Janet Drew
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jedrew.bsky.social
Janet Drew
@jedrew.bsky.social
200 followers 190 following 150 posts
Lifelong astronomer and scientist, with an interest in birds, landscape, geology, and (almost) all things natural. For fun, consumes crime fiction, and tries to play the cello.
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jedrew.bsky.social
#Mr&Mrs white-lined tanager. He's black and she's a light orange brown. For #birdoftheday. Why white-lined? ...apparently there's some white under the male's wing and a patch of white on the upperwing. Don't think I saw it. #birds
Black male and orange-brown female 'white-lined' tanagers, on a bird feeder in a Tobago garden. The wikipedia entry admits that the white on the male is often not visible. Needs to be watched in flight. We put out papaya for them, as I recall.
November 23, 2025 at 5:12 PM
jedrew.bsky.social
A #gardening oddity: a photo from yesterday showing winter jasmine in full bloom (normal for Dec/Jan ...so not far off), and a flowering rose, of all things (normal for June to early Sept). One of those little signs life is turning strange. #climatechange
A side bed in a Hertfotrdshire back garden, Nov 21 2025. There is a winter jasmine in full flower up against the fence. To its right - a rose bush, STILL flowering and even has rosebuds visible.
November 22, 2025 at 12:02 PM
jedrew.bsky.social
A #bright photo for #BluSkyArtShow. The dazzling colour of an acer in autumn, in the back garden. The colour is as close to true as I could make it (the camera tried to push it ~pink). The leaves were SO vivid. #Nature
The fizzingly scarlet autumn colour of the leaves on a japanese maple ('orangeola'). The frame shows nothing but the 'dissecta' leaves of the shrub from no more than month ago.
November 15, 2025 at 4:27 PM
jedrew.bsky.social
A #swan for #BirdofTheDay. A mute swan, making itself look bigger and more statuesque, by rearing up out of the water - for no apparent reason at the time. #birds
A mute swan, rearing up out of the water with its wings open and up. Seen against a backdrop of wintry reeds on the water in Tyttenhanger gravel pits. With it being winter, the sun is low rendering the swan with strong highlights and partial shadow.
November 14, 2025 at 10:18 PM
jedrew.bsky.social
#DucksOutOfWater for #BirdOfTheDay. Female eiders sunning on a slipway, looking very chilled out - a WI (Women's Institute, for those unfamiliar with the term) of ducks.
A group of female eider ducks sunning on a slipway in Seahouses harbour, Northumberland. Three are fully within the frame, with the nearest actively preening. One is standing, showing off her beautifully plump, rounded, brown-striped chest.
November 13, 2025 at 10:49 AM
jedrew.bsky.social
This was a once only opportunity for me - I've one other photo of the male upland goose alone, but not next to the brown female as here. For #BirdOfTheDay #Least photographed. Seen on eastern side of Andes, Argentina. Such dimorphism ...in a goose! #birds
A pair of upland geese, seen by the roadside on desolate grassland in Argentina approaching the Andes. The terrain is in a rain shadow, and covered mainly by tussocky yellow-grey grass, used to little water. They were some distance away, and very clearly a pair. Both looking right. The female is mostly soft two-tone brown, while the male is an easier spot having a beautiful white neck and chest, with fine black/white barring on his back and sides. Both have neat black beaks and dark eyes.
November 10, 2025 at 9:50 PM
jedrew.bsky.social
For #BirdOfTheDay, a southern crested caracara with wings up, about to #takeoff. (This is the second of the caracara pair I posted a week or so back - the first has already gone in this photo.) The amount of muscle packed into the base of the wing is obvious. #birds
A southern crested caracara readying for takeoff, from atop the branches of a small tree - the wings are up, and blurred a bit by movement. The leading edge of the bird's right wing (especially) is seen end-on and looks quite muscular - as they need to be for these sizeable birds. The photo was taken in Torres del Paine National Park in October 2018. The tree is just coming into leaf.
November 8, 2025 at 11:59 AM
Reposted by Janet Drew
sunkissedpeaks.bsky.social
Let’s hear it for librarians and libraries!
November 6, 2025 at 6:52 PM
jedrew.bsky.social
#BirdOfTheDay #lunchtime ...for a curlew, in marshy ground, north Norfolk coast. It was actually lunchtime. On the menu: crayfish. Good camouflage - only spotted because it was moving. #birds
A curlew, in marshy undergrowth, seen side on just after he/she had found a crayfish to eat. The crayfish, belonging to an invasive species, is still in the bird's beak. The bird's plumage blends well with the mixed grasses/reeds environment: only movement gave it away. Location: towards the sea from Burnham Overy Staithe, north Norfolk.
November 6, 2025 at 3:48 PM
jedrew.bsky.social
A #BirdOfTheDay #close-up, just about. Very fine detail is visible in this photo of a rufous-collared sparrow, including what looks like a wart just above the eye. Widespread in Los Gaciares, Argentina. Takes 'brown job' to a new level. #birds
A rufous-collared sparrow, seen on the walkway overlooking Perito Moreno Glacier in the Andes foothills, Argentina. This bird of many browns, with its lovely rusty collar, stands on a wooden rail. Out-of-focus walkway grid shows behind it.
November 5, 2025 at 3:45 PM
jedrew.bsky.social
A mouning sierra #finch for #BirdOfTheDay, seen at the edge of a car park on Valdes Peninsula, Argentina. #birds
A mourning sierra finch, percehd on a post watching us pack items in the car boot. Has the grey/black plumage that presumably inspired the name - and a bright yellow seed-eater's beek.
November 1, 2025 at 12:21 PM
jedrew.bsky.social
A personal picture of the day - taken today, while totally wet after bouts of furious squally rain. The sun through the trees seemed an act of weather kindness. #landscape #nature
The sun shines through branches, in woodland (Ardnamona Nature Reserve, Donegal). Middle foreground includes some rust-coloured bracken, shining as well. Everything is wet.
October 29, 2025 at 7:15 PM
jedrew.bsky.social
The gull makes all the difference. Donegal harbour, yesterday at dusk. #BirdOfTheDay #gulls #landscape
The softly golden dusk sky, over Donegal harbour 28/10/25 - with a single gull in silhouette aganst the sky flying over the water, at distance.
October 29, 2025 at 5:36 PM
jedrew.bsky.social
Peak autumn in Wicklow. #gardens #nature
The River Vartry flowing through Mount Usher, Wicklow. To the right, a bank of hydrangeas, and in the centre, on the opposite bank - a maple ablaze in gold and red, reflecting in the water. Phone camera, a week ago.
October 27, 2025 at 9:53 PM
jedrew.bsky.social
...have to admire this blue tit. On the other hand, goldfinches have surprised me by how (needlessly) aggressive they can be - they squabble all the time. #birds #nature
October 27, 2025 at 9:38 PM
jedrew.bsky.social
For #BirdOfTheDay #Egrets, here's an unabashed free-loading little egret - parked beside a pool in Orlando's SeaWorld, probably waiting for someone else's feeding time. #birds
A little egret standing on poolside rocks in Orlando's Sea World - the fluffy decorative feathers on its pure white chest showing. Very confident.
October 26, 2025 at 4:12 PM
jedrew.bsky.social
Not starlings mumurating - but knots. For #BirdOfTheDay #flocks, and #birds. Seen at dusk over The Wash.
Seen from Snettisham, Norfolk: knot murmuration over the Wash at dusk. Photo taken in October 2022. The sky was apricot orange behind the dark, fast moving flocks of knots. That season, there was quite a bit of comment about the huge scale of the flocks of knots gathered at/near Snettisham beach.
October 25, 2025 at 11:37 AM
jedrew.bsky.social
A brown pelican at cruising altitude for #BirdOfTheDay and #Flyday. #birds
A brown pelican with wings fully extended, gliding over the sae off Englishman's Bay in Tobago.
October 24, 2025 at 7:54 PM
jedrew.bsky.social
For #BirdOfTheDay - a #thinking bird: a hawaiian goose, or nene, apparently studying a bird id board positioned next to the pond, in Gunnersbury Park, west London.
jedrew.bsky.social Janet Drew @jedrew.bsky.social · Feb 5
The NHM London issuesd a press release on its 'People's Choice Award' today (see www.nhm.ac.uk/press-office... ). A fine photo of a badger. ...it has brought to mind an old photo of mine on the same theme (goose looking at a bird ID board). #birds
A hawaiian goose studies a noticeboard at the edge of a park pond that lists, and shows pictures of, the birds seen on/by the pond...
October 23, 2025 at 12:07 PM
jedrew.bsky.social
A #Raptor for #BirdOfTheDay - the harris hawk. Not a wild one, obviously, but still a very fine bird. Perfect claws for the job!
A harris hawk at rest on a falconer's job - with jesses on, ready to fly. Seems to be thinking about something. The breeze catches some of the wing feathers.
October 22, 2025 at 3:29 PM
jedrew.bsky.social
A #colourful #BirdOfTheDay - a trinidadian motmot sitting on a fence (waiting for passing lizards)
This motmot was seen in Tobago. It would frequently visit the garden where we were staying, hoping for food (lizards). One day a golden tegu passed through - and the motmot straffed it unsuccessfully, beak first (the feet on a motmot are pitiful). Rainbow colouired from head down to the tip of its tail.
October 19, 2025 at 2:02 PM
jedrew.bsky.social
For #Black #BirdOfTheDay - a very dapper razorbill. They look a bit strange, face- or beak-on.
A razorbill on the cliffs at Bempton, Yorkshire. The bird's head is side on. The black on the head and back is very glossy black. The tan smudge on the white tummy is just an out-of-focus flowering grass. ...and here, the razorbill face-on - making the white markings above the beak look kind of strange.
October 18, 2025 at 5:30 PM
jedrew.bsky.social
#birdinthebush x 2 for #BirdOfTheDay - courting southern crested caracaras. They played the imitation game for some time before one of them got fed up and flew off. #birds
A pair of souther crested cararcars perched on a branch in foliage - seen in Torres del Paine in October 2018. Their finely striped chests and yellow beaks show well.
October 15, 2025 at 5:27 PM
jedrew.bsky.social
11 months ago, I posted a murky photo of what may well have been the same troupe of migrating geese. These #birds are mainly greylags. The problem - last year and this - is what are the 4 white/brown geese in there? ...hybrids most likely, but with what?
Photo taken yesterday, 12 Oct 2025, from Kilcoole Beach looking across onto the coastal flats. A group of 10 geese are swimming along awater-filled channel. 6 of the geese are greylag geese, while 4 of them - showing large areas of white - are a bit of a mystery.
October 13, 2025 at 6:03 PM
jedrew.bsky.social
A squirrel for #squirrelsaturday
A red squirrel in the gardens on Tresco, Scilly Isles. This one has his/her face covered in pollen from the century(?) plant it is perched on.
October 4, 2025 at 10:56 PM