David Michael Self
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dmself.bsky.social
David Michael Self
@dmself.bsky.social
30 followers 21 following 210 posts
IT Consultant and part-time #tomato farmer. Photography: #plants, #birds, #insects.

Not a sorcerer.

@dmself@mstdn.social
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dmself.bsky.social
#Bun!

(Canon R7, 165mm, f7)

#bunny #rabbit #wildlifePhotography
Small brown bunny hiding in the grass.
August 25, 2025 at 2:25 PM
dmself.bsky.social
#Dragonfly is king of the stick.

#Insects #insectPhotography #bugSky
Dragonfly with black stripes is perched on the very top of a bamboo stake.
August 2, 2025 at 4:52 AM
dmself.bsky.social
Carolina #Wrens are supposedly very timid, but they are constantly having adventures on my patio.

#birds #birdPhotography
A small brown bird with a white underbelly. It is clinging to a bamboo pole.
July 10, 2025 at 1:18 AM
dmself.bsky.social
Carolina #Wren is astounded by height.

#birds #birdPhotography
A small brown bird with tan belly, and a white stripe over the eye. It is standing on a brick patio, at the base of a giant whiskey barrel planter. It is looking up at the top rim.
July 3, 2025 at 2:36 PM
dmself.bsky.social
Hey, you got worms in there?

(Northern #Cardinal)

#birds #birdPhotography
A large red bird with a black face. He is perched on a metal cross bar. He is crouched down and stretched out, looking at the camera.
July 3, 2025 at 2:17 PM
dmself.bsky.social
Carolina Wren guards the mint.

#birds #birdPhotography
A small brown bird with a white stripe over the eye. It is perched on the edge of a planter filled with mint.
June 21, 2025 at 3:23 PM
dmself.bsky.social
Carolina #Wren checks out a strawberry pot.

(Canon R7, 400mm, f/8)

#birds #birdPhotography
A small brown bird with a white stripe over the eye. It is perched inside an empty terra-cotta strawberry pot. It is looking out through one of the planting holes. The same bird, but now it has its entire head poking out of a different hole in the same pot.
June 17, 2025 at 8:10 PM
dmself.bsky.social
[united states]
Constitutionally accurate playing cards
A deck of cards, spread out, face up, sorted into suits. The kings and queens are missing.
June 14, 2025 at 9:21 PM
dmself.bsky.social
This is the most polite #bluejay I have ever seen.

#birds #birdPhotography
Close-up of the head of a blue jay. It has a suet ball in its beak. White face with black markings, big brown eye, light blue body.
June 11, 2025 at 12:17 AM
dmself.bsky.social
Little Miss #Bluebird pays a visit.

#birds #birdPhotography
A small light blue bird with a rust colored chest, and white belly is perched on a metal worm feeder. She has a worm in her mouth, and is looking at the camera. The same bird, still with a worm, but now looking away.
May 29, 2025 at 3:18 AM
dmself.bsky.social
This #crow really really wanted to eat the hot pepper suet.

#birds #crows #birdPhotography
A large black bird perched on a suet feeder. Its wings are spread wide. The big black bird is now bending over the side of the feeder to eat. The bird is twice the size of the feeder.
May 28, 2025 at 5:50 PM
dmself.bsky.social
The bluebirds aren't eating their worms, but the Pine Warbler is happy to do so. He is carrying out, not dining in, so he must have babies nearby.

(Sorry for the steep angle. I was on the ground when he came by.)

#birds #birdPhotography
Bright yellow bird with dark wing, two white bars on the wing. It is perched on a metal tray. It has a worm in its mouth.
May 26, 2025 at 2:52 AM
dmself.bsky.social
A rare #bird for my area, a male Summer #Tanager.

#birds #birdPhotography
An almost entirely red bird with a small patch of yellow on the underside.
May 24, 2025 at 1:11 PM
dmself.bsky.social
A #hummingbird guards the tomatoes.

#birds #birdPhotography
Very small bird, green, black, and white, with a long bill, is perched on a wire tomato cage.
May 23, 2025 at 11:42 PM
dmself.bsky.social
The Prickly Pears on my patio are starting to bloom.

Ph 1-3: Canon R7, 28mm, f/4
Ph 4: Canon M50, 180mm macro, f/5

#cactus #cacti #opuntia #flowers #bloomScrolling #flowerPhotography
Two large yellow flowers on the pads of a big cactus. One large yellow flower and two unopened flower buds on the pad of a large cactus. Overhead view of a large yellow flower. It is cup-shaped with many large petals, many light yellow stamens, and a green stigma in he center. Macro photo of the inside of the flower. It shows the same structure as the previous photo, in greater detail.
May 12, 2025 at 5:58 PM
dmself.bsky.social
Young #Bluebird is unsure which back yard to visit.

#birds #birdPhotography
A small blue bird with a rust colored chest is perched on the top rail of a chain link fence.
May 10, 2025 at 6:40 PM
dmself.bsky.social
Hummingbird feeders are for more than hummingbirds.

#bees #insects #bugsky
A black and yellow bee hovering near a red, plastic hummingbird feeder.
May 9, 2025 at 3:02 PM
dmself.bsky.social
After the Cardinals and Mockingbirds started poaching the worms from the bluebird feeder, I upgraded to a barn-shaped feeder that keeps them out. It still doesn't stop the Carolina #Wren.

#birds #birdPhotography
Poking out from a hole in the side of a barn-shaped feeder is the head of a small bird, brown with a white stripe over the eye. It's mouth is full of worms.
May 8, 2025 at 6:16 PM
dmself.bsky.social
After weeks of distrust, the #birds have finally accepted my bird bath. (Carolina #Wren).

#birds #birdPhotography
Small brown bird with a white belly, and a white stripe over the eye. It is perched on the rim of a blue glazed bird bath. There are two large rocks in the bird bath, also a solar powered fountain, and a floating glass goldfish. Now the bird is bent down, drinking the water.
May 6, 2025 at 5:19 PM
dmself.bsky.social
I forgot to post a wide shot of the Daisy #Fleabane, and I would not want the HOA to miss out, so here it is.

(Canon R7, 400mm, f/8)

#flowers #bloomScrolling #flowerPhotography #macroPhotography
May 6, 2025 at 5:06 PM
dmself.bsky.social
An Orange #Bird squares off with a #wasp.

#birds #birdPhotography
An orange bird with a black head is perched on an orange plastic feeder. He is looking directly at a hovering wasp that is looking directly back.
May 5, 2025 at 12:45 AM
dmself.bsky.social
Daisy #Fleabane ( / #Erigeron strigosus/ ) from the sunflower family (#Asteraceae).

I have a large patch in my yard, which the HOA does not appreciate, but I am not a member.

(Canon M50, 180mm macro, f/5.7, f/3.5)

#flowers #bloomScrolling #flowerPhotography #macroPhotography
A large number of white flowers with many petals and yellow centers. Close up of a few white flowers with yellow centers. They have many small thin petals
May 5, 2025 at 12:40 AM
dmself.bsky.social
I keep thinking the Orange Birds are going to move on, but they are still here.

#birds #birdPhotography
An orange bird with a black head and black-and-white wings is clinging to the center pole of an orange bird feeder. His body is vertical, with both feet on the pole, but he has turned his head horizontal. His mouth is full of jelly. There are two partly eaten orange halves on the feeder as well.
May 4, 2025 at 2:12 AM
dmself.bsky.social
Little Miss #Bluebird demands more worms.

(Canon R7, 400mm, f/8)

#birds #birdPhotography
Small blue bird with white underbelly is perched on a metal worm tray. Her mouth is wide open, but she is facing away from the tray, so it looks like she is yelling.
May 1, 2025 at 4:32 PM
dmself.bsky.social
Yeah, immature males and adult females can look alike. I can't tell the difference. During migration, I just assume they're female.

Key features are 2 white bars on the wing (adult male has 1), and yellow tail. Head and back can be speckled or not.

(Photo from Cornell Ornith, All About Birds.)
A page from a book. It shows two different coloring of an adult female Baltimore Oriole.
April 30, 2025 at 3:50 AM