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SaraG

@hardlikearmour.bsky.social

She/her PNW Into birds, bees, nature, reading, cooking, karaoke, and Crowded House.

3790 Posts1233 Follower 1188 Folgt

SaraG @hardlikearmour.bsky.social · 4h ago

A White-crowned Sparrow getting dolled up with some Oregon Grape beakstick. Technically it violates the #BirdOfTheDay theme of #RedOrDead because the red is on the bird, but since it's an artificial enhancement I'm calling it fair play. 😂 🪶

A White-crowned Sparrow standing atop a Mahonia plant with a mashed berry in and on its beak. The intact berries below it are purple, but the mashed innards are violet-red. The compound leaves are waxy and reminiscent of holly leaves. The stems of the leaves are red. Bokeh light through green leaves makes an abstract background.

SaraG @hardlikearmour.bsky.social · yesterday

The Common Merganser family seems to be an annual feature of the Owyhee River. #TwosDay #Birds #Ducks

2 juvenile Common Mergansers swimming from left to right. The water is placid but not smooth and green in color. Behind the ducks is a mat of light green algae. The ducks are side-by-side with the one further from the camera about a heads length in front of the other.

SaraG @hardlikearmour.bsky.social · yesterday

The official city bird of Portland, OR since 1986, the Great Blue Heron was an ambassador for promoting urban wild spaces in the city. It has to be my choice for #BirdOfTheDay #FabulousWaders #Herons 🪶

SaraG @hardlikearmour.bsky.social · 2d ago

Back in 2019 Costco was selling the Nikon D7500 w/ 2 lenses at a reasonable price & we were going on a trip to the Azores so decided to purchase one. I practiced using it on our annual Owyhee River trip & got this shot of Rock Pigeons flying in front of the dam. 🪶 #Firsts #BirdOfTheDay

A small flock of birds flying in front of a concrete dam. The birds are bright with sunlight and the dam is streaked in shades of white, grey, black, and brown .

SaraG @hardlikearmour.bsky.social · 3d ago

I had my best birding in July at the local wetlands -- early in the month I saw young Pied-billed Grebes & Hooded Mergansers, then 2 Green Herons, a surprise Double-crested Cormorant one morning, the Lesser Goldfinches all month, & ended July with a Belted Kingfisher. #BirdOfTheDay #BestOfJuly

SaraG @hardlikearmour.bsky.social · 4d ago

Hold on tight little Chickadee. 🪶 #SmallBirdSaturday

A Black-capped Chickadee clinging somewhat precariously to a green leaf at the end of a small twig. It's hanging off to the side and has one eye on the camera. There is a small amount of white schmutz on its head - something like spider webs.

SaraG @hardlikearmour.bsky.social · 5d ago

Great Blue Heron wants you to know that things are definitely looking up for Alan and Rob. They have found some awesome co-hosts to help carry the load. 🪶 #BirdOfTheDay #OverTheRainbow

A Great Blue Heron with its body facing the camera. Its neck is curled in an ess shape with the back of its neck resting on its body. Its head is turned toward the left frame and if its bill was a clock hand it would be pointed at 11 o'clock. The background is out of focus green leaves. There is also a curved, moss covered branch above the getting in the upper left part of the image.

SaraG @hardlikearmour.bsky.social · 5d ago

Belted Kingfisher Perched quietly on the snag Hello wayward bee 🪶🐝 #FlyDay #ECK

SaraG @hardlikearmour.bsky.social · 6d ago

Zoop 🪶 #BirdOfTheDay #EgretsAndHerons #Herons

A Green Heron perched on a dead branch above water with its neck extended and its bill partially submerged.

The same Green Heron, neck tucked back in and a little fish clasped in its bill.

SaraG @hardlikearmour.bsky.social · 6d ago

Feral Indian Peafowl make good models. This male's eyes look a little glazed because its nearly transparent third eyelid is covering its eye. 🪶 #ThirdEyelidThursday @drbrianpet.bsky.social

Close up of a Peacock with the focus on the face. The nearly transparent third eyelids are covering the corneas, giving the eyes a slightly glazed appearance. Its flared tail feathers provide a beautiful background.

SaraG @hardlikearmour.bsky.social · 7d ago

A Barn Swallow perched on the railing of a boardwalk at Nisqually NWR. It stayed put long enough for me to get some nice captures. I really like the dreamy quality of the background on this one. 🪶 #BirdOfTheDay #YourChoice

A Barn Swallow perched on a wooden railing. Its body is angled towards the lower right frame. Its head is turned to look over its right shoulder. The sunlight is falling from the upper right corner of the frame, landing on the bird's head and breast. The background is hazy and glowy, giving the image a dreamy quality.

SaraG @hardlikearmour.bsky.social · last wk.

Going for a 2fer today with a Mallard Drake in eclipse plumage taking a rest on shore. 🪶 Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #MultiColour, birds with 3 or more colours in their plumage. The Alt theme is #DucksOutOfWater, Ducks that are out of water but not flying.

A Mallard Drake resting on shore with his head tucked under his wing. He has an iridescent green-blue streak on the top of his head and a cobalt blue patch on his wing. Most of his feathers are shades of brown.

SaraG @hardlikearmour.bsky.social · last wk.

There is a family of Red-tailed Hawks living in my neighborhood. This one and its sibling spent at least an hour crying for their parents. The following day one of them flew past carrying a full sized rat. 🪶 #Raptors #TalonTuesday

A juvenile Red-tailed Hawk perched in a fir tree. Its back is towards the camera, and the hawk is looking over its right shoulder with its beak open.

SaraG @hardlikearmour.bsky.social · last wk.

No heron to see here. 🪶 #EmeraldBackdrop #BirdOfTheDay

A Green Heron on the edge of a wetlands with just its head and neck above the water plants and tall grass behind it.

SaraG @hardlikearmour.bsky.social · last wk.

3,2,1 -- 3 Gadwall ducklings, 2 Gadwall adults, and 1 domestic x Mallard. 🪶 #MallardMonday #ducks

In focus in the foreground are 3 fuzzy but older Gadwall ducklings, in the middle are 2 slightly out of focus adult Gadwalls, and in the background is a blurred domestic x Mallard hybrid. They are all swimming on green water with algae in front and water plants behind.

SaraG @hardlikearmour.bsky.social · last wk.

The males get all the attention but the females are beautiful too. 🪶 #Grey #BirdOfTheDay

Close up of a female Indian Peafowl (Peahen). It's got the iridescent green, blue, and purple feathers on it's neck but its body feathers are grey.

SaraG @hardlikearmour.bsky.social · last wk.

Any guesses as to what this Red-tailed Hawk (juvenile ?) is carrying? 🪶 #Raptors

A Red-tailed Hawk flying away from the camera with an animal clasped in its talons. The animal has dark brown fur and a long, naked tail. It is likely a brown rat. Sparkly, bokeh background of light and trees.

SaraG @hardlikearmour.bsky.social · last wk.

There's a neighborhood in SE Portland with a resident population of feral Indian Peafowl. At least one of the houses is for sale if you'd like some gorgeous, noisy neighbors! For #Stunday I'm sharing a photo I took recently - straight out of the camera w/ zero editing. #Birds #ECK

SaraG @hardlikearmour.bsky.social · 2w ago

Thank you, Alan. I was hoping you'd pick a theme I could use these funny photos I took this morning. 😄 Double-crested Cormorant battling water weeds while catching small fish. And it's the first time I've seen one at the local wetlands I frequent. 🪶 #BirdOfTheDay #CHE #Memories

A Double-crested Cormorant trying to fling stringy, green water weeds from its bill. Its neck is twisted and it's bill is open and pointed upward, giving a view of its choana. The water surrounding it is covered in light green algae.

A Double-crested Cormorant with just its head and neck and the very top of its back above the water. Its head is tilted back and its bill is open. There is a small fish in its bill. There are also some strands of stringy, green water weeds in its bill and hanging off its head. Its head is reflected in the water in front of it, and there is thick, light green algae covering the water behind it.

SaraG @hardlikearmour.bsky.social · 2w ago

This little cutie came out for a bit as the light was fading. 🪶 #SmallBirdSaturday #ECK

SaraG @hardlikearmour.bsky.social · 2w ago

A study in Goldfinches. 🪶 #OneTwoThreeFour #BirdOfTheDay

A pair of Lesser Goldfinches perched on the diagonal stem of a yellow flowering plant. The lower bird is a female or immature and it's stretched along the stem reaching its beak near the upper bird's leg. The upper bird is a male. It has a seed in its beak and seems to be looking over the other bird.

Four American Goldfinches perched in last year's dead, tall plant stems in the spring. There is a group of 3 on the right - a male and two female or immature. On the left is a solo immature. The rest of the picture is dead stems and new green plants.

SaraG @hardlikearmour.bsky.social · 2w ago

Home after a long week of work. Phew! Happy #FlyDay y'all! #invertebrates #dragonfly

A blue-bodied Dragonfly perched at the tip of a stick, facing away from the camera. Its left wings are perfectly in focus showing the delicate and intricate detail. Soft blue background.

SaraG @hardlikearmour.bsky.social · 2w ago

The mesmerizing turquoise eye of the Double-crested Cormorant is hard to deny. 🪶 #EyeOfTheWild #BirdOfTheDay

Portrait of a Double-crested Cormorant. Slightly forward turned portrait photo with the bird facing the right. The late afternoon sunlight is falling on it from the upper right. The light really makes the feathers glow & lights up the turquoise eye and the surrounding yellow of the face. The background is blue and brown slightly rough water.

SaraG @hardlikearmour.bsky.social · 2w ago

Mama Gadwall #SittingDownOnTheJob while supervising her brood. 🪶 #BirdOfTheDay

A Gadwall hen sitting on grassy ground with her 3 ducklings nearby. One of the ducklings is sitting right next to her, the other 2 are standing a few inches away. The background is murky looking water with some water plants.

SaraG @hardlikearmour.bsky.social · 2w ago

A Lewis's Woodpecker on Ponderosa Pine. This species was named after Merriweather Lewis. I wonder what its new name will be? 🪶 #WoodpeckerWednesday #TantalisingTextures #BirdOfTheDay

SaraG @hardlikearmour.bsky.social · 2w ago

Alan's decree for today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is: #TantalisingTextures Smooth soft feathers of any bird contrasted with rough hard surfaces. Alt: #ArtOfMotion, birds moving but not in flight. I'm going for the Alt with this House Finch showing motion blur of its neck. 🪶

A House Finch perched on a branch having a good head shake. Its body and head are still, while its neck feathers are blurred with motion. Its body is angled towards the lower right corner. The top of its head is visible. The background is soft focused green leaves and light.

SaraG @hardlikearmour.bsky.social · 2w ago

Looking especially debonair. 🪶 #Gulls #BirdOfTheDay #NisquallyNWR

SaraG @hardlikearmour.bsky.social · 2w ago

Lesser Goldfinch giving #SummerLovin vibes. 🪶 #BirdOfTheDay

A male Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria) is clinging to the stem of a yellow, daisy-like flower of a Common Madia plant. It is gleaning seeds from the spent flowers of the same plant. It has a seed in its beak. The background is sunny yellow and light green from other Common Madia plants.

SaraG @hardlikearmour.bsky.social · 2w ago

I saw a juvenile Junco!! 😍 🪶 #SparrowSunday.

A juvenile Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) perched on a small, diagonal branch. Its body is facing the camera and its head is cocked towards the left frame. The feathers of its head and upper breast are streaked to mottled in appearance. Its beak and legs are pale pink giving its identity away. The background and foreground are ferns and shrubs.

SaraG @hardlikearmour.bsky.social · 3w ago

A trio of Northern Shovelers. 🪶 #BirdOfTheDay #Triplets

Three Northern Shovelers on lightly wavy water. A drake in the foreground with two hens further back.