iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Five Moons! Galilean moons Europa, Io, Callisto, and Ganymede are visible around Jupiter, emergent from the top of our Moon during this morning's eclipse. Single exposure 😆. May have to squint to see Io. Had to wait patiently for Ganymede to appear. #Moon #Jupiter #Science @capitalweather.com

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Early Birds were treated to quite a sight this morning: an eclipse of Jupiter by the Moon. Here is the view from College Park, MD. #Jupiter #Moon #Science @capitalweather.com

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

One more from last night's #Eclipse. Was major challenge to capture color and not "blow out" the part of the Moon not in Earth's shadow. #Science

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

27 Aug 2026 eclipse, Washington Monument, 11:54 pm during brief break in clouds. Had about 5 mins of color before clouds returned. Imaging was tough! Opted for f/1.2 lens w/ low ISO (400) & fast exposure (1/60 sec). Eager to see images by other fotogs on Mall tonight. #Science #Eclipse #cwshare

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Jellyfish Cloud over College Park, MD on 25 Aug 2026 #SpaceX launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida. This image shows some of the structure of the main plume. @capitalweather.com

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Clouds cleared over College Park MD just at peak of today's solar eclipse, enabling this nice of of the eclipsed sun w/ numerous sunspots. Clear sky seemed to open and close, as if on cue. @capitalweather.com #SolarEclipse

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Lovely rainbow over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge at 7:36 pm on Sunday 28 June 2026. Came up empty in the search for the pot of gold ... must have been in the water 😝. @capitalweather.com thought you might like. #Rainbow #chesapeake

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Must be summertime because the latter day dinosaurs (aka Yellow-Crowned Night Heron) chicks have started to soar in the twilight sky. #Birds @everyheron.bsky.social

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗚𝗼 Earliest chicks to hatch in our Yellow-Crowned Night Heron siege undergoing final wing check before first flight. Amazing evening sky conditions on 12 June. Images obtained as building clouds caused strong collimation of direct sun on the chick. #Birds @everyheron.bsky.social

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 ... 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗸, 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘆𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 Lovely rainbow this evening. Photo taken 6:07 pm, from the roof of Regents Garage on the campus of University of Maryland, College Park. I'll be out this evening looking for you know what 😛 @capitalweather.bsky.social @umdscience.bsky.social

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗗𝗶𝗻𝗼𝘀𝗮𝘂𝗿 𝗗𝗮𝘆 Video of our latter-day dinosaurs, aka Yellow-Crowned Night Heron chicks, honing their skills. These dinosaurs gonna one day rule the world. #Birds @everyheron.bsky.social

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

𝗠𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗮 𝗛𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 .... 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝗻𝗼𝘀𝗮𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 Our Yellow-Crowned Night Heron chicks are preparing to take over the world. #Birds @everyheron.bsky.social

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗮𝗶𝗻: 𝗗𝗶𝗻𝗼𝘀𝗮𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴! Took long lens into Yellow-Crowned Night Heron rookery to see how the babies fared after 60 hrs of steady rain. They are growing at a prodigious rate & will soon rule the world. Same nest pictured from prior visit 6 days ago. #Birds @everyheron.bsky.social

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

Here is a better image of the baby dinosaur (officially, Yellow-Crowned Night Heron) with one of the parents, for nice size contrast. #Birds @everyheron.bsky.social

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

They're Back! Yellow-Crowned Night Heron along w/ adoring youngster. Have to look closely to see the latter-day dinosaur baby. Late start to the hatchlings in our rookery; a few nests look promising so more photos hopefully to come. #birds @everyheron.bsky.social

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗜𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗸, 𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 This Yellow-Crowned Night Heron one of many in our 2026 siege. Had a quite cold early spring resulting in late hatching of eggs. Have seen discarded egg shells below a few nests, so photos of baby dinosaurs soon to follow. @everyheron.bsky.social #Birds

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 01/01/2026

𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐇𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐢 #Birds #Owls

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 30/12/2025

The forecast of high winds in the DMV came to fruition. Our local Barred #Owl couple, Harry & Bess, riding it out. #Birds @capitalweather.bsky.social

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 06/12/2025

Cold Moon: day late and perhaps a dollar short. Last night's low level cloud deck "reddened" & "muddied" the lunar disk. Geese as well as what seems to be a Great Blue Heron @everyheron.bsky.social, directly in front of lunar disk, all present in evening sky. #ColdMoon #Birds

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 22/11/2025

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 Brief clip of Bess flying into the night. Sound up!!! Vocalist is Benny Mardones. Clip was recorded nearly 20 mins after sunset, at a time when still photography was not viable. A little levity for the Night Owls. #Birds #Owls

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 09/11/2025

𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀, 𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝘀 𝗢𝗻𝗲 Acquisition of this photo of two mallards took considerable patience. Happy Sunday! #Birds

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 03/11/2025

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝘃𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝗶𝘁, 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘁! Great Blue Heron strutting his or her stuff, Lake Elkhorn, Columbia Md. #birds @everyheron.bsky.social

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

Thick cloud deck to the east put a damper on views of 6 Oct 2025 #HarvestMoon from the nation's Capital, but I did manage to get an image of the Moon and Old Glory before the clouds eclipsed the moon. @capitalweather.bsky.social

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 06/07/2025

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗶𝗲𝗴𝗲 𝗜𝘀 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 Our urban siege of Yellow-Crowned Night Heron is rising. A few of the chicks are out of the trees; rest about to fledge. Papa Harry has a nice lookout position. #Birds #Heron @everyheron.bsky.social

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Reposted by Ross

Zack Labe @zacklabe.com · 30/06/2025

What a tragedy this is even being proposed on paper... 💔 NOAA FY2026 Congressional Justification: www.noaa.gov/sites/defaul...

Termination of OAR’s Climate Laboratories and Cooperative Institutes (-$102,292, -204 FTE/ -216 Positions) –NOAA will continue to support high priority ocean and weather research programs in NOS and NWS.

In coordination with the requested terminations for Weather Laboratories and Cooperative Institutes (see OAR-10) and Ocean Laboratories and Cooperative Institutes (see OAR-19), NOAA will close the Atlantic Oceanographic & Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) in Miami, FL; the Air Resources Laboratory (ARL) in College Park, MD, Idaho Falls, ID, and Oak Ridge, TN, as well as a nation-wide network of soil moisture sensors; the Chemical Sciences Laboratory (CSL) in Boulder, CO; the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) in Princeton, NJ; the Global Monitoring Laboratory (GML) in Boulder, CO, Utqiaġvik, AK, Mauna Loa, HI, Hilo, HI, Big Island, HI, American Samoa, and the South Pole; the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) in Seattle, WA; and the Physical Sciences Laboratory (PSL) in Boulder, CO.

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 15/06/2025

Happy Fathers' Day to Harry, my favorite Barred Owlet Pops, and Charlie, my favorite Yellow-Crowned Night Heron Daddy. Quite a pair! #Birds @everyheron.bsky.social

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 13/06/2025

𝙊𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙄𝙣 𝘼 𝙇𝙞𝙛𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 Short film about a chance encounter of a Yellow-Crowned Night Heron and two Barred Owlets. Papa Owl was also hovering high in the trees. Sound up ... enjoy! #Birds @everyheron.bsky.social

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 12/06/2025

Initial reviews of new short film are in. The spirit of Roger Ebert was able to reach the spirit of Alfred Hitchcock. David Attenburgh, not to be confused w/ David Attenborough, really liked the pre-release. As did blogger “Every Other Heron”. #Birds @everyheron.bsky.social Film drops mañana.

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 11/06/2025

𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 Two images of Spirit, an Owlet, interesting for different reasons. First image shows narrow bone structure on the leading edge of the wings, whereas the second shows the alula, a small group of feathers on the first digit (thumb) that plays a crucial role in flight control. #Birds

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

𝗗𝗼𝗰 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗻 Well well well, look who has shown up in my favorite Yellow-Crowned Night @everyheron.bsky.social Heron nest. If my image recognition serves me right, it is no other than Baby Doc Brown. For any youngsters who do not know the legend of Doc Brown, I’ll post a link in comments. #Birds

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗜𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗸 Alert, alert: more dinosaurs are rising. Here is a “straight on” and “sideways” view of another member of our Yellow-Crowned Night @everyheron.bsky.social siege, obtained Saturday. Initial impressions are that this year’s siege is going to be unruly. #Birds #GiveTrumpTheBird

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

Happy to have participated in the @wclivestream.bsky.social live stream! Much thanks to the organizers of this most important event. Can click below to hear my presentation, which begins with an important message from the host then a shout out to #birds photography: www.youtube.com/live/Bc8yjp5...

youtube.com

100 Hours to Save America’s Forecasts, Weather and Climate Livestream Part last one

YouTube video by The Weather & Climate Livestream

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 25/05/2025

𝗗𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗮𝗱𝗱𝘆𝗼 Typical day in our Jurassic Park sort of town. A Yellow-Crowned Night Heron flew in looking as dapper as can be, dropped off food to his brood, then received a rousing send-off by one of his appreciative, bad a$$ prodigy. @everyheron.bsky.social #birds #heron

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 A few keen observers have reported there might be three Yellow-Crowned Night Heron chicks in the nest that is furthest along. Indeed, there are three, including one on the right that looks like the prototype of one bad-a$$ dinosaur. #birds #heron @everyheron.bsky.social

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 17/05/2025

𝗔𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘁, 𝗔𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘁: 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗗𝗶𝗻𝗼𝘀𝗮𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗲 Have seen abundant signs of baby Yellow Crowned Night Heron @everyheron.bsky.social fairly far along in 1 of our ~8 nests, but have struggled to get a clear image of a chick showing an eye. Happy to share this image of sibling chicks! #Birds

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 15/05/2025

Places to go, things to do. Actually, an Owlet to feed! Got lucky w/ the pan. Been visiting the Owlets since they first peeked out of the nest & they now fly towards me. Life is good. Barred Owl+Owlet, Prince George's County, MD. #birds #barredowl #owls #nature #wildlife #photography #usbirds

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 08/05/2025

𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆, 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗢𝘂𝘁 𝗢𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗻 Bess & Harry hooted me over to photograph this special night out, now that their nest is empty. Zoomed in on a monitor, significant differences in the mid-forehead markings of Bess (left) & Harry (right) are apparent. #Birds #GiveTrumpTheBird

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 05/05/2025

𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗕𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗬𝗼𝘂 Went into the enchanted forest on May fourth, and Harry struck up an amazing yoga like pose in the evening golden hour. He’s our local Yoda. #Birds #GiveTrumpTheBird

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 03/05/2025

𝗖𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘆 𝗽𝗶𝗲, 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗸𝘆. We have Owlets! Challenging to photograph at this stage as they tend to be near top of tree line. Residual "fringing" not easy to remove. Posting cause I like the detail in Owlet's face, and the mystery of Owlet partially obscured by branch. #Birds #GiveTrumpTheBird

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 02/05/2025

Honored to be part of the May 2025 @everyheron.bsky.social calendar page, and especially honored to have my name appear alongside the great Rachel Carson. #Birds #Heron

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 20/04/2025

1st image shows Yellow-Crowned Night YCNH in transitional stage w/ mix of juvenile & adult markings. 2nd shows adult YCNH & 3d shows the pair. YCNH in foreground looks bigger so might be female & sub-adult might be male. Hunt now on to see if they are nesting. #Birds @everyheron.bsky.social

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 20/04/2025

Dryocopus pileatus (aka as Woody Woodpecker) getting, while the getting was good, on a tree in slow decay mode. Problem for Woody is this tree is home to an Owl's nest. Pappa Owl soon flushed Woody from the tree, then stood guard from a very high perch. #Birds #GiveTrumpTheBird

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 18/04/2025

𝗜 𝗔𝗺 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗠𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗿 Placed Charlie's squawk into ChatGPT & most likely interpretation is “I am heron, hear me roar”. Next squawk not recorded well but “In numbers too big to ignore” would have been appropriate, as this Oak Tree is under siege. #Birds @everyheron.bsky.social #GiveTrumpTheBird

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 15/04/2025

𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗙𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 Bess flies through the air with the greatest of ease. Silent like a whisper. So thankful to the Owls for giving comfort in this crazy world. Photo taken at 7:53 pm, 8 mins after sunset, with a magical f/1.2 light gobbling lens. #Birds #Owls #GiveTrumpTheBird

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

Sadly the world lost a giant in nature photography w/ the passing of Jim Brandenburg. I've drawn inspiration from his work; a signed copy of his "Gray Wolf" hangs in our living room. I offer this photo of Harry the Barred #Owl, peaking out behind a tree, in tribute to this great artist. #Birds

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 05/04/2025

Much thanks to @ametsoc.org for publicizing this manuscript, part of my "day time job" 😊. #Ozone #OzoneLayer #ClimateChange

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 01/04/2025

𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆’𝘀 𝗗𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 Much thanks to lady who waved me over from the path that cuts through a wooded area, over to the path that goes between the homes and the water. Harry was perched above the water, looking for a meal and kindly waited until I arrived to flyout. #Birds #GiveTrumpTheBird

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 31/03/2025

Last night Harry led me to Bess, as she was expelling a pellet. A pellet consists of undigested material that must be regurgitated by an Owl before next meal. Heard pellet fall but was too dark to find. Returned today & found: details in posts to follow (not for squeamish) #Birds #GiveTrumpTheBird

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 28/03/2025

Barred Owl Bess waking up from her afternoon nap, in the glorious golden hour sunlight. With apologies to Paul and Linda McCartney: 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗜 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗦𝘂𝗳𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘀! 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘀! #Birds #Owl #GiveTrumpTheBird

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Ross @rosssalawitch.bsky.social · 27/03/2025

𝐉𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤 Our latter-day dinosaurs aka Yellow-Crowned Night Heron are back & squawking up a storm. Awesome to share urban envir w/ these majestic creatures. 2nd image obtained by friend who goofed me all evening. YCNH really do nest above streets & apparently I image w/ raised pinky 😝 #Birds

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