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Gregory Rothman @gregoryrothman.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

#TheDivers for #BirdOfTheDay today. A grab shot of a #pelican just after it boomed into the water for a meal. Scared the hell out of me. Taken in the Sea of Cortez off of Los Islotes. #EastCoastKin #ECK #photographersunited #birds

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Clive @stonesphotographs.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

For todays #BirdOfTheDay theme #TheDivers and Alt theme: #BirdStare I give you Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe (Honest it is) Gannett and a Puffin #Nature #Wildlife @rspb.bsky.social #EastCoastKin #ThePhotoHour #Birds

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The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

9/11 victim Michael Massaroli’s son: "You do my dad's legacy & the legacy of all victims no honor using this tragedy to spread hate. I've had to spend 25 years seeing people use it to hate on our Muslim brothers & sisters, people who don't look like them."

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Steven Beschloss @stevenbeschloss.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

I said this years ago. It's been obvious. It remains obvious. It's a tragedy for our country.

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Gregory Rothman @gregoryrothman.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

#birdoftheday #strikeapose The Blue Heron would not move. I took the photo even though this is his bad side. If he complains, it’s his own damn fault. #EastCoastKin #ECK #PhotographersUnited

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Gregory Rothman @gregoryrothman.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Haven’t been posting lately. My apologies. Got an elderly dog with issues. She’s moving in the right direction, though, so hopefully will be back at it soon.

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Gregory Rothman @gregoryrothman.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

#BirdOfTheDay theme is #EgretsAndHerons Alt is #Yellow -yellow feathered bird. While night herons are able to pull of rat tails into their dying days- respect, I find the juveniles more fashionable sans the rat tail & formal colorations #ECK #Birds #ArtYear #PhotographerUnited #NorthPond

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Gregory Rothman @gregoryrothman.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

This is Charlie, a juvenile #GreatBlueHeron, aka Don Quixote.This is another shot from his terrifying “REED BATTLE ROYALE.” I love the curl of feathers on his/her? right wing. #BirdOfThDay #yourchoice #Birds #ECK #ArtChallenges #EastCoastKin #PhotographersUnited #UrbanWildlife #NikonZ8

A juvenile Great Blue Heron stands in shallow, rippling water, wings raised high and half-folded above its back in a moment of unbalanced motion. The wings dominate the upper left of the frame — layered slate-grey and blue-grey feathers fanning outward, the primaries splayed like spread fingers, individual barbs catching the light. The bird's body is a mottled grey-white, fluffy and slightly disheveled, with rain-like flecks of pale streaking down the chest.

The long neck curves down and to the right in an S-shape, ending in a heavy yellow-grey dagger bill that grips a thin willow branch. Green willow leaves trail from the stick down into the water. The head is pale grey with a spiky black crest and a bright yellow eye ringed dark. Two thin legs plunge into water thrown up in spray and droplets around them.

The background is soft-focus green water, a fallen log along the top edge, and blades of reed grass entering from the upper right. Bottom left: "©Gregory Rothman 2025."

- That stick-battle is likely practice, not play with purpose — young herons rehearse nest-material handling and bill dexterity long before they'll ever build one.
- Herons have specialized "powder down" feathers on the chest that crumble into a fine dust; they use it with a comb-like serrated middle claw to blot fish slime off their plumage.
- The S-curve neck is structural: an elongated sixth vertebra acts as a hinge, letting the head fire forward like a released spring.
- Despite a six-foot wingspan, an adult weighs only about 5–6 pounds.
- Their eyes shift toward binocular vision at night — they hunt in near-darkness comfortably.

- Great Blue Herons are essentially monomorphic — males average slightly larger with a marginally thicker bill, but the ranges overlap so heavily that a single photo can't tell you. The plumage does reveal is age: the solid dark crown (no white crown stripe), lack of long head and breast plumes, and the shaggy, loosely streaked neck all mark this as a juvenile.

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Gregory Rothman @gregoryrothman.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Had to repost. Accidently tattooed the first image…🥹 Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #MultiColour, birds with 3 or more colors. Alt #DucksOutOfWater Barely Squeaking in, this guy greeted us at breakfast each morning in Dominica. #Bananaquit ( #CoerebaFlaveola) #ECK #Birds #photographersunite

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Gregory Rothman @gregoryrothman.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #MultiColour, birds with 3 or more colors. Alt #DucksOutOfWater Barely Squeaking in, this guy greeted us at breakfast each morning in Dominica. #Bananaquit ( #CoerebaFlaveola) #ECK #Birds #photographersunited

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Louise @bombaycrone.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

#Texas Make the right choice.

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Gregory Rothman @gregoryrothman.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

The #BirdOfTheDay theme is #Grey, any bird with Grey in its plumage. The Alt theme is #RedBeaks Green Heron at the usual locale-N Pond #ECK #UrbanWildlife #photographersUnited #Birds #NikonZ8 #EastCoastKin

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Christina Evans @christinae.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

This Reddish Egret white morph in classic canopy pose works for both #BirdoftheDay themes of #CHE and the alt #Memories. Memorable for how happy I was when I saw it, and for the image winning a national award and being published. #birds #photography #Florida

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KOJAMF🤘🖤🤘 @kojamf.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Ohh that's RICH @ohhthatsrich.bsky.social linktr.ee/ohhthatsrich

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Kort Duce @kortduce.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

A great blue heron takes flight at a nature area in Longmont, Colorado. The Boulder Flatirons are the mountains in the background. #BirdOfTheDay #SingersAndWingers #bird #birdphotography #ECK #birds #photography #birdsofbluesky #BirdsSeenln2026 #nature #wildlife #wildlifephotography

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Lecia Michelle @leciamichelle.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

The #BirdOfTheDay theme for today is #Corvidae. I think this is one of the best photos I've ever taken. #AmericanCrow #birds #photography #birdsofbluesky

Crow in flight with its wings at its sides. Blurred background in red, orange, green and brown.

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Gregory Rothman @gregoryrothman.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

@alan678.bsky.social for today's theme. The #BirdofTheDay theme is #ScreenFiller. I think this is a barely qualified, but if I don’t find the eagle image I’m thinking of, this will stand. #ECK #birds #SnowyEgret #EgrettaThula #photographersUnited #NikonZ8 #UrbanWildlife #SnowyEgret

This is an action photograph of a Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) captured mid-motion in shallow water.

The bird fills the frame with both wings fully spread in a dramatic V-shape, feathers splayed like white fans against a dark gray, blurred background of water and shoreline. Its entire body is brilliant white. The head faces the camera directly, showing the key identification features: a slender black bill, bright yellow facial skin (lores) between the eye and bill, and a pale yellow eye. One leg is lifted mid-stride, revealing the classic Snowy Egret combination of black legs with yellow feet — often called “golden slippers.”

The egret appears to be dashing or landing in the water, with splashes and droplets frozen around its lifted foot, and small ripples spreading across the calm, slate-gray surface. Wispy plume feathers trail from its head and chest, adding to the sense of movement.

The lighting is soft and overcast, making the white plumage glow against the moody dark water. A photographer’s credit, “©Gregory Rothman 2026,” appears in gold text in the lower right corner.

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M Meerkat @kackbro.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Bernie's Correct, Again......

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Gregory Rothman @gregoryrothman.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Sorry for late postings #BirdofTheDay #buttshott #openbeak. Twofer twofer a #buttshot & #openbeak with an image amputation of one #butt , an an elegant single tush. I forgetting to hit post… #ECK #PhotographersUnited #Birds #urbanWildlife #NPond #NikonZ8

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Gregory Rothman @gregoryrothman.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

#birdoftheday #orange I believe these are trumpeter swans. This was from a trip to Hokkaido.

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Gregory Rothman @gregoryrothman.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

#BirdOfTheDay #Cutie, I regrettably post this which barely makes the grade if at all compared to Daniel Stunnell’s Puffin reposted below. This is a female #WoodDuck giving another stare down at N Pond.

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Gregory Rothman @gregoryrothman.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

Today’s #BirdOfTheDay is #QuietReflection any bird paused in thought. Alt #SunriseSunset. A #RedwingBlackbird pauses from strafing to consider the morality of his collective punishment of humans for their sin of destruction of nature. Easy. Back to strafing. #ECK #UrbanWildLife #NikonZ8 #Birds

A Red-winged Blackbird perches on green foliage in the foreground. This male bird displays glossy black plumage with bold orange-red and yellow shoulder patches called "epaulets"—distinctive badges visible on his wings. His posture is alert and upright, facing toward the left side of the frame.

A dramatic metropolitan skyline rises behind the bird. Multiple high-rise buildings dominate the view—gleaming towers in tan, beige, and glass create an urban canyon. A particularly tall, slender white building with a spire stands centrally, while darker glass-clad skyscrapers flank it. Tm.

Vibrant green vegetation fills the bottom foreground, providing natural framing for the bird. The contrast between nature and urban development is striking.

Some Facts about Red-winged Blackbirds
- If you didn’t know, males are fiercely territorial and use their bright epaulets as a dominance display—when threatened, they flash these patches to warn rivals
- These birds can produce over 100 distinct song variations
- They're found across North America and are among the most abundant birds on the continent
- Despite their aggressive behavior, they're social birds that often gather in flocks of thousands during migration

**Photo Credit:** © Gregory Rothman 2026

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Gregory Rothman @gregoryrothman.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

#BirdOfTheDay is #GreyDay any bird with grey. Alt - #ShowingOff, any bird, who in your opinion, is doing exactly that. “ Spencer couldn’t walk along the pond’s edge like the Herons. He always must be the center of attention. #birds #photography #ECK #SnowyEgret #EastCoastKin #PhotographersUnited

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Dr. Genevieve Guenther (she/they) @doctorvive.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

Today I learned that one of the principal architects of the Moderna Covid-19 Vaccine is a Black woman named Kizzmekia Corbett. Why didn't I know this before? #Racism #Sexism

a picture of Kizzmekia Corbett, wearing a white collared shirt and smiling warmly into the camera

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RandyLand @randyland65.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Global warming is real .... just slow

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Gregory Rothman @gregoryrothman.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

The #BirdOfTheDay theme today is #Raptors, the alt is #Passerine. In August 2018, we did a family trip to Alaska with my Dad. It would be our last with him. I look at this photo and am reminded. We miss you. #BaldEagle #HaliaeetusLeucocephalus #EastCoastKin #ECK #PhotographersUnited #NikonZ8

A bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) stands on a flat gray granite rock, facing right, with a backdrop of dense evergreen junipers or cedars. Its iconic white head and tail contrast with dark brown body feathers. Its sharp yellow beak and piercing eye face right, and its powerful yellow legs and talons grip the rock's textured surface. Faint cracks run across the stone beneath it. A photo credit, "©Gregory Rothman 2018," appears in the lower right corner.

A few lesser-known facts about bald eagles:

— "bald" comes from an old English word "balde," meaning white, referring to the white head.
- They aren't true eagles in the genus Aquila; they belong to the sea eagle group (Haliaeetus), more closely related to kites than to golden eagles.
- Bald eagles don't get their white head and tail until about 4–5 years old; juveniles are mottled brown and are often mistaken for golden eagles.
- Their high-pitched, somewhat weak-sounding call is rarely used in movies — the "eagle screech" you usually hear in films is actually a red-tailed hawk.
- They're notorious kleptoparasites, frequently stealing fish caught by other birds, especially ospreys.
- Their nests are among the largest of any bird species, sometimes reaching over 4 feet wide and weighing close to a ton after years of reuse and additions.
- They have a nictitating membrane, a third translucent eyelid that sweeps across the eye to protect and moisten it without blocking vision.

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Gregory Rothman @gregoryrothman.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

Seen rushing home to change, this was Albert’s first visit to Iceberg Club-the coolest cool spot in Antarctica. He failed to read the entire dress code until at the door - 1.Formal Wear required 2.No Shoes No Entry -Strictly enforced. #BirdOfTheDay #OutForAWalk #ECK #photographersUnited #Birds

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Gregory Rothman @gregoryrothman.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Titled “Walt Minnow’s Last Portrait,” moments before being dispatched, “despatched” in the UK, by a #LeastBittern. An apparent irregular visitor that completely caught him off guard. #BirdOfThedDay theme is #LongLegs, Alt is #MultiColor, #ECK #photographersUnited #Birds #IxobrychusExilis

A small wading bird perches on a mossy, wet rock at the edge of a shallow pool or stream. It has just snatched a tiny fish from the water, which is visible caught in the tip of its long, pointed orange-and-dark beak. Water droplets stream dramatically back down into the pool below. The bird has a striking black cap, warm chestnut-brown neck and sides, creamy white underparts, and long yellow-green legs with prominent curved claws gripping the stone. The background is softly blurred in dark greens and browns, keeping full focus on this precise hunting moment. Photo credit: © Gregory Rothman 2026.

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This is a **Least Bittern** (*Ixobrychus exilis*), North America's smallest heron.

At just 28–36 cm tall, it's tiny enough to straddle reeds over open water rather than wade like larger herons.
Its hunting strike is lightning-fast, the neck coils like a spring, then launches the beak forward with precision.
Its eyes are positioned to look *downward*, giving it binocular vision aimed perfectly at the water below.
When threatened, it freezes upright with its bill pointed skyward, blending into surrounding marsh reeds.
Despite its small size, it can catch prey nearly as large as its own head.

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Gregory Rothman @gregoryrothman.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Alan H’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is #InFlight, birds in flight. The alt is #BlurBirds, blurry bird shots. I submit this…three’fer. Not only in flight and out of focus, but yeah, chopped off out of frame. Of course it’s screeching. A female #AmericanKestrel? #ECK #PhotographersUnited #Bird #urbanWildlife

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Gregory Rothman @gregoryrothman.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

#BirdOfTheDay theme is #TheGathering Images showing flocks, colonies, or communal behaviour. Here we see a family of Wood Duck’s and everyone is declared safe from the stalking snapper’s.

Female Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) with Ducklings

A female Wood Duck stands on a weathered, mossy log partially submerged in a calm, greenish pond. She has her wings dramatically spread wide, her brown-speckled plumage and distinctive white eye-ring clearly visible. Surrounding her on the log are seven tiny, fluffy ducklings — dark brown with pale yellow undersides — clustered closely around her feet. Rain droplets are visible on the water’s surface. The photo is crisp and beautifully composed, credited to Gregory Rothman, 2026.

Wood Ducks are cavity nesters: Wood Ducks nest in tree hollows sometimes 60 feet off the ground. Within 24 hours of hatching, ducklings leap from the nest cavity — a free-fall the tiny birds survive thanks to their light weight and fluffy down.
• Remarkable recovery: By the early 1900s, Wood Ducks were nearly extinct due to overhunting and habitat loss. Conservation efforts and nest box programs helped them rebound to become one of North America’s most common ducks.
• The mother calls, ducklings jump: She doesn’t carry them down — she flies to the ground and calls, and the ducklings leap on their own, one by one.
• The male looks very different: The female’s subtle brown camouflage contrasts sharply with the male’s stunning iridescent green, chestnut, and white plumage — one of the most colorful ducks in North America.
• Wings spread = alert posture: The mother’s open wings here likely signal she’s drying off, stretching, or responding to a perceived nearby threat.

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Gregory Rothman @gregoryrothman.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

I don’t know if this strictly meets today’s theme. You decide. #BirdOfTheDay and his theme is #BadFeatherDay #LeastBittern #SPond #ECK #PhotographersUnited

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Gregory Rothman @gregoryrothman.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

At the height of the Dutch Tulip Mania of 1634-1637, a single the highly prized Semper Augustus bulb, sold for as much as 10,000 guilders. The single bulb's value in modern terms is ~ $1 million - $15 million. #coloraday #bluetue #bloomscrolling #tulips #ECK #PhotographersUnited

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Digital Brain @yourdigitalbrain.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

A rare glimpse of a pangolin enjoying a mud bath. These shy creatures, covered in scales, rarely show such joy in the wild.

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Gregory Rothman @gregoryrothman.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

This is an old, but favorite image. A #waterlily taken in Ubud Bali in the pond in front of the hotel. #yellowthu #coloraday #bloomscrolling #EastCoastKin #ECK #NymphaeaCaerulea

A single water lily bloom rises on a slender, dark stem above a still pond. The flower sits slightly left of center and is the clear focal point of the image.

The bloom is fully open, with two rings of elongated petals radiating outward in a star-like pattern. The petals are a soft violet-purple on their upper surfaces, deepening to a richer magenta-pink near the base. The heart of the flower is a vivid, warm golden-yellow, filled with densely packed stamens tipped with tiny lavender-purple anthers, creating a striking color contrast.

Behind and below the flower, large, flat lily pads in deep green spread across the water’s surface. They overlap one another and vary slightly in shade. The water beneath is dark and barely visible. In the upper left, a dark, unopened bud on its own stem hints at a bloom yet to come.

The background is softly blurred (shallow depth of field), keeping all attention on the flower. The overall mood is calm, lush, and serene. A photographer’s copyright water

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Luca @lucagalletti.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

Oropherion, the Martial Eagle. Martial eagles are officially classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Populations of Africa's largest eagle are fast declining primarily due to direct human persecution and rapid habitat alteration. TT: Nathalie Denolf

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michaeledward @michaeledward.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

Scientists have discovered a tiny blue octopus lurking beneath the waters near the Galápagos Islands. About the size of a golf ball, the newly identified deep-sea species was found nearly 1,800 meters below the surface during an expedition in the Pacific Ocean.

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