Mike Saunders 🇺🇦
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hardwaterhacker.bsky.social
Mike Saunders 🇺🇦
@hardwaterhacker.bsky.social
3.6K followers 1.1K following 2.1K posts
Photographer. Lover of the outdoors. Musician.

Red Siege Principal Consultant so I can pay for my hobbies.

#PhotographersUnited <- Check out this great community!

IG: https://www.instagram.com/hardwaterhacker/
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hardwaterhacker.bsky.social
Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #StandingOnThings except the Floor, and the Alternative is #Gulls.

Here's a Red-winged Blackbird standing on a fence post.

#birds
A Red-winged Blackbird standing on metal fence post. The bird is jet black except for the red epaulets on its wings . The wings are spread out and the bird's beak is open, mid-call. The post is a dull dark green, painted orange at the top. In the background and out of focus are dried cornstalks and green foliage.
November 9, 2025 at 7:56 PM
hardwaterhacker.bsky.social
No photography for me this weekend. Busy making wild plum jelly and fruit leather, apple butter, and some apple crisp. It’s cold outside and winter is starting to show herself and I’m ready for it.

#winter #LakeSuperior #landscape #PhotographersUnited
A winter scene along Lake Superior. A snow covered wooden bench sits diagonally near the lower left of the frame. The bench is surrounded by a snow covered rocky beach extends beach. In the distance, the beach curves to the left where it meets a line of pine trees. The lake is completely still and the sky is gray and moody.
November 9, 2025 at 6:19 PM
hardwaterhacker.bsky.social
Ruby-crowned Kinglets are described as hyperactive. After many attempts, I finally managed to capture one. Unfortunately, just not in focus.

#PhotoFailFriday #worstbirdpic
An out-of-focus photo of a ruby-crowned kinglet. The bird is small, olive and yellow in color, with a red crown visible on top of its head.
November 8, 2025 at 12:47 AM
hardwaterhacker.bsky.social
It’s #flyday Friday!

#aviation #jet #BlueAngels #PhotographersUnited
Blue Angels jet #4. The navy blue plane with yellow striping passes over the photographer, right wing down. The pilot is visible through the canopy. Vapor trails form below the canopy and extend over the wings.
November 8, 2025 at 12:06 AM
hardwaterhacker.bsky.social
A fall scene from the North Country Trail in Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge.

#landscape #nature #fall #Nikon #PhotographersUnited
A hiking trail, covered in brown and orange leaves, heads through the center of the photo. The trail is surrounded by tree trunks that lean in over the trail, giving the impression of a tunnel. The ground is covered in small saplings with orange, yellow, and green leaves. A cloudy sky is partially visible through the trees, and mist hangs in the air.
November 7, 2025 at 12:41 AM
hardwaterhacker.bsky.social
TAKE THE F*CKING PICTURE ALREADY!
A male red-winged blackbird, perched on the tattered remains of a cattail reed against a blurry background of dried and green reeds. The bird is looking directly at the camera, mouth open, and appears angry. The bird is jet black except for a red shoulder patch above a yellow stripe. A metal band can be seen on the bird's left leg.
November 2, 2025 at 4:30 AM
hardwaterhacker.bsky.social
The #BirdOfTheDay theme today is #Grebes. Thanks to @robcrank68.bsky.social for the theme.

#birds #photography #wildlife #nature
A Western Grebe swimming slowly in still water before sunrise. The grebe has a gray back that is wet from a recent dive. The birds breast, throat, and chin are white. It has a black head cap that extends down the neck. The bird's eyes are a striking red color. The bill is orange, with black around the margins. A monochrome image of a Pied-billed Grebe. The bird is a compact water bird, that is brown and gray in color, with a black stripe under its chin. The bill is light gray, with a vertical black stripe in the front third of its bill.
November 1, 2025 at 1:50 PM
hardwaterhacker.bsky.social
A Pronghorn buck in Custer State Park, SD.

#wildlife #nature #Nikon #PhotographersUnited
A portrait of a Pronghorn, a North American animal similar to an antelope. The animal is standing in profile but is looking away from the camera. Its head is turned allowing a view of the right side of its head. The Pronghorn has reddish brown hair over the majority of its body, with a white rump, and white facial markings. It has a black mark at the back of its jaw and on its nose. It's horns are black and textured. The horns fork near the top, with a shorter beam extending forward, and the tops curl backwards. The scene behind the animal is out of focus green grasses.
October 31, 2025 at 12:22 AM
hardwaterhacker.bsky.social
Sunrise in the Smokies.

#sunrise #landscape #Nikon #PhotographersUnited
A series of mountain ridges at sunrise. The camera side of the closest ridge is in heavy shadow. The top of the ridge is illuminated by sunlight, showing a mix of tall pines and deciduous trees. A second ridge line with several valleys is visible beyond the first. These hills are illuminated. A tall ridge spans the image in the distance, heavily obscured by haze. Clouds can be seen in the sky above the distant mountains.
October 29, 2025 at 11:08 PM
hardwaterhacker.bsky.social
If you're lucky enough to have some fall color hanging on where you're at, get out there and see it! If it's already passed, I hope you got a chance to experience it this year.

#fall #nature #Nikon #PhotographersUnited
A golden aspen leaf laying on a rock. The leaf lies diagonally from the upper left to the lower right. The leaf is bright yellow, with spots of green and dark yellow. The rock is damp, largely brown, and heavily textured. Cracks in the rock are stained darker colors.
October 29, 2025 at 3:34 AM
hardwaterhacker.bsky.social
When reality looks a bit like an oil painting.

#landscape #photography #Nikon #PhotographersUnited
A fall scene at the edge of a wetlands. In the foreground is dried reeds and grasses. A small beaver lodge can be seen in the marsh on the left. Behind the marsh, tamaracks are golden. Behind the tamaracks are green pine trees. Behind the pines are oaks with red leaves. The sky above is textured and cloudy.
October 28, 2025 at 1:55 AM
hardwaterhacker.bsky.social
The #BirdOfTheDay is #Egrets. I think I have precisely one good egret photo in my catalog. I don't love birds against blue sky shots, but when a Great Egret flies by in range, I gotta take the shot.

#birds #nature #wildlife
A Great Egret flying against a blue sky with its wings extended and legs trailing behind it. The bird is pure white except for an orange bill, a yellow band between the bill and its eyes, and black legs.
October 26, 2025 at 2:48 PM
hardwaterhacker.bsky.social
For #Stunday, here's another sunrise from Kuwohi in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

#landscape #sunrise #Nikon #PhotographersUnited
The sun rising over the mountains. The photo shows a series of mountain ridges and valleys extending into the distance. The first ridge is in heavy shadow, nearly black. The detail in the farther ridges and valleys are obscured by haze and appear purple, becoming tinted with orange. Above the horizon, the sun is bright yellow, almost white. The sky transitions from a deep pink, to orange, and finally gold above the sun.
October 26, 2025 at 1:54 PM
hardwaterhacker.bsky.social
It can be hard to tell if your tree has an iron deficiency, but there are signs.

#pun #forest #nature
October 26, 2025 at 12:58 AM
hardwaterhacker.bsky.social
Dennis, a domestic medium haired tabby. His throat and paws are white, and the rest of his fur is patterned gray and tan. He has green eyes. He is laying on a blanket that is dark turquoise and a gray blanket. Behind him is a blue, turquoise, and green afghan blanket. Debbie, a white, domestic short-haired cat. Debby is a flame point, so her nose and outside of her ears are pink. Her eyes are closed. She is curled up in a light gray circular cat bed. Behind her, a red, orange, and purple afghan blanket can be seen.
October 26, 2025 at 12:57 AM
hardwaterhacker.bsky.social
I offer you a tiny Northern Saw-Whet owl!
A Saw-Whet Owl, a small owl with a white and chestnut streaked breast, brownish-gray facial disc with white on around the beak and inside of the eyes, and a brown ring with fine, vertical white lines around the top of the facial disc. The bird is sitting in a ponderosa pine and clear, blue sky can be seen behind the tree.
October 25, 2025 at 11:34 PM
hardwaterhacker.bsky.social
Almost all of the leaves are down, but it’s still beautiful out here. Quick phone snap while out on a hike.

#GetOutside #nature
A forest scene. Almost all trees are bare. Dried leaves litter the forest floor. A moss covered log extends into the scene from the bottom right side of the photo.
October 25, 2025 at 5:44 PM
hardwaterhacker.bsky.social
Kalvebod Bølge, Copenhagen.

#photography #travel #PhotographersUnited
A young couple sits on a wooden walkway along a river in the sun. Across the river, many people are seated on concrete benches along the river.
October 25, 2025 at 1:21 PM
hardwaterhacker.bsky.social
Apparently, the #EastCoastKin folks have a theme for today, #ColorADay #GreenSat. This American Bullfrog fits the bill nicely.

#herp #wildlife #photography #Nikon
An American Bullfrog sitting in an algae covered pond. The Bullfrog is in profile, its back submerged, facing to the left. The back is mottled green and black textured skin. The front half of the frog is green and smooth, with a white throat, and gold eyes. A partial reflection can be seen in the water.
October 25, 2025 at 1:04 PM
hardwaterhacker.bsky.social
Alan's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #sunlit. My contribution is a Killdeer.

#birds #nature #wildlife #wildlifephotography
A Killdeer - a small shorebird - faces away from the camera in the upper left side of the photo, looking to the right, at the edge of a body of water. The bird's white belly can be seen. Its back and head are brown, with a white face and black eye line. There is a white and black ring around its neck. The bird has a bright orange ring around its eyes. The bird is bathed in golden sunlight. The bird is seen through the tops of sunlight grasses, increasing the golden glow of the scene. The bottom half of the image is much darker green grasses, rising from the bottom left towards the upper right of the image, framing the bird.
October 25, 2025 at 12:41 PM
hardwaterhacker.bsky.social
A Sharp-tailed Grouse, strutting his stuff on a lek.

#birds #wildlife #nature #PhotographersUnited
A Shrap-tailed Grouse, dancing. The grouse has cream base feathers, with a brown, mottled pattern throughout, tinged with golden-brown feathers. He is mid-strut, body parallel to the ground, wings slightly outstretched, tail pointing straight up. It's tail is white, with brown and black central feathers. The bird's air sack is exposed, colored purple. He has yellow combs, or eyebrows over his eyes. The bird is dancing in golden, dried grass.
October 25, 2025 at 1:09 AM
hardwaterhacker.bsky.social
Throwback Thursday to May, 2024, and an incredible evening spent in the south unit of Teddy Roosevelt National Park.

#landscape #Nikon #PhotographersUnited
Sunset in the ND Badlands. Lush green grasses and trees cover the hillsides of the Badlands. In the distance are the exposed clay faces of the badlands formations, revealing layers of gray and brown clay, interleaved with layers of orange scoria rock and black coal. Above, the sky is orange from the setting sunlight. Light clouds are lit in tones of orange and pinks in the highlights, and purples in the shadows.
October 23, 2025 at 11:01 PM
hardwaterhacker.bsky.social
A late entry for #monochrome Monday - a pair of dancing burr oak. I loved the energy of these two oaks twisting amidst many straight trees.

Buffalo River State Park, MN.

#bnw #mono #PhotographersUnited
A monochrome image of two bur oaks growing only a foot apart. The oaks limbs twist and fork chaotically. Higher in the trees, some limbs intertwine and cross. A sunburst appears near the top center of the image where two limbs cross. The forest floor is covered in leafy plants. Further behind these two trees, many smaller, straight trees can be seen.
October 21, 2025 at 3:50 AM
hardwaterhacker.bsky.social
I finally made it out to search for some fall color yesterday. While much of it is past prime, there were little pockets like this scene from Tamarac NWR.

#fall #landscape #Nikon #PhotographersUnited
A vertical image of a fall color scene. At the bottom of the frame, a single orange maple leaf sits on the dark, damp wood of a fallen tree. Most of the bark on the tree has fallen off. What remains, behind the leaf, is covered in green moss. Behind the log and somewhat out of focus, the forest floor is covered in yellow leaves from young maple saplings. Above the floor, more yellow leaves cling to young maple trees.
October 19, 2025 at 1:02 PM
hardwaterhacker.bsky.social
It's #Caturday! This photo pretty much sums up Dennis' personality.

#cat #pet
A gray tabby is laying on his back, front paws extended towards the camera. The cat has long white whiskers, a white throat and belly, and white socks. He has large front teeth showing.
October 18, 2025 at 1:17 PM