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Amy Jo (AJ) Cousins

@ajcousins.bsky.social

5.8K followers 2.1K following 12K posts

Queer romance author. Obsessive book buyer. Slow runner. Newly fascinated birder. She/her, bi. Rep'd by Handspun Literary Agency. Volunteer Child Advocate for detained immigrant kiddos. Views my own.

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Amy Jo (AJ) Cousins @ajcousins.bsky.social · Dec 18

I released a new audiobook last year and neglected to tell anyone! 😂 Grumpy-grumpy, found-family holiday romance.

Adam Beckett did a FANTASTIC job with this one. He's an amazing performer.

Glass Tidings: www.amazon.com/Audible-Glas...

Infographic showing the audiobook cover of Glass Tidings by Amy Jo Cousins, narrated by Adam Beckett, against a background of snow-covered pine trees under a starry winter sky, with text at the top reading, "Can this grumpy shop owner show a drifter the true meaning of Christmas?"

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Reposted by Amy Jo (AJ) Cousins

C. L. Polk @clpolk.blacksky.app · 14h

A STACK OF BANGERS. HOW DO YOU PICK. BEHOLD THIS EXCELLENCE.

Ursula K. Le Guin @ursulakleguin.com · Jun 18

We're thrilled to present the shortlist for the 2025 Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction:

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Amy Jo (AJ) Cousins @ajcousins.bsky.social · 17h

I mean, look at this difference! Breeding plumage is such a dramatic look for Dunlins. On the left, a Dunlin in May. Right, a Dunlin in October. #birds

Photo of a Dunlin standing in clear shallow water at the edge of the lake. It's got a rufous speckled cap, wings, and skinny chin strap, a giant black patch on its belly, and a heavily speckled chest.

A Dunlin in October standing on the wet shining sand at the water's edge with its reflection in the sheen of water on the beach and small waves without crests in the background. The bird is grey and white, no rufous at all and it's also missing the big black splotch on its belly.

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Amy Jo (AJ) Cousins @ajcousins.bsky.social · 17h

There were also 4 Sanderlings and a Dunlin on the protected beach. Not sure I'd have ID'd the Dunlin without someone else spotting it that morning, the fall plumage is so different. #birds

Photo of 5 birds at the water's edge with sunset light shining on them, one Sanderling is jumping over a tiny wave with its white-striped dark wings raised and stretched back. A grey and white Dunlin with its droop bill is at the right.

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Amy Jo (AJ) Cousins @ajcousins.bsky.social · 19h

TY! :)

Amy Jo (AJ) Cousins @ajcousins.bsky.social · 19h

Pipit doing sunset yoga. :) #birds

Photo of an American Pipit standing on one leg with its left wing extended as it stretches on pebbled sand near a lumpy rock at sunset with the setting sun shining from behind it, making the tip of its stretched wing translucent in the light

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Amy Jo (AJ) Cousins @ajcousins.bsky.social · 20h

This artistic moment brought to you by my being too short to see over the tops of the prairie grasses. 😂

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Amy Jo (AJ) Cousins @ajcousins.bsky.social · 20h

I saw the two Pipits first, which had been reported earlier with the Lapland Longspurs, and figured the Longspurs must be long gone. But then... 😍 Sorry to the guy who was nearby and thought the Longspurs were Pipits and left before I figured out the ID. 😬🤷‍♀️ #birds

Photo of a Lapland Longspur as it flies onto the pier, wings fully extended downward, skimming just above the concrete edge, with blurry blue and white lake chop in the background.

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Amy Jo (AJ) Cousins @ajcousins.bsky.social · 20h

Sometimes you get lucky. 😊

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Amy Jo (AJ) Cousins @ajcousins.bsky.social · 20h

Thank you! I was shooting through a ton of prairie grass fronds and it gave such an unusual effect. :)

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Amy Jo (AJ) Cousins @ajcousins.bsky.social · 20h

The Pipit on the pier! The only other time I've seen one of these, it was Jan. 25th on Northerly Island and it was much farther away. I got to watch the two yesterday pretty close up for an hour at sunset on a 65 degree fall day. Much nicer. :) #birds

Photo of a lovely little brown bird, this one looking pretty yellowish, standing near the worn edge of a concrete pier in between a couple of vertical green poles bolted to the side of the pier. The bird and the poles are casting long shadows to the right. Blurry blue lake water is in the background.

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Reposted by Amy Jo (AJ) Cousins

Birder K @birderk.bsky.social · 23h

Looks like a new record was set last night with 1.25 billion birds!!! 🥳
#birds #fall #migration

BirdCast map showing 1.25 billion birds headed south at 10pm EDT on October 8, 2025.

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Amy Jo (AJ) Cousins @ajcousins.bsky.social · 1d

Same bird, different vibe. :) #birds

Photo of the same Savannah Sparrow from slightly further out, more brown tones in this pic as the prairie grasses behind the big plant it's sitting on create thins streaks and stripes against a white and yellow sky

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Amy Jo (AJ) Cousins @ajcousins.bsky.social · 1d

TY! 😊

Amy Jo (AJ) Cousins @ajcousins.bsky.social · 1d

I was shooting through so many prairie grass fronds, I wasn't sure if these shots would turn out, but I'm pleased!

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Amy Jo (AJ) Cousins @ajcousins.bsky.social · 1d

Amazing morning with Red Hill Birding and the Fort Sheridan hawk watch, and then finally seeing a Lapland Longspur after noticing a Discord post at 4:15 about someone spotting them on the beach at 2:45. Birding rewards giving it a go, even if the bird could be long gone. :) #birds

Photo of a Savannah Sparrow with its bill open, sitting on a large green leaf it was sipping water out of, against a streaky green and white background

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Reposted by Amy Jo (AJ) Cousins

Birder K @birderk.bsky.social · 1d

BILLION BIRD NIGHT!!!
#birds #fall #migration

BirdCast map showing 1.24 billion birds headed south at 9:50pm EDT on October 8, 2025. Most of the migration is concentrated in the east, especially the southeast.

NEXRAD radar composite map showing birds and weather.

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Amy Jo (AJ) Cousins @ajcousins.bsky.social · 1d

ALWAYS. 💯❤️💪

Sabreena Merchant @sabreenajm.bsky.social · 1d

I love how much Sky fans still ride for Kah.

Amy Jo (AJ) Cousins @ajcousins.bsky.social · 1d

When Kah catches fire, my TL says one thing. 😂 Not the WNBA feed. My whole TL.

Screenshot of 3 people in a row just saying Kah's name

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Amy Jo (AJ) Cousins @ajcousins.bsky.social · 1d

KAHLEAH COPPER. 😍😍😍

Amy Jo (AJ) Cousins @ajcousins.bsky.social · 1d

Good neighbors. ❤️

Chicago Neighbors Are Forming Watches Near Schools To Protect Students, Guardians From ICE

Increased federal immigration activity has prompted whistle-carrying neighbors in Irving Park and Albany Park to organize walking school buses and keep watch over students and guardians during school ...

blockclubchicago.org

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Amy Jo (AJ) Cousins @ajcousins.bsky.social · 1d

Link to donate to the emergency assistance fund for Chicago street vendors in article. 👇

Chicago Rallies To Support Street Vendors Impacted By ICE: 'The Backbone Of Our Neighborhoods'

The Street Vendors Association of Chicago is raising $300,000 to support hundreds of street vendors who are staying home for their safety. Street vendors from the city and suburbs can apply to get eme...

blockclubchicago.org

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Reposted by Amy Jo (AJ) Cousins

Greg Pak @gregpak.net · 1d

So last night I migrated @gregpak.net from Bluesky to Blacksky's myatproto.social server for non-Black users! A few thoughts on the process for anyone thinking about this...

Greg Pak @gregpak.net · 2d

whew. that took a while! but it looks like i'm done! all blobbed up in blobtown!

screenshot of a notice that says "You are good to go! You have all 4131 of the expected 3669 blobs. You're done!!"

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Reposted by Amy Jo (AJ) Cousins

Joseph Cox @josephcox.bsky.social · 1d

New: Apple banned an app that simply archived videos of ICE abuses. Rather than other apps that record ICE official's real-time location, Eyes Up is to "preserve evidence until it can be used in court." Videos from TikTok etc. Every submission manually reviewed

www.404media.co/apple-banned...

Apple Banned an App That Simply Archived Videos of ICE Abuses

Eyes Up's purpose is to "preserve evidence until it can be used in court." But it has been swept up in Apple's crackdown on ICE-spotting apps.

www.404media.co

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Reposted by Amy Jo (AJ) Cousins

ACLU @aclu.org · 16d

Since our country's founding, domestic military deployment has been strictly limited by federal law — and for good reason.

Two photos on top of each other, each of a woman in an orange shirt sitting, speaking mid-sentence in front of a laptop. Top photo is captioned "One of our foundational principles as a country is that the military should not be policing civilians." Bottom photo is captioned "And that is important for so many reasons, including our individual rights and liberties."

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Amy Jo (AJ) Cousins @ajcousins.bsky.social · 1d

Hina Shamsi is one of the most brilliant people I know. (Also one of the funniest, but today is about her knowledge, which is extraordinary.) ❤️

ACLU @aclu.org · 2d

Our National Security Project Director, Hina Shamsi, sat down to answer your questions about President Trump’s deployment of military troops and federal agents across the country.

Watch our full Ask an Expert video on our YouTube channel at youtube.com/watch?v=1wQLAqD-KFM

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