Sign in

Nick Leiby

@nleiby.bsky.social
131 followers 358 following 40 posts

Alexandria, VA. Data, science, climbing, urbanism, sci fi, birds.

PostsRepliesMedia
Nick Leiby @nleiby.bsky.social · 14h
For the #BirdOfTheDay theme of #BlueSkies- a Black-winged Kite against a blue sky in Bontebok National Park, ZA. When the bird took off, it had a rodent clutched in its talons. #birds
A bird of prey with blood red eyes looks over its shoulder at the viewer.A bird of prey takes off from a branch with a rodent in claws.
1160
Nick Leiby @nleiby.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
For today's #BirdOfTheDay theme today of #WingsOpenNotFlying, a classic crucifix pose Anhinga drying its wings.
A black diving bird with a bill like a dagger strapped to its face, perched on a log with its wings stretched out.
2151
Nick Leiby @nleiby.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
A Scarlet-Bellied Mountain Tanager from Wayqecha, Peru for today's #blackandred theme for #birdoftheday. Please excuse the flashes of bright blue tucked away.
A bird with black and red (and some blue tucked away) plumage perched on a branch and looking over its shoulder.
1222
Reposted by Nick Leiby
By Cory Doctorow (GPG 0xBF3D9110957E5F4C) @doctorow.pluralistic.net · 24/09/2026
Ron Cobb’s original signage designs for Alien, made with felt tip pen and graph paper. humanoidhistory.tumblr.com/post/8286472...
71359376
Reposted by Nick Leiby
Tom VanAntwerp 🧙‍♂️ @tomvanantwerp.com · 18/09/2026
The first thing people say to me when I tell them about the existence of Flock is, "But don't we want to catch people speeding?" Then I have to explain that these aren't traffic cameras and they aren't used to catch speeders. This is a better explanation of the difference than I've ever managed.
These things are automated license plate readers, or ALPRs, a technology that works quite differently from traffic cameras (which only take photos of vehicles that commit moving violations) or CCTV security cameras (which don’t generate searchable data)—ALPRs indiscriminately record every vehicle that passes them and use AI to create a database of their movements over time. In other words, if traffic camera data tells us “a Honda ran this red light,” an ALPR says “oh, that Honda? I know her. She lives in Carlyle but her boyfriend lives in Van Dorn, she stays at his place every Friday. Also he’s cheating on her.”
1208
Reposted by Nick Leiby
By Cory Doctorow (GPG 0xBF3D9110957E5F4C) @doctorow.pluralistic.net · 18/09/2026
And also: the fact that you can use a statistical lookup table to predict what words someone is going to say doesn't mean you *understand* them, a fact that you will learn the minute that person says something *surprising*, like "I want a divorce."
333350
Reposted by Nick Leiby
CJ Ciaramella @cjciaramella.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
lmao, the fishing bros are developing investigative reporter skills cardinalnews.org/2026/09/11/h...
cardinalnews.org
How trout fishers in Virginia are using FOIA to beat the competition
The Department of Wildlife Resources receives approximately 700 public records requests related to stocking every year.
2255
Reposted by Nick Leiby
Bill @bill-of-lefts.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Even from a purely national pride perspective, this requires you to think that the 100 year period from 1926 was a failure for the United States, instead of the zenith of its power, prosperity, and influence
1373717767
Reposted by Nick Leiby
Jason Song Quinn (Comms Open) @hulkhoquinn.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Think about Miss Piggy. She lost a best friend and now an ex-lover in matter of 24 hours.
Miss Piggy and Dolly Parton in fancy dresses posing together photo of Tim Curry surrounded by muppets, smiling for a photo. A quote from curry is added “it didn’t go very well. It didn’t survive the shoot. She felt I wasn’t being faithful to her” it’s him discussing his ill fated affair with miss piggy
117313098382
Reposted by Nick Leiby
The thread o’ tweets @threadotweets.bsky.social · 17/11/2024
WenzlerPowers: 

Dolly Parton writing “I will always love you“ and “Jolene“ in the same day is mind blowing.

It’s like if da Vinci finished the Mona Lisa then turned around in the same day and wrote “Jolene“
643961101
Reposted by Nick Leiby
Sam Halpert @samhalpert.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
A proposed narrative: from 1789-1946, Congresses of the US understood the fundamental importance of their relationship w/all people whose " interests and aspirations [] make up the agenda for potential action by gov't". They guarded this relationship with processes to enforce the Petition Clause. 9/
Lobbying and the Petition Clause
68 STAN L. REV. 1131 (2016)

Highlights in **'s

to the Sherman Act in order to shield it from allegations of anticompetitive
conduct, citing Petition Clause concerns in part.11 As later cases have
highlighted, however, it is unclear whether the Court rested the Noerr-
Pennington lobbying exception on the Petition Clause or on simple statutory
interpretation and the legislative history of the Act.12 The majority of case law
interpreting the Petition Clause focuses not on lobbying or even legislative
petitioning but on access to courts and formal agency proceedings.13 Belying
the nearly ubiquitous consensus that any and all forms of lobbying activity are
coextensive to petitioning and, therefore, are protected under the Petition
Clause, the constitutional protections for our current lobbying system remain
a very open question.
Looking to the historical record to clarify the reach and meaning of the
Petition Clause reveals that our lobbying system and the system protected by
the petition right are wholly distinct. **At the Founding, and for much of this
Nation’s history, the right protected a form of access to Congress that more
closely resembled the formal process afforded in courts than the informal tool
of mass politics that lobbying and petitioning have become today.**14 Individuals
submitted over six hundred petitions to the first Congress—each a formal
document that included a statement of grievance and a signatory list—which
members of Congress read aloud on the floor, referred to a committee or
another branch for consideration, and afforded a formal response.15 Women,
African Americans, and Native Americans had all engaged with colonial and
1125
Reposted by Nick Leiby
Julian Sanchez @normative.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
This feels grimly accurate. I think for most people, engagement with the party feels like getting on Temu’s mailing list: Just a neverending stream of spam asking for cash and no other meaningful call to be part of anything that might generate any sense of identity or community.
422181431
Reposted by Nick Leiby
Alexander Lees @alexanderlees.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Our new commentary rdcu.be/ftx6h in @natecoevo.nature.com written with folks from @inaturalist.bsky.social and @cornellbirds.bsky.social shows that use of AI to manipulate existing or create new wildlife images undermines the huge value of vast citizen science databases. 🌍🪰🪶 #Ornithology 🧵 1/10
rdcu.be
Citizen science platforms must mitigate against the threat of generative AI
Nature Ecology & Evolution - Citizen science platforms must mitigate against the threat of generative AI
5218143
Reposted by Nick Leiby
ceej @ceej.online · 16/07/2026
gonna start talking like this to my boss
screenshot where claude is saying "Good catch -- I fabricated that figure."
6180821214
Reposted by Nick Leiby
Ed Burmila @edburmila.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
The most elegant tense in English, the Law Enforcement Exonerative
252368510
Reposted by Nick Leiby
president, Spreadsheet Persons Local 153 @werrrp.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
we effectively cured AIDS and have a pancreatic cancer vaccine that just passed phase 1 trials
1202890440
Reposted by Nick Leiby
Coach Finstock @coachfinstock.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
The third act of A Christmas Carol, one of the most famous examples of "don't die a dickhead, " was the ghost showing Scrooge how happy everyone was that he died and it was a big motivator for him to stop being a piece of shit and still we got a bunch of dickhead Dems talking up Lindsey Graham
283050689
Nick Leiby @nleiby.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
Hunkering down in the aircon waiting out the heat wave, finally having the chance to process my photos from this spring in Arizona. Marana's Burrowing Owls did not disappoint. #birds
A brown and white spotted burrowing owl perched on a dirt mound makes crazy eyes at the camera.
040
Reposted by Nick Leiby
Chris Hayes @chrislhayes.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
The thing you need to understand is that there are 2 (TWO) different method for amending the constitution 1) The process laid out in the constititon itself (conventions, or 2/3's of both houses followed by 3/4 of states ratifying) OR 2) find five votes on the Supreme Court.
20779591863
Reposted by Nick Leiby
Princess Vimentin PhD | Cancer Biologist @princess-vimentin.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
😁😂 So it’s that easy, eh?
Worst example of cultural appropriation ever: LGBTs stole the rainbow from God. It's his. He invented it. Gen. 9:11-17. Give it back.


One of my favorite things about pride month is celebrating the many achievements of the LGBTQ community, like when we collectively stole the rainbow from God
3738898
Reposted by Nick Leiby
Comfortably Numb @numb.comfortab.ly · 26/06/2026
This is basically a Democratic campaign ad. Air it as is with no changes.
792992668
Reposted by Nick Leiby
Garth Marenghi's Catbus @catbus.phd · 26/06/2026
ok this one got me
reflecting pool full of green slime and barrels and you're carrying a crowbar in the style of Half Life
21112922438
Reposted by Nick Leiby
CJ Fogler @cjzero.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Chef's kiss, salute, tears, all of it
3144571185
Reposted by Nick Leiby
Jordan Collver @jordancollver.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
Made these in celebration of all the dedicated dads of the animal world, and in memory of my stepdad.
Painted clay figurines of a gharial (long snouted green crocodilian) and a cassowary (colourful crested ostrich-like bird) with their respective young.
12859224
Reposted by Nick Leiby
Johnathan Perkins @johnathanperk.bsky.social · 24/12/2025
Christ on a bike, this is brilliant. And disgustingly historically accurate. 10/10
3926911142
Reposted by Nick Leiby
Doug Gordon @brooklynspoke.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
As we write in the book, we need less focus on adults who scream "I've lived in the city for the last 50 years and don't need bike lanes" and more focus on kids who say "I am going to live in the city for the *next* 50 years and want to be able to get around safely."
135480
Reposted by Nick Leiby
c0nc0rdance @c0nc0rdance.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
The 'eyelashes' on a southern ground hornbill would make a model envious, but here's a neat trick: Those AREN'T eyelash hairs. They're modified FEATHERS. Let's take a look at these specialized structures & why the southern ground hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri) needs these long velvet veils.
121087265
Nick Leiby @nleiby.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
#BirdOfTheDay theme is #ManMadePerch A Wood Duck in eclipse plumage perches on a bucket, paused between bites. The bucket reads: "Keep Out Do NOT Feed". The duck cannot read, or chooses not to. #birds
A Wood Duck in eclipse plumage perches on a bucket, paused between bites. The bucket reads: "Keep Out Do NOT Feed". The duck cannot read, or chooses not to.
000
Reposted by Nick Leiby
Gwen!!! @poodlewool.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
A watercolor color image of a dark eyed junco in a huge pair of barrel legged jeans with a studded belt and chain. Text on an orange field reads "Dark Eyed JNCO"
6462941834
Reposted by Nick Leiby
Jordan @jordanpfot.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
Might be the greatest opening paragraph of anything ever.
125140254032
Reposted by Nick Leiby
The Onion @theonion.com · 20/03/2026
Trump Adds Name To Kennedy Center Again
Trump Adds Name To Kennedy Center Again
662656293
Nick Leiby @nleiby.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
Years from now we'll have a specialized Sausage-roll Kite, with a finely tuned beak to extract sausage rolls from their packaging. When the native sausage roll population is impacted by climate change, the Kite will be saved by changing its diet to invasive bao and empanada. #birds
140
Nick Leiby @nleiby.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
White-Crowned Pigeon outside our hotel in Manatí, Puerto Rico. Why is the best birding often in parking lots? #birds
A black pigeon with a white crown perched in a tree, seen from below
070
Reposted by Nick Leiby
David Flores @deflo.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
This opening paragraph 👀 😂
538134
Reposted by Nick Leiby
Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
> @covie93.bsky.social
237256975396
Reposted by Nick Leiby
Alex Goyette @alexgoyette.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
Excerpt from my written comment to Traffic & Parking Board tonight:
The past many years of elections have shown that Alexandrians want safe complete streets, and a built-out multimodal transportation networks. We continuously elect the candidates who run on supporting projects like this, including electing the most adamant safe streets advocate on council as Vice Mayor in 2024 and continuing that pattern this past Saturday. I admire those who will show up to speak in favor of safety tonight, but supporters shouldn't be expected to sit in a room for hours waiting to talk for 3 minutes. We showed our support repeatedly at the ballot box, and trust our representatives to vote for the safe streets they ran on.
3232
Reposted by Nick Leiby
WeRateDogs @weratedogs.com · 10/02/2026
we need to talk about that Ring Super Bowl ad
9633119213635
Reposted by Nick Leiby
Sal Gentile @salgentile.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
this game isn’t boring, the nfl is simply appealing to a global audience by incorporating more kicking into football
514115
Reposted by Nick Leiby
Dave Weigel @daveweigel.bsky.social · 07/02/2026
Lucas single-handedly destroying Youngkin’s legacy projects (sports teams in NoVa, suburban GOP that can win) was remarkable to watch
221581165
Reposted by Nick Leiby
Oregon Zoo @oregonzoo.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
Egg-cellent news! The first California condor eggs of the season have been laid at our wildlife conservation center, and more could be on the way.
514445639
Reposted by Nick Leiby
Steve (low effort Halloween name edition) 👻 @chompmancobra.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
Another thing about falcons you might already know: their nostrils have got little cones in them like some jet intakes, so that the high speed air flow doesn't wreck their lungs and they can still breathe. You can see them in your picture. curioussengi.wordpress.com/2016/08/27/n...
curioussengi.wordpress.com
Nose Dive: Falcons & Gannets
Of all the powers of the animal world that humans have envied and engineered into submission, nothing has become a more overdone trope of this desire than the flight of birds.  In our endeavor to u…
3145
Reposted by Nick Leiby
Rabih Alameddine @rabihalameddine.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
Charley Harper, "Darwin's Finches", from "The Giant Golden Book of Biology", 1961
41008241
Reposted by Nick Leiby
mattie lubchansky @mattielubchansky.com · 04/02/2026
worth noting that the second rich people stopped being afraid of mobs tearing them limb from limb, they stopped building libraries and opera houses and stuff and started ripping the copper wiring out of the walls of society instead
18196395901
Reposted by Nick Leiby
Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
Gonna beg media not to just repeat Trump's obviously bullshit framing in the headlines. Tell readers the truth in the headlines. Alternatives: "With Artists and Audience Fleeing, Trump Closes Kennedy Center Indefinitely" "Trump Says Kennedy Center Needs Renovation, Despite Recent $250M Renovation"
1242534848
Reposted by Nick Leiby
Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
I'm used to having to convince coastal types that there are people out there who genuinely believe in libertarian and traditionalist principles (rather than as laundry for regular bigotry). rarely, however, do you see those types publicly confronted with how little company they actually have
541950354
Reposted by Nick Leiby
Rodger Sherman @rodger.bsky.social · 01/02/2026
He’s just describing The American Dream but you’re supposed to hate it for some reason
8554991016
Reposted by Nick Leiby
Clara Jeffery @clarajeffery.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
This will be, or should be, featured in a million campaign ads
852123521
Reposted by Nick Leiby
Ryan Marino, MD @ryanmarino.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
You can’t tell me we have a functioning economic system when the richest man in human history is one of the most profoundly stupid people in human history
Elon Musk
@elonmusk
Hitler was a far left socialist. His party was called the national socialists.

HotSotin
@HotSotin
North Korea is a democracy. Its name is Democratic People's Republic.

B.Roll.Benny @brollbenny
urinal cakes are for eating, it has cake in the name
16285091794
Reposted by Nick Leiby
Congressman Don Beyer @beyer.house.gov · 26/01/2026
I voted against funding for DHS. Congress shouldn't pass funding for this lawless agency without major guardrails. And the House should impeach Kristi Noem. 4/4
1116228