You looking at me? You looking at ME!?!" American goldfinch, Alexandria, Virginia, USA 12-AUG-26 p.s. I posted this photo elsewhere and someone remarked that it looked like this bird was wearing sunglasses! #birds #birdphotography #naturephotography
A male American goldfinch is seen in profile perched on some decaying coneflower stems.  The goldfinch's head is turned so that it appears to be looking directly at the camera.
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 16/08/2026
@spacefeed.bsky.social So this feed is nothing but ads for stock on Amazon???
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 15/08/2026
The composition of this photo isn't the best, but the bee came out nicely enough and I really wanted to include more of that gorgeous blue flower, whatever it is. #bees #naturephotography #nature #wildlife
A large bee is clinging to a flower at the lower end of a plant stem.  There are more flowers near the top of the stem, varying from white to deep sky blue.
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 14/08/2026
Whatever troubles or challenges your are facing, would a photo of a hummingbird help? Alexandria, Virginia, USA 12-Aug-2026. #birds #birdphotography #naturephotography
A female ruby-throated hummingbird hovers with its wings outstretched and its long beak inserted into a small purple flower.
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/08/2026
Coneflower seeds, breakfast of champions! American goldfinch, male, Alexandria, Virginia, USA 12-Aug-2026. #birds #birdphotography #naturephotography
Male American goldfinch is shown in profile perching atop some coneflowers.  The coneflowers are long past peak bloom and have turned completely brown. The goldfinch has a couple of the seeds in its partly open beak. Background is soft-focus green vegetation.
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/08/2026
Is it just me, or is the @mindly.social server really struggling this morning? Very sluggish, long load times. #fediverse #Fediverse #performance
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 12/08/2026
"Don't shoot until you can see the veins in their ears!" I was actually searching (mostly in vain) for hummingbirds when I saw this #rabbit in the undergrowth. Is that a tick behind the ear, or some kind of growth? 12-AUG-2026 Alexandria, Virginia, USA […] [Original post on mindly.social]
Close-up of the  head of a rabbit partly obscured by vegetation.  The eye and ears are clearly visible, and the blood vessels in the right ear can be seen clearly from light shining through the thin ear tissue. There is a small spherical black object beneath the right ear that might be a tick.
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 11/08/2026
We got this canna lily plant in a 6" pot this Spring and apparently we planted it in a good spot. The plant is waist high now and has multiple blooms like this, each the size of my hand. #flowers #flowerphotography #bloomscrolling
A single large canna lily flower.  It has six large orange-pink petals visible in this view with large yellow-green leaves.
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 01/08/2026
@Nonilex Maybe time Israel provides for its own defense? Just a thought...
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 31/07/2026
@simonzerafa Love the pose! The angle just accentuates the inherent goofiness of these beautiful birds.
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 31/07/2026
Passing thought: Donald #Trump has the same respect and sensitivity toward #architecture and interior decorating as he has for the U.S. Constitution and the Rule of Law. #USAPOL #sarcasm #politics
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 28/07/2026
Celebrating 72 trips 'round ole Sol today. For no particular reason, here are two photos of an Eastern ribbon #snake. Alexandria, Virginia, USA 24-July-2026. #herps #snakes #wildlifephotography
An eastern ribbon snake is curled around an old shriveled brown leaf.  The head is visible and the long forked tongue is sticking out.Part of an eastern ribbon snake is seen in profile with a good view of the head. There is a small white patch in front of the eye that distinguishes it from a garter snake.
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Reposted by Teach Honest History
Joshua @desafinado.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 28/07/2026
Cascade. #garden #flowers #bloomscrolling #photography
Purple and pink blooms in front of a red stone building
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 27/07/2026
[Carnival barker voice] "Come one, come all, and see the amazing double-headed turtle!" Eastern Painted Turtles, Alexandria, Virginia, USA 24-July-2026. #herps #turtles #naturephotography
Two eastern painted turtles on a log in shallow water.  One turtle is facing to toward the lowerr left and has its head well out of its shell looking upward. There is another turtle behind the first one but its legs and most of its shell is concealed. The head is looking upward toward the upper right of the photo. The effect of the two together is such that at first glance it appears like a single turtle with an upturned head at both ends.
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Teach Honest History @cliftographer.mindly.social.ap.brid.gy · 26/07/2026
Anyone here fans of those tiny green tree frogs? Here's a quartet of photos I took this Friday. Alexandria, Virginia, USA 24-July-2026 #herps #frogs #GTF #naturephotography
A view of a half-hidden green tree frog perching in a near vertical pose on a reed.  The one eye that is visible is partly open and one can see the white underside of the frog.A side view of a green tree frog resting on the side of a reed.  The sun is shining from above and illuminating the frog's face. The one eye that is visible is partly open.A green tree frog resting on a large leaf as seen from directly above the frog.  This views shows the legs and toes nicely.A view of the top of a green tree frog.  This is an unusual view because the sun is behind the leaf shining through. This makes the leaf appear bright green and reveals the ribs and veins of the leaf clearly. The frog by contrast appears a darker green here.
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