Juvenile male Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) at a backyard feeder for #BirdoftheDay theme of #feeders. This young bird was just starting to get the white and bright red breast, but you can see a hint of bright red under his wing. #birds #naturephotography #Florida #backyard

Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) for #GreyDay with a piece of peanut from the feeder. Love my "regulars". #Birds #BirdoftheDay #Florida #NaturePhotography

A Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitusor) is today's #BirdOfTheDay for the theme #TwigsAreUs.

A light-eyed, male Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus alleni) is my #BirdoftheDay for the #Songbirds theme and is also #PerfectlyPerched (alternate theme) on Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) at Kissimmee Prairie Preserve. #birds #Florida #KissimmeePrairie #naturephotography

Swallow-tailed Kites (Elanoides forficatus) doing the wild thing very high up in a tree at Kissimmee Prairie Preserve. Selected for #WingsOpenNotFlying theme, it works pretty well for the #BlackandWhite theme, too! #birds #BirdoftheDay #Florida #KissimmeePrairie #naturephotography

Looked at some jay photos for today's corvid theme, but settled on a black-on-black, proud-looking Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus) portrait. Fish Crows look almost identical to American Crows, but a little smaller and their call is different. #birds #BirdoftheDay #Corvidae #Florida #naturephotography

Sneaking in a BOTD before midnight, featuring a close up of a beautiful Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) male in a #sideprofile. I love ducks. #birds #BirdoftheDay #duck #Florida #naturephotography

Representative Frost was fabulous in this interview.

Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) doing a head throw and in good color during its mating season. Such a #photogenic bird. #birds #BirdoftheDay #Florida #naturephotography #wadingbird

American Flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber) at Treasure Island Beach following Hurricane Idalia August 2023. There were 16 birds in a small lagoon at the beach. It was incredible. #birds #BirdoftheDay #standinginwater #naturephotography #Florida

Mixed pair: a Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) seems unfazed by a territorial attack from a male Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) at Kissimmee Prairie. I have been enjoying the daily themes as a break from the news! #birds #birdoftheday #mixedpairs #naturephotography #Florida

Before the day ends wanted to show this guy shouting it out. Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) at Kissimmee Prairie Preserve. #birds #birdoftheday #shoutitout #quail #naturephotography #Florida

Yellow-throated Warbler (Setophaga dominica) We have had what I assume is the same Yellow-throated wintering in our backyard for three years, but this is the first close up I have. #birdoftheday #sideview #birds #naturephotography #Florida

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) showing the reason for the name. Spending time in the yard to try to overcome my news blues a little while each day. The backyard regulars brighten my mood. I reward them with treats like the suet this one is enjoying. #birds #Florida #nature #photography

Ghislaine Maxwell, a convicted child sex trafficker, gets gardening time, sports, therapy dogs, and spa products in prison. Migrant children in custody are sleeping on concrete floors without enough food or clean water. Our priorities are so fucked.

Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus) Nothing can cheer me up faster and better than a visit with my backyard birds. This friendly guy was happy to see me bring out some seeds. They are here in Florida only during the winter. #birds #warbler #Florida #naturephotography

"This is Mia, 7 years old -- 'I don't want to be in this place. I want to be in my school'" -- Walkinshaw confronts Lyons with letters written by kids being detained by ICE

4 months after Trump pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, Forbes reports that Binance now holds $4.7 billion of the $5.4 billion supply of Trump’s World Liberty Financial stablecoin. That is 87%. It is the largest corruption scandal in the history of the US presidency.

“Lying in feces, throw up, urine… like animals in a cage at the zoo.” A whistleblower recounts the horrific ICE detention center conditions in Baltimore — a similar story everywhere.

February 7, 2026

The biggest risk in this moment is something sociologists call “symbolic compliance.” That’s when an institution that is violating civil rights gives the public just enough symbolic victories that accountability efforts lose steam before there has been any meaningful change.

This isn't about "training issues." The murderer who executed Renee Good has been with ICE for 10 years, and according to DHS, the murderer who executed Alex Pretti has been there for 8 years. These aren't "new recruits," or officers that can be "retrained." ICE can't be reformed. Abolish ICE.

Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) male. They are usually very camera shy, but this lone duck found at a local park was not very concerned about my presence and allowed many photos. They are so pretty, they hardly seem real. #birds #naturephotography #Florida #ducks

Four GOP Senators. At most four Repubs in the House. Together they could stop nearly all the mad-king's rampages. They would be known to history as Profiles in Courage. They might/would lose the next election. But people have sacrificed a lot more, for a lot less.

Everybody should watch this and see this woman, who has a baby in her arms and is thrust into basically a standoff, develop courage in real time.

Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) male (yellow-shafted) getting a drink from the back yard pond. #birds #woodpecker #Florida #naturephotography #nativeplants

Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) male On a lake in Clearwater in some very nice late day light. The colorful reflection in the water is from Bald Cypress trees as they go dormant for the winter. Love that it is duck season in Florida. #birds #duck #naturephotography #Florida

It's great that reporting on the double tap has spotlighted the abject criminality of this Administration. But don't forget: Venezuela is not waging war on America or Americans, and the men killed were not combatants. The first strike was every bit as illegal as the second.

Happy Thanksgiving. Wild Turkeys (Osceola subspecies) photographed at Kissimmee Prairie Preserve SP in Florida. #birds #turkeys #Thanksgiving #Florida #naturephotography

The Lookout: Endangered Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) in scrubby oak, keeping watch over their family at Lake Wales Ridge NWR/Carter Creek in central Florida. #birds #Florida #naturephotography #photography #endangeredspecies

The depth of the shame of a country this wealthy and abundant allowing its people to go hungry is impossible to measure. The fact that a handful of people could fix this by paying their fair share of taxes while still remaining obscenely wealthy makes it even worse.

There is no difference between Trump destroying the East Wing and using a wrecking ball on the Washington Monument or Smithsonian. Just because he (temporarily) lives there doesn't give him the right to demolish the White House without Congressional approval.

“but you commented earlier about a naked bike ride in portland” would be a legitimate follow up for any reporters in the room w johnson when he says he didnt see the important story youre asking him about

Short-striped Hanging Thief (Diogmites esuriens) with Antlion Adult (Myrmeleon spp.) prey. Hanging from Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata). At Lake Wales Ridge National Wildlife Refuge, Sebring, Florida. #robberfly #invertebrate #Florida #macro #photography

This is the playbook, folks. If you're not paying attention now and doing something about it, then you're going to have to sit down the rest of your life because democracy is being taken away. Do not be quiet in this moment.

This week's news: * many male elites approve of & participate in raping girls * POTUS is a pedophile serial rapist voters chose TWICE over more qualified women * he wants to decriminalize domestic violence bc it's so common it's driving up crime stats Male pundits: "Misogyny is a side issue."

Have seen a couple of Prothonotary Warblers (Protonotaria citrea) like this one in the yard lately. They are earlier fall migrants. Looking forward to seeing more birds come through soon. #birds #warbler #naturephotography #Florida #nativeplants

This is so great. I got very involved in writing the real story of Katrina in the aftermath, knew how almost every agency of government failed, how the elites and media spread lies that demonized the victims, know that we must do better.....

People are constantly asking me — what can I do? Between now and the 2026 midterm elections, here are five practical steps you can take to make a difference.

Checkered White (Pontia protodice) female on Scorpionstail (Heliotropium angiospermum) Don't see these often in the yard, so it was a treat to get a few photos of a nice fresh one. So pretty. #butterfly #naturephotography #invertebrate #Florida #yard

Singing Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) Needed a meadowlark today. I never tire of seeing, hearing, and photographing them. From Kissimmee Prairie Preserve, Okechobee County, Florida. #birds #naturephotography #Florida #KissimmeePrairie

I have spent multiple weeks working on this story. We are not dropping it. I hope you will give this a read.

Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus) Spent time watching three of these graceful fliers along Scrub Pens Road in Highland County on the way home from Kissimmee Prairie recently. Photos really don't do them justice. #birds #naturephotography #Florida #raptor

But “we’re broke”, right? We can’t afford health care, housing, education, etc right? A budget is a moral document. 🇺🇸

"Now what?!" Another bewildered owl from the class of 2025, wondering why no one is feeding them anymore. Day made by that adorable face. Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio) youngster with Wild Coffee (Psychotria nervosa) and River Sage (Salvia misella). #birds #Florida #photography #nativeplants

Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) going for a snack on the backyard Elderberry (Sambucus nigra subsp. canadensis). Many of our backyard birds like elderberries. #birds #nativeplants #Florida #backyard #naturephotography

Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio) Class of 2025 This little owl and I surprised each other when I opened the blinds to the front porch early Wednesday. He had been there overnight, and flushed to a SImpson's Stopper (Myrcianthes fragrans) nearby. #birds #Florida #nativeplants #naturephotography

Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) male; yellow-shafted (obviously!) Migrating birds are mainly through here but still good birding in our back yard with this beautiful woodpecker. #birds #naturephotography #Florida #backyard #nature

Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) male. Another pretty warbler from spring migration in the back yard. #birds #naturephotography #Florida #warbler #birding

Tonight, Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band opened their Land of Hope & Dreams Tour. Bruce launched this run of shows with three statements about the situation in the United States, with comments preceding his songs Land of Hope and Dreams, House of a Thousand Guitars and My City of Ruins.