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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 06/08/2024

Stuck the landing! 10.0 on execution which will combine with a meager 4.0 on difficulty to give a respectable 14. Not the highest score in this owlympic games, but for a competitor of their age (>1) and with an injury, they should be very proud. . . . 🐡🌿 🌎🪶 San Francisco, CA 📸 300mm, F5.6, 1/1600

A brown and tan great horned owl stands on a minor stump that jets out from an oak tree's trunk where a thick branch once grew. The owl's feet are clearly visible on the tree and its left wing is partially raised in the air, the bird having just landed from flight.

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 05/08/2024

A lucky moment in GGP with this Great Horned Owl. I'm not so familiar with bird injuries, but its right eyebrow ain't looking too good. Anyone seen this before? . . . 🐡🌿 🌎🪶 San Francisco, CA 📸 300mm, F5.6, 1/1600

A great horned owl flys towards the camera, its wings paused midway through an upbeat, splayed out with the white and black feathers backlight by the sun. Its yellow eyes gaze behind the camera. The background is a mottled mixture of oak-tree branches and nebulous green leaves.

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 12/07/2024

tbd on if assembly was even done at this point, this might just be what fell out of the box

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 12/07/2024

Fully support this. One should always rewatch Young Fronkenstein

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 12/07/2024

A coyote pup, having a roll, roll, roll in z hay . . . 🐡🌿🦊 🌎 Tahoe, CA 📸 300mm, F5.6, 1/1600

A coyote pup is seen laying on its back with its paws in the air and it's tail slightly arched upward. Its face is curled back towards its tail, maw open in a playful attempt to bite the tail.

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 09/07/2024

Pup butt. After meandering away from the group, this one came bounding back into the grass to start stalking up on its littermates (off-camera in the upper left background). . . . 🐡🌿🦊 🌎 Tahoe, CA 📸 300mm, F5.6, 1/1600

Bounding into a field of tall brown and green grass, a coyote pup can be seen with its back to us, its little butt clearly visible as the rest of it disappears into the grass.

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 08/07/2024

Smiles all around as these pups came tumbling out of the tall grass. . . . 🐡🌿🦊 🌎 Tahoe, CA 📸 300mm, F5.6, 1/1600

A close up image of four coyote pups, each looking engaged and playful as they run alongside one another, tongues out and eyes alight with youthful joy.

A group of four coyote pups can be seen running in a close pack out from tall grass, their ears perked up and mouths open as they nip and play with one another mid-run.

Same general description as the previous picture, however now more of the pups' faces can be seen, tongues out and flopping as they run.

The group is now blurry as they begin to tumble and fall into the tall grass.

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 05/07/2024

mischief is a foot (a floof?) . . . 🐡🌿🦊 🌎 Tahoe, CA 📸 300mm, F5.6, 1/1600

A coyote pup's head can be seen poking up out of some tall grass in a meadow of brown and green grass.

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 03/07/2024

A joyful coyote pup zoomie . . . 🐡🌿🦊 🌎 Tahoe, CA 📸 300mm, F5.6, 1/1600

Three coyote pups can be seen in a brightly lit meadow. Two are standing next to each other having just been wrestling. The third is running away from the group towards the lower right corner of the picture, its ears tucked back and mouth open. The running pup seems to be having a great time.

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 02/07/2024

In a stroke of dumb luck, I got to watch a gaggle of coyote pups playing in a meadow while passing through Tahoe. It. Was. Magical lol The pics aren't stellar. But, it'll give you a little preview into the unfettered joy of pups playing in a meadow 😍 🐡🌿🦊 🌎 Tahoe, CA 📸 300mm, F5.6, 1/1600

Three coyote pups stand in a meadow surrounded by tall grasses. Two of the pups are wrestling, one is standing with its head cocked looking back over its shoulder. In the background is an area of dark shaded undergrowth beneath Pine trees.

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 18/06/2024

Ha, that's the joy of freelance. Some people want that snark, so you can bring your style to the projects that want it. I think a certain level of excitement and snark is pretty valuable. Too stilted and the reader will disengage (imo).

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 18/06/2024

hahahaha I completely overlooked that part of it, didn't even cross my mind but that makes sense

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 18/06/2024

My shtick is that I deep dive on the science and prioritize scientific accuracy - so they tell me a subject or topic, then I go do a lit search and learn up on it and insist on a scientific reviewer. My goal is to write accurate, interesting stuff that helps people learn or feel intrigued.

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 18/06/2024

Other times its simply that the listed author doesn't have time to do the writing and story crafting. So they may give bullet points to a writer who then turns it into a draft. Then the author edits and molds it into the final article.

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 18/06/2024

...They want the expert's name out there and they want people to read what they have to say. But the expert may be a great scientist, but less than stellar story teller. If you can't keep people's attention, it's a lot harder to be known as a thought leader.

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 18/06/2024

Nah, I'm unattributed author (= ghost writer) for various reasons. Often companies want the writing to be associated just with them, so they're listed as the author. Other times its because the company wants to build up their own folks as subject matter experts. So....

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 18/06/2024

I've also helped write published papers because the listed authors needed a first draft, and have helped others write up website copy for their personal or laboratory pages. I think its just the sweet spot of understanding the material, having dedicated time to writing, and adding story flare.

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 18/06/2024

That's where I come in. I read up on the topic, learn from the researchers there, then try to tell a story with it. My audience is usually "researchers on their coffee break." Often pieces authored by thought leaders or CEOs were written by a 👻 too and then (maybe) edited by the listed author.

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 18/06/2024

Yea good q. It mostly comes down to the need for good story telling & accurate, nuanced descriptions of research. Biotechs, hospitals, non-profits -- all want to write about their work, but rarely have ppl who can do both (or have the time to do both)...

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 18/06/2024

Hey Ya'll, Some of you may know that I work as a scientific ghost writer (😎). If you work in science (🧪🔬🌿) and have about 10 minutes, I could use your help with a little informal survey. Please share it far and wide -- a higher N is always better. Thanks! www.surveymonkey.com/r/SZ23SQR

surveymonkey.com

Science Stories: What Do You Look For? Survey

Web survey powered by SurveyMonkey.com. Create your own online survey now with SurveyMonkey's expert certified FREE templates.

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 24/05/2024

*Thread* 3/3 Here, a pair of coyotes spotted the squirrelly commotion and began to hunt. I fear that this kind of event, while not directly feeding the coyotes, sets a precedent that humans can be accompanied by little furry snacks. 🐡🌿🦊 🌎🪶 San Francisco, CA 📸 135mm, F5.6, 1/400

A coyote walks away from the man, having altered course when it got too close to the man feeding squirrels. No squirrels can be seen.

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 24/05/2024

*Thread* 2/3 While I don't condone this practice, I understand there's a lot of psychological nuances involved. Still, there can be knock on effects when you encourage prey species to swarm. 🐡🌿🦊 🌎🪶 San Francisco, CA 📸 135mm, F5.6, 1/400

A coyote walks on a path not 10 feet from the man feeding squirrels. No squirrels can be seen.

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 24/05/2024

*Thread* 1/3 Sometimes, feeding coyotes isn't obvious or intended. Here, a person was feeding squirrels. 🐡🌿🦊 🌎 San Francisco, CA 📸 300mm, F5.6, 1/250

A pair of coyotes stand blurry in the foreground, their backs to the camera as they look on into the background. There, a man can be seen—partially obscured by the coyote—looking down into his backpack (where an unseen big bag of peanuts sat).

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 23/05/2024

Thems the rules, you just doing your part

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 23/05/2024

And of course, every incident has its rubberneckers 🐡🌿🦊 🌎🪶 San Francisco, CA 📸 300mm, F5.6, 1/1600

A great blue heron stands with a gopher hanging from its beak as a raven strides below the raven, looking up at the bird and the rodent.

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 23/05/2024

Shortly after the initial grab 🐡🌿🦊 🌎🪶 San Francisco, CA 📸 300mm, F5.6, 1/1600

A great blue heron stands in a grassy field with a tree trunk and green bushes behind it. The bird's head is downward as a gopher dangles from its beak.

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 23/05/2024

A zoomed out version. Also, note that the first image in this thread is mislabeled, should say 300mm for zoom. 🐡🌿🦊 🌎🪶 San Francisco, CA 📸 300mm, F5.6, 1/1600

A great blue heron strides through short grass with a limp gopher hanging from its beak.

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 23/05/2024

After watching this, I'm pretty sure that death by coyote is FAR better than death by heron. 🐡🌿🦊 🌎🪶 San Francisco, CA 📸 130mm, F5.6, 1/1600

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 08/05/2024

From out of the shadows, a curious dream, ephemeral in all but memory. (Resharing this one because why not 🤷‍♂️) 🐡🌿🦊 🌎 San Francisco, CA 📸 130mm, F5.6, 1/1600

A person lays on their back among green grass and white daisies, bathed in one strong beam of sunlight. The person's hands are resting limply above their head, which is propped up on a skateboard and covered by the person's shirt. In the shadowed grass beyond the person, a coyote looks on with curiosity.

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 07/05/2024

Watching curiously as people and dogs walk on the trail below. 🐡🌿🦊 🌎 San Francisco, CA 📸 300mm, F5.6, 1/250

A coyote stands in a tree clearing facing to the left of the picture frame, its ears perked up. Around it are lush green vines and bushes. The picture is framed by golden brown tree trunks on either side of the photo.

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 26/04/2024

Another couple shots from 4/20. I was lucky enough to be in a spot where I could see the coyotes emerge from the bushes and then proceed to cross the road one at a time, first wearily, then at speed. 🐡🌿🦊 🌎 San Francisco, CA 📸 300mm, F5.6, 1/2000

A coyote stands looking straight off to the right side of the picture frame. In the blurry background are 4 people staring at it, one with a phone raised to take a picture, another with a 3' long bong in one hand and the other raised, pointing at the coyote.

A blurry foreground image of a coyote standing and looking towards the background at four people, all staring in awe at the coyote. One person has their phone raised to take a picture, the rest have their hands full carrying picnic items, and one guy—adorned in a Celtics jersey with snowboarding sunglasses on—rests with his weight partially on a ~3' long bong.

A coyote runs across the sidewalk as three blurry figures look on in the background.

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 25/04/2024

Sleepy days, what better time to rest among the flowers? 🐡🌿🦊 🌎 San Francisco, CA 📸 300mm, F5.6, 1/160

A coyote lays at the base of two diverging tree trunks. Next to is a bushel of purple flowers blooming out from among deep green leaves. The coyote is yawning.

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 24/04/2024

Yeah, it’s definitely uphill. But, can’t crest it if we don’t try :) props on keeping up with it and here’s hoping we both find some measure of success!

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 24/04/2024

Ugh, editing error: Best to keep a distance between the ***coyote*** and you+your dog. Do not distance yourself from your dog.

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 24/04/2024

*Note that that last picture wasn't from the same encounter, but I suspect is the same coyote.

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 24/04/2024

🧵 On Bold Coyote Behavior: This is not to provoke fear, but to encourage positive co-existence. Coyotes are important in many ways, but they're also wild animals who deserve respect, and that means recognizing and reinforcing mutual boundaries. 🐡🌿🦊 🌎 San Francisco, CA 📸 300mm, F5.6, 1/2000

A man lays on the ground with a shirt over his face, sunbathing. About 5 yards away, a coyote looks at him curiously.

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 24/04/2024

🧵 On Bold Coyote Behavior: (3) Keep control over tense situations by leashing your pets. 🐡🌿🦊 🌎 San Francisco, CA 📸 300mm, F5.6, 1/2000

A coyote can be seen from behind, walking away from the camera towards a man and his german shepherd. The man is glancing back over his shoulder at the coyote.

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 24/04/2024

🧵 On Bold Coyote Behavior: (2) If the yote persists, haze it by getting loud, clapping, and throwing items between you and the yote (not at it, as your goal is to deter, not harm). Do this as you slowly leave the area. Cracking a belt works well. 🐡🌿🦊 🌎 San Francisco, CA 📸 300mm, F5.6, 1/2000

A coyote walks towards a dog in this distance who is looking in the opposite direction

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 24/04/2024

🧵 On Bold Coyote Behavior: A few additional tips: (1) Best to keep a large distance between you+your dog and to calmly leave the area; 🐡🌿🦊 🌎 San Francisco, CA 📸 300mm, F5.6, 1/2000

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 24/04/2024

🧵 On Bold Coyote Behavior: This could be escorting behavior, reckless curiosity, boldness born out of habit, or other such reasons. Hard to say. But, if this happens to you, report it at at BayAreaCoyote.org 🐡🌿🦊 🌎 San Francisco, CA 📸 120mm, F5.0, 1/2000

A coyote crosses behind a man and his dog

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 24/04/2024

🧵 On Bold Coyote Behavior: After approaching the dog and its owner, this coyote persisted in following them (at a slower pace) for about 10 yards before peeling off into some nearby trees. 🐡🌿🦊 🌎 San Francisco, CA 📸 120mm, F5.0, 1/2000

A coyote walks alongside a man and his dog

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Stephen Riffle, Ph.D. @eyaspectre.bsky.social · 24/04/2024

🧵 On Bold Coyote Behavior: Lots of reports of a coyote in GGP approaching dogs and people. Last week I saw a few ex of this, one shown in this thread. The coyote had seen a dog and its owner nearby. The coyote reversed course to walk towards the pair. 🐡🌿🦊 🌎 San Francisco, CA 📸 120mm, F5.0, 1/2000

A coyote walks with its head lowered, ears flared to the side, and tail between its legs, intently focused on something off to the right of the camera.

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