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User47

@User47@vmst.io

Trying to improve the world. Dad x2 (teen + newborn😳) @Jillianmarisa's adoring husband. Liberal. Enthusiastic Missouri Master Naturalist and non-profit board member. I dig: Conservation + naturalist topics, photography (mostly birds these days) postcards 'n travel. Leader @ a Conglom-O Corp.

C-list #AvGeek: I help run @AirlineReporter & host a Mastodon community of travel/airplane geeks @ AvGeek.Social.

MY VIEWS Disclaimer, yadda bla bla

📍 Lee’s Summit, MO, US (KC-metro)

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. For a complete list of posts, browse on the original instance.

strykeroz , to random
@strykeroz@mastodon.social avatar

Hope this #WrensDay finds you well

#WildOz #OzBirds #Birds #Wildlife #Brisbane

User47 ,
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@strykeroz @loren Hate to break it to you, but it's only #ThickTrunkTuesday

TonyStark , to random
@TonyStark@progressivecafe.social avatar

I missed this story last week so maybe you did, too, but it’s important.

Democrat Chris Kleinjans won 60% of the vote in an Ottawa County Commissioner's seat recall in #Michigan, flipping a deep red county and signaling a strong rejection of MAGA extremism. Polls say one thing but the election results Democrats get keep saying something else.

Voters recall far-right Ottawa Impact member from West Michigan county commission • Michigan Advance:
https://michiganadvance.com/2024/05/08/voters-recall-far-right-ottawa-impact-member-from-west-michigan-county-commission/

User47 ,
@User47@vmst.io avatar

@TonyStark @mastodonmigration but please, to all who see this, don’t let these great results allow you to make excuses to not show up come election days.

User47 , to random
@User47@vmst.io avatar

Cat birds! More first time IRL specimens for me this week. The super dark one is super unique, and was the first to show up. They seem to enjoy the cuties I put out for the Oriels. They only hung out for a day or so.

#GrayCatbird #backyardbirding #BackyardBirds #Birdstodon #birding #naturalist #Ornithology #nature #wildlifephotography #Missouri #KC

A more typical grey catbird perched on a shallow cup containing oranges. Its under tail orange can be seen.

User47 , to random
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Today is the most ridiculous day for #BackyardBirding! First a rose-breasted grosbeak at our feeder (first time we’ve seen one IRL), then a full-color goldfinch, and just now a Baltimore oriole showed up at the hummingbird feeder. First time getting photos of a BO. YAYYY 🤩

Also, Mr and Mrs Bluey (our eastern bluebird couple) have been hanging out, too.

#BaltimoreOriole #BackyardBirds #Birdstodon #birding #naturalist #Ornithology #nature #wildlifephotography #Missouri

User47 , to random
@User47@vmst.io avatar

First time seeing a Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher with my own eyes. I managed two photos, this one and a super blurry one. I’m A-OK with this for a first photo.

#BlueGrayGnatcatcher #Missouri #ArrowRock #Birdstodon #birding #naturalist #Ornithology #nature #wildlifephotography #Missouri

User47 , to random
@User47@vmst.io avatar

What a wonderful day! We just watched an #EasternBluebird couple discover the box we put up in the backyard.

Now @Jillianmarisa and I are narrating for them. It’s like house hunters bird edition back here. 🥰

Will they pick the new-build roomy mansion in the bad part of town? Stay tuned!

#househunters #naturalist #backyardbirding #naturalist #birding

Mr bluebird perched on our power line keeping watch

User47 OP ,
@User47@vmst.io avatar

How to tell if being ghosted by bluebirds? #googling

User47 OP ,
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Being a prospective #EasternBluebird landlord is stressful. I want this so much! They came back and are just hanging out. I plucked a few dried mealworms out of our chicken treats and put them on the roof to hopefully sweeten the deal. No dice. It’s a hard sell.

User47 OP ,
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Well. The couple comes and goes, but mostly goes. And for long periods of time. Might not appreciate us, or the dogs, or our hens. Though, this morning they were aggressive w/ some robins, suggesting to me they think it’s worth defending. Can’t help but think we are a backup family. Will update if there’s a change. #EasternBluebird

User47 OP ,
@User47@vmst.io avatar

Long awaited #EasternBluebird update (haha)

Monday they spent most of the morning perched or nest building. By afternoon they were gone and didn’t come back.

Yesterday I didn’t see them at all.

Today they are back but not working on their nest or even going into the box that often. They are just hanging out in the area. If prior experience holds, I’m guessing they will be gone in a few hours. #birding #Missouri #backyardbirding

User47 OP ,
@User47@vmst.io avatar

As predicted, our #EasternBluebird couple abandoned their house in the afternoon like they have been doing.

A few hours later, a dumb house sparrow moved in. So I plugged one of the holes, setup the van ert trap, and within 30 mins caught the little bugger.

Suddenly the bluebird couple wants the house. I’m pretty sure they are spending their first night tonight. VICTORY! (Maybe)

#birding #Missouri #backyardbirding

User47 OP ,
@User47@vmst.io avatar

Time for another #EasternBluebird update: I was away from home for a few days, but @Jillianmarisa says she saw the couple periodically.

Last night I checked the box and there is a nice, deep and clean nest. They were around most of the evening.

I have been watching them all morning. They are quite active today. YAY!

#birding #Missouri #backyardbirding

A female eastern bluebird perched on their favorite timber

User47 , to random
@User47@vmst.io avatar

Periodic reminder that you should actually look at the photos you take. Here's a three-year old gem I just found from a #SpringBreak visit to South Padre Island Birding And Nature Center. I have no idea how i got so close and so sharp. Wow.

What a stunner!

#hummingbird #birding #rubythroated?

User47 , to random
@User47@vmst.io avatar

I've thought long and hard on my response to Threads implementation of activitypub. For now, I've decided to block threads.net on this account so Zuck & Co can't suck up all my data.

To be able to follow/interact with those willingly trapped on Threads, I've created a second account where I won't post. So no data to suck up.

To do your own account-level block: 1. Search "threads.net" in the search bar to find a user.
2. Click through to their profile.
3. Open the ... menu, choose "block instance threads.net".

#Threads #Mastodon #ActivityPub #FediBlock

User47 OP ,
@User47@vmst.io avatar

@BeAware appreciate that note, it might be of value to any folks looking to recreate what I did. Thankfully @vmstan has auth fetch setup for vmst.io

IoSapsai , to bookstodon group
@IoSapsai@sunny.garden avatar

A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching: Getting to Know the World's Most Misunderstood Bird by Rosemary Mosco. 5/5

A fun read, recommended by bookstodon that I gobbled in two days! A basic overall introduction to pigeons with fun facts and cute illustrations. From history to anatomy, it really deepened my interest in this otherwise common but fascinating bird.

@bookstodon

#books #pigeons #birds

User47 ,
@User47@vmst.io avatar

@IoSapsai @bookstodon @taosecurity Hello. I promise I'm not intending to be a jerk, buuuuttt. In my naturalist and conservation studies I've learned these were brought to North America as a food source only to become terribly invasive to the point of helping to endanger or outright extinct our native pigeons and other birds.

Does the book care for that? It's quite an ecological crime.

User47 ,
@User47@vmst.io avatar

@IoSapsai @bookstodon @taosecurity Thank you for the response.

Sorry for assuming you were here in the U.S. A totally different story elsewhere. We Americans tend to think everyone else is one, too. A real challenge I've been trying to break particularly having been able to get out and see some of the world and meet new friends.

PS: Sorry for our our grey squirrels, I know they are terrible ambassadors :(

User47 ,
@User47@vmst.io avatar

@taosecurity @IoSapsai @bookstodon my fault. I meant @richrollgardener my for this day sucks. Sorry. Going to bed

lauren , to random
@lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org avatar

In 1940, Paramount released "The Three Stooges" short "You Nazty Spy!". At that point in time, the U.S. had not yet entered what would become World War II, and the pro-Hitler German American "Bund" was strong after its largest rally the year before in New York City.

In the short, the Stooges portray three simpletons recruited to lead a dictatorship in "Moronika", with Moe as the Hitler character, Curly as the Goring character, and Larry as the Goebbels character. Their flag was a pair of twisted snakes resembling a swastika, their slogan was "Moronika for Morons" (like Hitler's "Germany for Germans").

As a further dig, the Stooges, who were all Jewish, threw in a variety of Yiddish in the dialogue.

Some powerful congressmen who were either pro-Hitler or pro-neutrality were incensed at this short, but Paramount went ahead and released it anyway, resulting in Moe being the first American actor to portray Hitler in a released film production.

The Stooges were a remarkable trio. One of the high points of my life was meeting Larry Fine. He was in a wheelchair from a stroke, but still had his sense of humor.

We shall never see their like again.

User47 ,
@User47@vmst.io avatar

@GhostOnTheHalfShell @lauren @internetarchive just watched the whole thing. It’s amazing how far tech has come with regard to upscaling and colorization. Thank you for sharing

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