Painted buntings are our most colorful bird; visiting during the summer season in the southern states and overwintering in portions of Mexico, Central America and Caribbean. They do not become fully colored until their second molt (Birds of the World) to develop their full color range - blue, red, green. Their bright coloration is a mix of carotenoids and feather structures (Justyn, N.J., and Weaver, R.J., 2023,
Ornithology, Volume 140, Issue 1, 12 January 2023, ukac052, https://doi.org/10.1093/ornithology/ukac052)

Always a thrill to see them and try to capture photos. The males are hard to miss with their vibrant coloration. The immature and females are a challenge with their overall green color and pale shading.

#BirdsOfMastodon #BirdPhotography #PaintedBunting #DarkTable #NoWar #NoKings #ImpeachEntireAdministration

RE: https://mastodon.energy/@AndrewHenry/116302888547364624

My wife cried filling out the federal forms necessary to prove our kid''s disability. It was a daunting task.

That was a while ago and we have since had to prove they are still disabled, which was mostly just insulting.

And for those reasons I did enjoy reading this.

From @WeirdWriter

I don't think people fully appreciate how apocalyptic things are for US science. I haven't received any new funding since 2024, but I'm still ok since grants are typically for 3 years. This means next year I will be completely out of funding and will have to fire everyone in the lab. It's not great.

In my 25-year career, I’ve never NOT had funding. I typically have 4 to 8 grants, which you need if you’re running an observation science program and have a technician, students, and postdocs.

For many people, the #Linux vs #Windows vs #Mac debate is a privilege — it assumes you can choose. But working with the Computer Upcycle Project, I've seen the real choice is often Linux vs no computer at all.

~95% of donated computers are "too old" for Windows 11 or macOS. Linux installs on them anyway, adding 10+ years of life to machines #Microsoft and #Apple called trash.

This isn't Linux vs Windows. It's Linux vs e-waste.

Do not go gently into the midterms

Rage, rage against the lying of the right

#midterms #elections #vote #MAGA #lies

A beautiful day here for No Kings. One thing I strive to remember is that the heretics and poser of the christo-fascist movement want us to loose our joy, our hope, our sense of beauty in the world. They have no control over me or over the beauty of a sunrise of a bird in flight of a child growing up, of human relationships. When they try to force control over the LGBTQ+ community or over religious freedom, they show their fear and weakness.

Live and love on, ignore the fools - celebrate beauty and diversity.

This beauty is a Blue Grosbeak, one of the buntings, and most closely related to the Lazuli Bunting. They are common, but not often seen, so a real treat.

#BirdsOfMastodon #BirdsOfFediverse #BirdPhotography #DarkTable #FuckGOP #FuckChristoFascism #FuckTrump #NoKings #CottonwoodBosque #SantaAnnaPueblo