James Guilford
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photonstopper.bsky.social
James Guilford
@photonstopper.bsky.social
190 followers 69 following 180 posts
Photographer, Weather Fan, Astronomer, Tech Guy in Northeastern Ohio. For more than 10 years, I was "Photonstopper" on Twitter until it became something else, causing me go someplace else. Kindness matters.
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photonstopper.bsky.social
One of the regulars at our bird feeder station, a tufted titmouse, checks out the lunch prospects below as snow lightly falls all around.

#birdsofnorthamerica #birds #birdfeeding #titmouse
The bird is perched atop a dark colored bar that arches across the lower part of the photograph. The tufted titmouse is shown in profile, with a distinct pointed crest. Its head, wings, and back are dark gray. The bird has a white breast and underside with a rust-colored patch at center, under its wing.
February 3, 2026 at 8:53 PM
photonstopper.bsky.social
Red, White, Blue, and Yellow.
February 1, 2026
Against a clear, blue sky, a yellow construction crane suspends, via cable, a U.S. flag.
February 1, 2026 at 9:47 PM
photonstopper.bsky.social
Off Barr Road, April 2013
#TimeLineCleanse
A placid scene in a dark, wooded area. A stream meanders from the front, right of the picture to the middle back. A among the dark trees, a single, medium-sized tree glows, fully covered in soft white blossoms.
January 25, 2026 at 8:55 PM
photonstopper.bsky.social
Crows and Peanuts.
Bird tracks left in fresh snow tell of crow’s discovery of peanuts and removal of same.
January 24, 2026 at 1:15 AM
photonstopper.bsky.social
Whew! This morning it appeared my 1984 vintage clock radio had quit; none of the controls worked and the radio wouldn’t turn on! Turns out all it needed was a cold reboot — power off/on — and IT’S BACK!
A 1984 General Electric clock radio sitting on a dark brown tabletop.
December 20, 2025 at 3:27 PM
photonstopper.bsky.social
No sound
but the hushed
wingbeats
of
the multitude
overhead.
Tiny dark dots rise from leafless trees -- hundreds of starlings rise into the sky, silhouetted against a cloudy sky.
December 11, 2025 at 4:25 PM
photonstopper.bsky.social
Sunset tonight (November 23) was spectacular! It really did glow this brilliantly. Intense orange highlights on the edges of clouds to our west. I wish I’d have seen it coming because, as it was, this obscured view is all I got! Still amazing.
As described in post.
November 23, 2025 at 10:26 PM
photonstopper.bsky.social
A lacy cloud pattern photographed at 10:08 tonight. Yes, tonight, by moonlight! Moon reflects sunlight so color comes across the same, if dimmer. Look closely and you’ll see a few stars shining in the blue sky space between clouds. #clouds #moonlight #nighttime
November 5, 2025 at 3:25 AM
photonstopper.bsky.social
Leaf Fall
A colorful tree leaf appears suspended mid-air with a few raindrops nearby.
November 1, 2025 at 1:02 AM
photonstopper.bsky.social
We came home from an errand this afternoon, looked out a window, and spotted a Great Blue Heron .... right there! We rarely see them on this side of the pond and never so near. What a treat. It didn't stay long after we first sighted it before casually walking down the slope toward the pond's edge.
A Great Blue Heron standing upon a weathered tree stump surrounded by green grass and colorful fallen leaves. In the background is an area of rippling blue water framed by tree leaves and branches. The heron is a tall, slender wading bird with long neck and legs, mostly gray in color when in bright sunlight. Its dagger-like bill is mostly orange.
October 21, 2025 at 7:22 PM
photonstopper.bsky.social
Spotted this cool object at The Greensmith Garden Center this afternoon!
#einstein #novelty #planter
August 4, 2025 at 11:51 AM
photonstopper.bsky.social
Three buck deer just passing through this morning, right here in town.
Beautiful but I worry for them.
#urbanwildlife #whitetail #deer #morning
A group of three adult deer strolling across a green, grass lawn beside a home. Each deer has a well-developed set of antlers. The background is green leafy trees set against the warm colors of the sky at dawn.
August 1, 2025 at 5:17 PM
photonstopper.bsky.social
This morning we discovered yet another turtle placing her eggs in our yard! A month ago a snapping turtle laid her eggs near our patio. Today a beautiful, good-sized, pond slider dug in a grassy area well away from the pond. I kept my distance, and left the turtle alone. Incubation is 60 to 80 days.
A dark turtle with a dark brown, shiny shell, is seen surrounded by grass. At her rear, right-center of the photo, her rear leg rests upon a small area of mud, her short tail hangs over a small hole she has dug in the ground where she is depositing her eggs. No eggs are visible in this picture.
July 1, 2025 at 3:16 PM
photonstopper.bsky.social
Our Spirea,
In evening light,
Will one day soon
be in bloom.

#spirea #shrubbery #evening #springblooms #unintendedpoem
May 24, 2025 at 10:55 PM
photonstopper.bsky.social
Using the Askar 103 APO scope and Spectrum Telescope filter, we are likely saying goodbye to active region 4079 and its large sunspot. A few other spots dot Sun's face but hold a bit less interest. May try again tomorrow to catch 4079 on the western limb.

#sunspots #sun #astronomy #solarobserving
May 9, 2025 at 11:32 PM
photonstopper.bsky.social
Apple Blossoms.
For the past couple of years, by the end of summer, the old tree has looked close to death — all dead leaves and scarce fruit. Somehow the roots are strong and the gnarled tree branches are celebrating another season. Welcome back, old one!

#springtime #life #appletree #beauty
The old apple tree in our back yard was in full bloom today, showing off its light pink petals against an intensely blue sky.
April 28, 2025 at 1:29 AM
photonstopper.bsky.social
I had just finished setting up for some solar astronomy Thursday and tapped the button to begin a video sequence when something flashed across the computer screen. A jet appeared for less than a second, contrails persisting briefly, silhouetted against the roiling solar disk!
#sun #astronomy
A business class jet plane streaming twin contrails is silhouetted against the mottled surface of the sun. Also visible on the sun's surface are sunspots, bright active regions, and plasma filaments. The image is in black and white. Photo by James Guilford.
April 18, 2025 at 8:54 PM
photonstopper.bsky.social
It's truly heart-warming seeing how many people are looking back one year, recalling the wonder they experienced during the total solar eclipse of April 8. The event brought together throngs of people across the nation, united to witness a natural phenomenon so impressive as to never be forgotten.
The total solar eclipse of April 8, 2024, photographed during totality. A dark circle on a dark background, rimmed in softly-diffused light. Around the edges of the eclipsed Sun are several red-colored prominences including the largest visible that day -- a loop at about the 6 o'clock position. Eclipse watchers were able to quite easily see the prominence with their unaided eyes.
April 8, 2025 at 11:20 AM
photonstopper.bsky.social
Those Were Better Times.
A random pick from May 2015, Toledo, Ohio.

#photography #art #publicart #mural #ohioart #urban
A bright and happy mural is painted on paneled-over storefronts. The second floor of the old, brick building is darkened with age, scarred with broken and boarded up windows. Photo by James Guilford.
April 6, 2025 at 9:26 PM
photonstopper.bsky.social
Still Waters.
A random pick from June 2014.
#kayaking #LakeErie #LakeErieLove #paddling #GreatLakes #bluesky #stillwater
Two people paddling a red kayak on still, blue waters, under a cloudless blue sky. The boat and people are very small in this picture, setting them in a great, expanse of open water and sky. Photo by James Guilford.
April 4, 2025 at 7:52 PM
photonstopper.bsky.social
Brilliant.
Bright red fungus growing on a rotting log. A random selection from August 2020. #fungus #red #nature #iphoneography
Generally as described in text though the fungus is not slimy or smooth in appearance, rather, is rough and covered in small spikes.
March 22, 2025 at 7:29 PM
photonstopper.bsky.social
With clear skies forecast and a 41° low temperature, the weather is expected to be favorable, though timing brutal, for tonight's total lunar eclipse. wordpress.com/post/stellal...
Image Credit: NASA Scientific Visualization Studio
An illustration showing the progression of the total lunar eclipse from beginning, through maximum, and to its end, as Moon passes through the penumbra and umbra of Earth's shadow in space.
March 13, 2025 at 2:51 PM
photonstopper.bsky.social
You need a flower. I can tell.

#peony #flower #mood
A big, bright pink peony flower bloom is centered against a green, leafy background.
February 24, 2025 at 3:27 PM
photonstopper.bsky.social
Blue Bird Butts. Winter has been very cold lately with enduring snow cover. In these conditions we enjoy helping out the local birds. Today four to five of the little beauties showed up at the tray feeder - by coloration, all boys - enjoying the spread.

#birds #birdsofnorthamerica #easternbluebird
Birds perched on the edges of a box-shaped feeding station that is hanging from a snow-covered plastic dome. The birds are looking down into the feeding station. The Eastern Bluebirds have intensely blue backs and wings. Their breasts are rust-red. Their bellies to tail are white. The background of the photo is out-of-focus shades of gray.
February 20, 2025 at 9:38 PM
photonstopper.bsky.social
Gulf of Lost Integrity
February 19, 2025 at 6:48 PM