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cliftographer.bsky.social
Teach Honest History
@cliftographer.bsky.social
2.8K followers 570 following 1.2K posts
Amateur wildlife photographer, mostly birds. Retired software engineer. Politically progressive, I believe in authentic democracy and diversity in all its many dimensions. An old white guy who tries not to act like one. All photos mine (except reposts).
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cliftographer.bsky.social
I am still recovering from knee replacement and have missed most of the Fall WRT photography, but here is a ring-billed gull against some Fall color. 5-Nov-2025 Burke Lake Park, Burke, Virginia, USA. #birds #NikonZ8
A ring-billed gull in flight, its wings banked at a 45 degree angle, with the right wing dipping down, the left wing up, and the yellow legs tucked up for flight. Like most gulls, the body is mostly white but it has crisp black markings near the wingtips, and the distinctive black ring on the yellow bill. The background is a heavily wooded lake shore with orange, brown, and some olive green Fall foliage.
November 5, 2025 at 9:29 PM
cliftographer.bsky.social
I took a picture of a bird. So what, you say? Well, just over 2 months ago pain in my right knee after an easy outing was so bad I barely made it back to my car. Had full knee replacement in mid-Sep. Just now getting to where I can wield my Nikon Z8 and a big tele. It felt GOOD. #birds
Male house finch perching on the edge of a bird bath in late afternoon sun. The photo is sharply detailed and shows off the texture of the feathers well. The birds head is upturned and the sun illuminates the back and neck area well. The diffused background is mostly olive green with patches of yellow.
October 30, 2025 at 8:30 PM
cliftographer.bsky.social
This is a crime equal to the Louvres jewel heist. I bought a Reese’s Caramel Big Cup and got THIS!!!
#firstworldproblems
October 29, 2025 at 10:44 PM
cliftographer.bsky.social
The dangerous radicals have appeared! Fairfax, Virginia!
#NoKings
October 18, 2025 at 2:38 PM
cliftographer.bsky.social
The spirit of Portland has spread all across America! Fairfax, Virginia. #NoKings
October 18, 2025 at 2:02 PM
cliftographer.bsky.social
"You take the high road and I'll take the low road." Two #bees using different styles work the center of a water lily. The lower bee seemed quite comfortable hanging down from those stamens. Reston, Virginia, USA. 25-Aug-2025. #insects #insectphotography #flowerphotography #naturephotography
Two bees are seen among the yellow stamens of a water lily with white petals. The bee at the top is upright, while the bee at the bottom of the photo is upside-down and has its legs wrapped around two stamens.
August 28, 2025 at 11:46 PM
cliftographer.bsky.social
That skipper was having a lovely time enjoying that flower until that great big clearwing #moth came over to spoil the party. Lake Fairfax Park, Reston, Virginia, USA 25-Aug-2025. #butterfly #insects #insectphotography #naturephotography
A skipper butterfly hovers above and to the right near a single pinkish-purple flower in the center of the photo. A large clearwing moth has just flown in and is near the left side of the photo.
August 27, 2025 at 10:55 PM
cliftographer.bsky.social
This #butterfly was enjoying a flower at Lake Fairfax Park in Reston, Virginia, USA 23AUG25. It might be a Delaware skipper but there are so many types that look rather similar to my untrained eye. Can any #entemologist types help me out? #insects #insectphotography #naturephotography
A moth is perched on a purplish-pink flower against a green background. The moth is a variegated orange and brown.
August 27, 2025 at 12:06 AM
cliftographer.bsky.social
Lucky to get an eye-level shot of a male eastern pondhawk #dragonfly. To me the neutral gray backdrop (more luck, no Photoshop gimmickry) helps give it a nice art illustration look. Lake Fairfax Park, Reston, Virginia, USA. 25-Aug-2025. #insects #insectphotography #naturephotography #inverts
A dragonfly perching at about a 45 degree angle on a green leaf. The dragonfly's body is mostly a light grayish blue, but the head is dark green. The out-of-focus background is a neutral gray.
August 25, 2025 at 6:30 PM
cliftographer.bsky.social
My conventional brain says bright colors are a major part of what makes a #butterfly attractive. But then I was just fooling around with #B&W and came up with this. The shape, lines and patterns are pleasing, no? #photography #monochrome #naturephotography
A monarch butterfly perching on a leaf, rendered in a monochromatic (B&W) image.
August 20, 2025 at 10:16 PM
cliftographer.bsky.social
Just a wee monarch #butterfly to cheer up a dreary Monday. Sterling, Virginia, USA. 14-August-2025. #insect #insects #insectphotography #naturephotography
A monarch butterfly seen from the side and slightly above, with its wings spread wide. It is resting on a green leaf and there is other out-of-focus green foliage in the background.
August 18, 2025 at 8:27 PM
cliftographer.bsky.social
Monarch #butterfly -- always a delight to see. Sterling, Virginia, USA 14-Aug-2025. #insect #insects #insectphotography #naturephotography #nikonZ8 #LRC #TopazPhotoAI
A monarch butterfly seen from the side but slightly turned toward the camera. The butterfly has its wings spread halfway and has landed atop a cluster of small purplish-pink flowers with thin green leaves. The background is out-of-focus green foliage.
August 15, 2025 at 3:02 PM
cliftographer.bsky.social
A monarch #butterfly in a dreamy setting. Sterling, Virginia, USA. 14-Aug-2025. #insects #insectphotography #naturephotography #invert #inverts
A monarch butterfly seen from the side resting amidst a clump of bright yellow-green leaves and pink flowers. The butterfly is in focus but most of the flowers are very soft creating a dream-like appearance.
August 15, 2025 at 12:01 AM
cliftographer.bsky.social
Please say hello to Eliza, our Beagle-Feist mix 9 month-old puppy, just adopted from the HART animal rescue group. Wonderful, smart, sweet and a total love bug. #dogs #pets
A beagle mix wearing a collar and vet sitting on her haunches on a taupe-colored sofa.
August 8, 2025 at 8:08 PM
cliftographer.bsky.social
I enjoy #wildlifephotography but I'll never be a serious naturalist. I just don't have the patience to study the details necessary to tell me whether these butterflies are black swallowtails, pipevine swallowtails, or dark morph eastern tiger swallowtails. Virginia, USA 29JUL2025 #invert #inverts
Two butterflies in different positions atop flat-topped pinkish flowers with many tinyblooms. The butterflies are black and blue overall with white or orange spots on the wing edges.
August 1, 2025 at 2:58 PM
cliftographer.bsky.social
Skinny photo of a skinny skink. Huntley Meadows Park, Alexandria, Virginia, USA 29-July-2025. #herps #naturephotography
A five-lined skink is shown crawling vertically down a tree. The skink is mostly dark brown with light brown stripes running the length of its body. The bark of the tree is a very light gray, almost white, providing good contrast with the skink. Some out-of-focus green foliage appears in the background. The photo has been cropped digitally such that it is a very tall but narrow photo that fits the proportions of the skink.
July 31, 2025 at 10:15 PM
cliftographer.bsky.social
Heads-up to any who use #Facebook on a PC browser (not mobile devices). [Spare me the lecture on why I shouldn't use FB.] You may see something like this in the upper-right corner. It looks a lot like legitimate FB and Messenger notifications, but it's just a link to very sketchy ads. #security
July 31, 2025 at 2:19 PM
cliftographer.bsky.social
I've seen both male and female adults, but here's a juvenile female red-bellied woodpecker. No red anywhere. Huntley Meadows Park, Alexandria, Virginia, USA. 29-July-2025. #birds
A woodpecker is seen in profile facing left perching on a branch against dense green foliage. This juvenile female red-bellied woodpecker has no red anywhere, just a plain gray head and striated black and white wings.
July 30, 2025 at 6:47 PM
cliftographer.bsky.social
I guess this is an OK photo of an Eastern tiger swallowtail #butterfly checking out a hunk of scat. But what I really want to know is who is that sinister Guy Fawkes-like character with the crooked nose & thick mustache lurking in the marsh on the other side of the log? #photography #imagination
An eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly is seen with its wings upraised on a log next to a dark lump of animal feces. In the out-of-focus background behind the log among the green marsh reeds there is what is likely some clump of brown leaves or other plant matter that, with a little imagination, appears to be a human face.
July 29, 2025 at 7:22 PM
cliftographer.bsky.social
Here's that same green heron that I posted earlier, but here it's untucked and putting the brakes on for a landing. You can see more of the body shape and range of colors in this pose. Reston, Virginia, USA 17-July-2025. Tag: @silkunderground.bsky.social #birds
A green heron beginning to descend toward a landing on a pond. The wings are spread, the head and crown are up, and the legs are hanging down toward the water. The background is dark green out-of-focus foliage on the bank.
July 17, 2025 at 2:07 PM
cliftographer.bsky.social
A lesson I've learned doing wildlife #photography is to be ready to shoot at all times. This green #heron was taken literally seconds upon arriving at @silkunderground.bsky.social 's favorite pond. My first green heron in flight photo! Reston, VA 17-July-2025 #birds
A green heron is seen in level flight with its wings extended wide and its legs tucked back toward the rear. The mostly blue heron is flying over a pond that appears green due to the reflection of nearby foliage.
July 17, 2025 at 2:02 PM
cliftographer.bsky.social
"On Final Approach". A female ruby-throated hummingbird hovers into position to begin sampling the nectar at another bloom. I like this shot because you can see the whole length of that wonderful stiletto beak. Green Spring Gardens, Alexandria, Virginia, USA 11-July-2025 #birds
A female ruby-throated hummingbird is seen from the underside with its wings spread wide. The bird is maneuvering close to a downward-hanging orange honeysuckle bloom. The full length of the birds long thin beak is clearly visible in this photo.
July 14, 2025 at 12:07 AM
cliftographer.bsky.social
Here's a slightly different kind of hummingbird photo. Here a female ruby-throated is sipping the juice from the berry-like fruit of a honeysuckle vine. Alexandria, Virginia, USA 11-July-2025. #birds
A hummingbird is seen from behind and slightly to one side. It is hovering with its wings spread and has its beak poking into a small orange fruit.
July 13, 2025 at 11:24 AM
cliftographer.bsky.social
How about a #bee and #flower shot for a change? BONUS: Looks like there is another much smaller mosquito-like bug in the other flower! Does anyone know what it is? #photography #naturephotography #insects #flowers #bees #invert #inverts #entomology #insectphotography
A honey bee is seem from above in the lower left of photo. The bee is on one of two small white flowers with traces of pink on them. There is also a much smaller delicate insect similar to a large mosquito in the other flower.
July 12, 2025 at 8:20 PM
cliftographer.bsky.social
A classic pose struck by this beautiful little lady. Female ruby-throated #hummingbird, Green Spring Gardens, Alexandria, Virginia, USA 11-July-2025. #birds
Female ruby-throated hummingbird seen from the side with its wings back, hovering with its long thin beak inserted into an orange honeysuckle bloom.
July 12, 2025 at 3:27 PM