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Alan Kotok

@technewslit.bsky.social

We fly home tomorrow from #Arizona with plenty of red rocks photos, but also funky little towns, fascinating people, ancient civilization artifacts, and wildlife. Photo gallery ... technewslitphoto.smugmug.com/Travel-photo...

#Photography #Landscapes #Nature #Nikon #DSLR #LightroomClassic

Photo of cactus plants growing out of red rock formations.

February 18, 2026 at 3:46 AM

Alan Kotok

@technewslit.bsky.social

This raven was certainly #CollectingFood earlier this week around Tuzigoot National Monument in #Arizona for today's #BirdOfTheDay, but I'm not eager to find out what it is.

#Photography #NaturePhotography #Birds #EastCoastKin #Nikon #DSLR #LightroomClassic #ContentCredentials #BirdsSeenIn2026

Photo of a flying raven with a large piece of bloody animal meat in its beak.

February 18, 2026 at 1:02 AM

Alan Kotok

@technewslit.bsky.social

Ravens are ubiquitous in #Arizona, and among the #corvid family for today's alt #BirdOfTheDay. Photo'd yesterday above Tuzigoot National Monument in Clarkdale, AZ.

#Photography #NaturePhotography #Birds #EastCoastKin #Nikon #DSLR #LightroomClassic #ContentCredentials #BirdsSeenIn2026

Photo of a raven in flight under a clear blue sky.

February 17, 2026 at 5:25 AM

Alan Kotok

@technewslit.bsky.social

This northern mockingbird is taking a striking pose for its #portrait, for today's #BirdOfTheDay. Photo'd Nov 2024 in Cape May, NJ

#Photography #NaturePhotography #Birds #EastCoastKin #Nikon #DSLR #LightroomClassic #CapeMay #JerseyShore
#PhotographersOfBluesky #PhotographersUnited

Photo of a northern mockingbird on a thin branch in a pine tree.

February 15, 2026 at 4:36 AM

Alan Kotok

@technewslit.bsky.social

We're visiting #Sedona, #Arizona for a few days and going ga-ga over the red rock formations. Overcast and rainy today. Hoping for sunshine tomorrow. Shown here: panorama view from the Huckaby Trailhead.

More photos: technewslitphoto.smugmug.com/Travel-photo...

#Photography #NaturePhotography

Panorama photo of red rock formations overlooking Sedona, Arizona.

February 14, 2026 at 1:26 AM

Alan Kotok

@technewslit.bsky.social

A #WaterBirds species for #BirdOfTheDay today is the western swamphen, seen here walking through shallow water at Wakodahatchee Wetlands park in #Florida in Apr 2025.

#Photography #NaturePhotography #Birds #EastCoastKin #Nikon #DSLR #LightroomClassic #ContentCredentials #PhotographersOfBluesky

Photo of a western swamphen bird walking through shallow water with foliage in the background.

February 11, 2026 at 3:27 PM

Alan Kotok

@technewslit.bsky.social

A group of Venerable Monks of the Dhammacetiya crossed #Arlington, #Virginia on 10 Feb. 2026, on its journey from Texas to Washington, DC. I took these photos about one mile from the Potomac.

More photos: technewslitphoto.smugmug.com/DC-and-regio...

#Photography #NewsPhotography #WalkForPeace

Photo of a line of Buddhist monks in brown robes and knit caps, with the lead monk carrying flowers.

February 10, 2026 at 10:04 PM

Alan Kotok

@technewslit.bsky.social

Can you have a #StareDown and side-eye at the same time? If so, this grackle photo'd June 2024 in Cape May, NJ qualifies for today's #BirdOfTheDay.

#Photography #NaturePhotography #Birds #EastCoastKin
#Nikon #DSLR #LightroomClassic #CapeMay #JerseyShore
#PhotographersOfBluesky #PhotographersUnited

Photo of a grackle walking on wet beach sand.

February 9, 2026 at 5:20 PM

Alan Kotok

@technewslit.bsky.social

Thank goodness for alt #BirdOfTheDay themes. Here's a #red male northern cardinal, the state bird of #Virginia, in our #Arlington, Va. backyard, Nov. 2025.

#Photography #NaturePhotography #Birds #EastCoastKin #Nikon #DSLR #LightroomClassic #ContentCredentials #PhotographersOfBluesky

Photo of a male northern cardinal on a thin tree stem with green ivy in the background.

February 8, 2026 at 4:44 PM

Alan Kotok

@technewslit.bsky.social

This great blue heron photo'd Nov. 2025 at Huntley Meadows Park in #Virginia seems at peace with the world for today's #BirdOfTheDay. #Serenity

#Photography #NaturePhotography #Birds #EastCoastKin
#Nikon #DSLR #LightroomClassic #ContentCredentials
#PhotographersOfBlueSky #PhotographersUnited

Photo of a great blue heron standing on a broken log near a pond with lily pads.

February 7, 2026 at 7:23 PM

Alan Kotok

@technewslit.bsky.social

I need to again post an alt #BirdOfTheDay photo, a #backlit gull over the ocean off Cape May, NJ in Nov 2024.

#Photography #NaturePhotography #Birds #EastCoastKin #Nikon #DSLR #LightroomClassic #Black&White #Monochrome #CapeMay #JerseyShore #PhotographersOfBluesky #PhotographersUnited

Black-and-white photo of a seagull soaring over the ocean.

February 6, 2026 at 8:22 PM

Alan Kotok

@technewslit.bsky.social

Here's a tufted duck showing its #black&white plumage for today's alt #BirdOfTheDay. Photo'd May 2025 at St. Stephen's Green #Dublin, #Ireland.

#Photography #NaturePhotography #Birds #EastCoastKin
#Nikon #DSLR #LightroomClassic #ContentCredentials
#PhotographersOfBluesky #PhotographersUnited

Photo of a tufted duck with black and white feathers, on a pond.

February 5, 2026 at 5:19 PM

Alan Kotok

@technewslit.bsky.social

I wrote a piece for the Public Diplomacy Council of America on Content Credentials, the open-standard data added to image files that show the origin and evolution of images and other digital content.
publicdiplomacy.org/news_manager...
Cross-posted on TechNewsLit Explores: write.as/.../heres-ho...

Public Diplomacy Council of America

publicdiplomacy.org

February 5, 2026 at 1:50 AM

Alan Kotok

@technewslit.bsky.social

Here's a female dark-eyed junco photo'd in our #Arlington, #Virginia USA #backyard for today's #BirdOfTheDay and #BirdsSeenIn2026.

#Photography #NaturePhotography #Birds #EastCoastKin
#Nikon #DSLR #LightroomClassic #ContentCredentials
#PhotographersOfBluesky #PhotographersUnited

Female dark-eyed junco sitting on a tree branch looking at the camera.

February 4, 2026 at 7:56 PM

Alan Kotok

@technewslit.bsky.social

Here are American oystercatchers and royal terns checking out their #reflections on wet sand in Ocean City, NJ for today's #BirdOfTheDay. Photo'd Sept 2025.

#Photography #NaturePhotography #Birds #EastCoastKin #Nikon #DSLR #LightroomClassic #ContentCredentials #PhotographersOfBlueSky #JerseyShore

Photo of six American oystercatchers and seven royal terns, species of birds, standing on reflecting wet sand.

February 3, 2026 at 5:57 PM

Alan Kotok

@technewslit.bsky.social

Why settle for one #OpenBeak, when you can have two for #BirdOfTheDay? Great blue herons photo'd Apr 2025 at Wakodahatchee Wetlands park in south #Florida.

#Photography #NaturePhotography #Birds #EastCoastKin
#Nikon #DSLR #LightroomClassic #ContentCredentials
#PhotographersOfBluesky

Photo of two great blue herons with their beaks open, squawking at each other.

February 2, 2026 at 10:43 PM

Alan Kotok

@technewslit.bsky.social

Thanks @robcrank68.bsky.social for the #GullsInWater call for #BirdOfTheDay. This is as close as I can get, photo'd June 2019 in Cape May, NJ.

#Photography #NaturePhotography #Birds #EastCoastKin
#Nikon #DSLR #LightroomClassic #CapeMay #JerseyShore
#PhotographersOfBluesky #PhotographersUnited

Photo of a black-headed seagull with its wings extended and food in its beak, on sand with the ocean close by.

February 1, 2026 at 8:04 PM

Alan Kotok

@technewslit.bsky.social

Today's #BirdOfTheDay request is #ducks. Here's one duck (singular) trying to gain altitude over Sparrow Pond off Four Mile Run in #Arlington, #Virginia in May 2025.

#Photography #NaturePhotography #Birds #EastCoastKin
#Nikon #DSLR #LightroomClassic #ContentCredentials
#PhotographersOfBluesky

Photo of a duck flapping its wings while flying over water.

January 31, 2026 at 5:06 PM

Alan Kotok

@technewslit.bsky.social

Since all my shoots this month are indoors, I will need to show this eastern bluebird with #blue plumage photo'd Jan. 2025 at Huntley Meadows in Groveton, #Virginia for alternate #BirdOfTheDay.

#Photography #NaturePhotography #Birds #EastCoastKin
#Nikon #DSLR #LightroomClassic #ContentCredentials

January 30, 2026 at 10:16 PM

Alan Kotok

@technewslit.bsky.social

I lost the #EyeContact staring contest with this common starling, photo'd almost a year ago in Falls Church, #Virginia, for today's #BirdOfTheDay.

#Photography #NaturePhotography #Birds #EastCoastKin
#Nikon #DSLR #LightroomClassic #ContentCredentials
#PhotographersOfBluesky #PhotographersUnited

Photo of a common starling on a bare tree branch staring into the camera.

January 29, 2026 at 4:48 PM

Alan Kotok

@technewslit.bsky.social

#Photoshoot yesterday: #Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson at the National Press Club, where he spoke about the threat to democracy from the Trump administration and answered questions from Club president Mark Schoef, shown here with Johnson.

More photos: technewslitphoto.smugmug.com/National-Pre...