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cliftographer.bsky.social
Teach Honest History
@cliftographer.bsky.social
3K followers 590 following 1.3K posts
Amateur wildlife photographer, mostly birds. Retired software engineer. Politically progressive, I believe in authentic democracy and diversity in all its many dimensions. An old white guy who tries not to act like one. All photos mine (except reposts).
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Reposted by Teach Honest History
mollyjongfast.bsky.social
Personally I think this is too much money for Donald trumps untrained heavily armed militia
January 29, 2026 at 2:22 AM
Reposted by Teach Honest History
thetnholler.bsky.social
Less than one minute later.
January 24, 2026 at 6:38 PM
cliftographer.bsky.social
I don't usually quote-post my own work but adding some extra tags for some people who love #robins
@alan6789.bsky.social
#RobinsForJanet #WinterRobin #ForJanet
cliftographer.bsky.social Teach Honest History @cliftographer.bsky.social · 6d
American Robins are very common, but every now I can get one in some nice light with a bit of a dramatic flair. Clifton, Virginia, USA 8-Jan-2026. #birds
An American Robin posing on a tree branch. The bird is facing about 45 degrees to its right but its head is turned back toward the camera. It's early morning light provides a warm illumination to the orange colored breast and the right eye, side of the face, and beak. It's winter so the branches are bare but the morning light also makes the gray of the bare branches much warmer than at midday.
January 23, 2026 at 11:24 PM
cliftographer.bsky.social
American Robins are very common, but every now I can get one in some nice light with a bit of a dramatic flair. Clifton, Virginia, USA 8-Jan-2026. #birds
An American Robin posing on a tree branch. The bird is facing about 45 degrees to its right but its head is turned back toward the camera. It's early morning light provides a warm illumination to the orange colored breast and the right eye, side of the face, and beak. It's winter so the branches are bare but the morning light also makes the gray of the bare branches much warmer than at midday.
January 23, 2026 at 11:18 PM
cliftographer.bsky.social
It won't be long before the Mango Maniac issues an executive order dictating that all polls must show his approval rating at 150%.
atrupar.com Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 7d
Trump: "Something has to be done about Fake Polls! They are truly OUT OF CONTROL. We have Greatest Economy in the History of our Country, the Strongest Border, nobody has ever done a job like I have done, & they have me in the low 40s... The REAL Polls have been GREAT, but they refuse to print them"
Trump: "Something has to be done about Fake Polls! They are truly OUT OF CONTROL. We have the Greatest Economy in the History of our Country, we have the Strongest Border in History, nobody has ever done a job like I have done, and they have me in the low 40s. The Democrats destroyed Healthcare, I’m trying to fix it, and they give me FAKE low numbers. Fake Polls on the Economy, on the Border, on just about everything, are ridiculous and dangerous. The REAL Polls have been GREAT, but they refuse to print them. This is no different than a writer who is corrupt, of which there are many. The New York Times, and so many others, print Polls that are knowingly false. They have become deranged, and sick. They suffer from a major case of TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME (TDS). Their 2024 Election coverage was so bad, and so wrong, and yet they never get called out for it — But I am calling them out with the lawsuit that I have filed which is making its way through the Courts. They have to pay a price for FAKE AND FRAUDULENT NEWS and, hopefully, in the not too distant future, they will!"
January 22, 2026 at 5:09 PM
Reposted by Teach Honest History
gtconway.bsky.social
"LIVE, FROM DAVOS, IT'S SATURDAY NIGHT!"
January 21, 2026 at 5:07 PM
cliftographer.bsky.social
The male house finch in the background was flying in to have a sip at the bird bath but aborted the landing once he saw the male red-winged blackbird. Not his idea of a good drinkin' buddy I guess. Clifton, Virginia, USA 8-Jan-2026. #birds
A male red-winged blackbird is perched facing left on the right-edge of a bird bath looking upward at about a 45 degree angle. Behind and slightly below it it, a male house finch is seen in flight toward the right.
January 20, 2026 at 9:52 PM
Reposted by Teach Honest History
meidastouch.com
Trump: I need to take over Greenland now, because if I don’t, Russia will.

Also Trump: Vladimir will you please join my Board of Peace?
January 19, 2026 at 3:40 PM
Reposted by Teach Honest History
maddow.bsky.social
Do we need to say it louder? Here. Louder.

" Federal courts in Alabama are using a law last applied during the U.S. internment [incarceration] of people of Japanese descent during World War II to charge immigrants who don’t register themselves..."

www.al.com/news/2026/01...
Alabama uses Japanese American Internment era law to charge immigrants who don’t self-register
Alabama is finding new ways to criminally charge undocumented immigrants
www.al.com
January 18, 2026 at 12:28 AM
cliftographer.bsky.social
This level of absurdity reminds me of ‘El Presidente’ in the opening scene of the movie Bananas.
billkristolbulwark.bsky.social Bill Kristol @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social · 12d
Marx remarks somewhere that historical events appear, as it were, twice: the first time as tragedy, the second time as farce.

He forgot to add that beneath the farce also can lurk tragedy.
January 18, 2026 at 2:38 AM
Reposted by Teach Honest History
katratika.bsky.social
A tiny Goldcrest, forever captured in soft wool. Its bright crown stripe gleams like a secret sunbeam.
#goldcrest #kinglet #nature #bird #birds #needlefelting #art #sculpture
January 16, 2026 at 12:00 PM
cliftographer.bsky.social
Canada geese seldom enter the scene quietly. Loud and splashy is the rule. Huntley Meadows Park, Alexandria, Virginia, USA 13-Jan-2026. #birds
Two geese are in flight side-by-side. The nearer one has just begun to make contact with a pond where they are landing and there is a large wake where the large feet have begun skidding through the water. The other goose is just a few inches higher and hasn't hit the water yet. Both have their beaks open indicating they are honking loudly. There is some blurry straw-like foliage on the far shore.
January 16, 2026 at 8:27 PM
Reposted by Teach Honest History
christinehallquist.bsky.social
January 16, 2026 at 1:11 AM
cliftographer.bsky.social
A great blue heron with a classic statue-like pose atop its log-pedestal. If you zoom in closely to the beak tip you will see some of the bird's own feathers, the result of recent preening. Huntley Meadows Park, Alexandria, Virginia, USA 13-Jan-2026 #birds
A great blue heron perches on a semi-submerged log in a marsh. The bird is facing to the left into the morning sun with it's neck curled in a compact S-curve. A bit of blue-gray feathers can be seen dangling from the tip of the beak. The background is straw-colored reeds on the far bank and there is some bare branches showing in the left lower foreground. The mood is serene.
January 15, 2026 at 2:32 PM
cliftographer.bsky.social
A red-shouldered hawk looking pensive in the morning light. Huntley Meadows Park, Alexandria, Virginia, USA 13-Feb-2026. #birds
A red-shouldered hawk perches on a tree branch facing to the right into the early morning sun. Other branches and some blue sky are in the background.
January 14, 2026 at 4:42 PM
cliftographer.bsky.social
Northern Shoveler drake and its reflection, Huntley Meadows Park, Alexandria, Virginia, USA 13-JAN-2026. #birds
A male Northern Shoveler duck is swimming from right-to-left with a good quality reflection in the water.
January 13, 2026 at 9:43 PM
cliftographer.bsky.social
Ah, the pause that refreshes! An American Goldfinch shakes off some excess water after drinking deeply at the bird bath. Clifton, Virginia, USA 12-JAN-2026. #birds
An American Goldfinch is seen perching on the edge of a bird bath in the early morning sun. The bird is upright and has just shaken off many water droplets that can be seen captured by the bright sunlight.
January 12, 2026 at 6:48 PM
cliftographer.bsky.social
Well gosh, just seizing property leads to a legal quagmire. Who could possibly have foreseen that? /sarc #Trump #Fascism #Autocracy
January 10, 2026 at 8:52 PM
cliftographer.bsky.social
It's a gray rainy day here, so how about a bit of #monochrome? I believe this treatment shows the feather texture well. American Crow (on a sunnier day), Clifton, Virginia, USA 8-JAN-2026. #birds #photography
An American Crow perches atop a deck railing. The bird has its back partially to the camera but if facing to the left into early morning sun. The high-contrast monochrome treatment emphasizes the texture of the feathers.
January 10, 2026 at 6:25 PM
cliftographer.bsky.social
God damn it all, I DO NOT WANT #AI inserting itself into all my tools. My #GMAIL was working just find. Just signed in and see this crap. #AIslop #Gemini #Google #rant
Screen capture with announcement 'New: Gmail is entering the Gemini era", and "AI-powered email for everyone"
January 8, 2026 at 4:35 PM
cliftographer.bsky.social
I usually photograph flying birds with their wings outstretched, but this 'tuck position' allows for a nice tight shot. Mallard drake, Huntley Meadows Park, Alexandria, Virginia, USA 6-JAN-2025 #birds
A very colorful mallard drake (male) is seen in flight flying from left-to-right and climbing. The wings are downswept and curled toward the body so that they image can be cropped to provide a close-up view.
January 8, 2026 at 2:38 PM
cliftographer.bsky.social
Claims by #ICE that the shooting in Minneapolis were self defense are not credible. Looks like murder to me.
January 7, 2026 at 7:49 PM
Reposted by Teach Honest History
thestar.com
Minneapolis mayor says ICE officer’s killing of a motorist was ‘reckless’ and wasn’t self-defense
Minneapolis mayor says ICE officer’s killing of a motorist was ‘reckless’ and wasn’t self-defense
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot a woman in her vehicle in a residential neighbourhood in Minneapolis, a Department of Homeland Security official said.
www.thestar.com
January 7, 2026 at 7:37 PM
Reposted by Teach Honest History
saintnick912.bsky.social
This leopard looked cozy nestled in the V of this tree with its tail hanging down, lit by the low light of the setting sun.

#photography #wlidlife #cats

flic.kr/p/2rQJaMH
Black an white vertical photo of a leopard sat in the V of a tree with its tail hanging down, looking back over its shoulder.
January 7, 2026 at 3:49 PM
cliftographer.bsky.social
Today was one of those crappy mostly overcast sky days that is miserable for wildlife photography. When I did get a good subject, it was often backlit. But for one brief stretch I had the sun behind me and a little bit of it poked through. Mallard drake, Alexandria, Virginia USA 06JAN2026. #birds
A male mallard duck in flight from left-to-right with its wings upraised against an out-of-focus light gray-brown background of Winter trees. The yellow beak, blue-green head, orange feet, and purple sash on the wing's trailing edge show nicely against the bird's body/
January 6, 2026 at 8:44 PM