Why are there so many narcissists in public service? It’s counter intuitive to be in a field (conservation/wildlife biology) as a state/federal public servant where you are *supposed* to care deeply about the greater good only to be totally selfish, controlling, and manipulative.

Purple Coneflowers

Thanks to my coauthors on this release: @shannonskalos.bsky.social, Mikey Lutmerding, and Dave Ziolkowski for a timely release of the BBS data; John Sauer for his work developing the analysis methods and review of the metadata; and Jim Hines for working to get the website live so quickly.

This analysis provides estimates of annual relative abundance at the state/province, bird conservation region (BCR), country, and range-wide scales, and trends over the whole 60-year period, since 1993, and since 2015.

I am happy to announce that the latest USGS analysis of North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) data, incorporating data through 2025, has now been released. Metadata and csv files can be downloaded at doi.org/10.5066/P1OS....

Inspo ➡️ Art

Oh hi hello Willow Ptarmigan on Presque Isle 👋🐓

A couple quick paintings today 🖌️🎨

Started a new painting tonight that I’m very excited about! Can anyone tell what species they are?

Waxed and framed!

Done! This is the fastest painting I’ve completed so far (2.5 nights!) and it’s the first painting I’ve done completely on my own without a tutorial!

Started this painting tonight for my stepdad as a Father’s Day gift. Not sure what I was thinking with all these shiny curvy surfaces 😅🫠😮‍💨

I was gifted some ink line drawings by my mother in law recently. I decided I would color them in with watercolor.

March: CHIFFCHAFF IT’S A CHIFFCHAFF OH GOD THIS IS AMAZING SPRING IS HERE April: a chiffchaff. Nice. May: got any other tunes? No? OK then. June: stfu you chiffing little bastard I swear to god

What a great morning it was for a Breeding Bird Survey!

I think I have a fun idea for a watercolor series! 💡🎨🖌️

Wax sealed and framed! It feels good to finish paintings and see them framed.

It’s finished!

Thank you, @maxlambert.bsky.social and colleagues for this letter to federal scientists 🫶 esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Very excited and honored to have been part of this project and to now be a Science published author! 🥳 We used animal and human mobility data to explore the impacts of human presence and landscape modifications on wildlife across the continental US. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

I can’t stop

“Academic science is not only about productivity but also deep understanding, creative solutions & training critical thinkers as next generation of researchers. Now is the time for our community to evaluate whether AI products help or hinder these.“ @lmesseri.bsky.social & @mjcrockett.bsky.social🧪👇

Made some gifts tonight 🎨🖌️🥰

Can’t sleep. Send zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzs

This is WILD!!

Some of the other species banded during spring migration this season (see alt text for IDs) *all birds capture and banded under proper training and permits

More spring beauties from the banding station today! Including Alt Text IDs this time. *All birds captured and banded with proper training and permits

Spring things 🌼🌸☀️🕊️🪺

Spotted a Mississippi Kite at work today!

With 'Israel and Palestine' trending at #1 on Mother's Day, let me say James Baldwin had it exactly right: "The children are always ours, every single one of them, all over the globe; and I am beginning to suspect that whoever is incapable of recognizing this may be incapable of morality." 🧵

Framed up as a Mother’s Day gift for my mom. It feels good to be able to give handmade and personalized gifts! 🌼

Happy Mother’s Day to all the hardworking mamas out there! Especially mama birds feeding their fledglings all day every day. Fledgling Robin spotted in a small tree in the front yard and being well-tended to by mom and dad.

Framed for my mom as a Mother’s Day gift

I painted another poppy 🧡

Got frustrated with my hummingbird painting so instead of taking a break from painting all together I decided to try something completely different: California Poppy work in progress!

I wish they cared this much about shootings when it happens to children at school.

In the first eleven months of 2025, 10,109 doctoral-trained scientists left the federal government. The losses were concentrated in agencies that fund medical research, regulate environmental standards and model climate. theintellectualistofficial.substack.com/p/more-than-...?

Started a new painting today. Female Rufous Hummingbird! Come along with me as I follow another tutorial by the wonderful Paul Hopkinson (The Devon Artist) 🎨🖌️

Wax sealed and framed!

My entire process from start to finish from March 20 to April 11. Fun, challenging, and rewarding. On to the next painting!

Dare I say I’m done?

Haven’t painted in over a week. After the day I had, it called for painting. Started with the base layer and first layer of top color of the branch. Letting it dry and will add the final details later!

"All we say to America is, 'Be true to what you said on paper.'" These words — spoken by MLK Jr. shortly before he was killed on this day in 1968 — ring just as true now. Let's honor his legacy by continuing the fight for social and economic justice.

The annual observance marks how far into the new year women must work to make what men earned in the previous year. This year, it's March 26, a day later than it was in 2025. n.pr/4t9rLqU

One thing about my kids is they love to do whatever I do! When I paint, they want to paint. That makes my heart happy 💕🎨🖌️

I might be biting off more than I can chew here by taking on this wren tutorial with the end goal being a realistic looking bird. Wish me luck! This was 1.5-2 hours worth of work! 😮‍💨

Today I got a new set of watercolor paint that has metallic colors and I cannot wait to work with them! 🤩😍

Still working on watercolors and having fun!

My first watercolor! I’ve been feeling my soul yearn to be creative again lately, so I finally sat down and painted. I’ve never used watercolor before (I’ve never really painted before, either), so I got a guide book to help me learn. I hope this is the beginning of a new journey for me!