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hardlikearmour.bsky.social
SaraG
@hardlikearmour.bsky.social
780 followers 1.1K following 1.6K posts
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Into birds, bees, nature, reading, cooking, karaoke, and Crowded House.
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hardlikearmour.bsky.social
SaraG @hardlikearmour.bsky.social · Nov 21
Auto settings did a weird overexposure on this Rufous Hummingbird feeding on salvia. I really like it. #birds 🪶
Washed out photo of a bronze and green hummingbird feeding on light pink tubular flowers.
hardlikearmour.bsky.social
Rob has chosen another fun one. Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #ScratchersAndPruners (any bird Scratching or Pruning itself), and the Alternative is #Drinkers (any bird taking a Drink).

I'm going with the alternate option today with this Wilson's Snipe I saw a while back. #birds
A Wilson's Snipe standing in shallow water dipping its bill in to take a drink. Its reflection is nearly perfect, but for the shore cropping the birds back. The water behind is green and brown in a somewhat striped pattern.
December 15, 2025 at 4:00 PM
hardlikearmour.bsky.social
I let my nephews (8 & 5) take photos with my camera yesterday. The older one got this capture of Short-eared Owls flying in front of a sunset. Completely unedited image. #StunDay #sunset #birds
A sunset image. The upper half is a mix of gold and orange with some wispy grey clouds. The lower half has a bank of thick grey clouds above a winter deciduous tree line. There are 2 bird silhouettes in the sky.
December 14, 2025 at 6:15 PM
hardlikearmour.bsky.social
Challenge accepted @alan678.bsky.social !! #BirdOfTheDay #HeronsAndEgrets #BirdsAndRocks #birds #heron #bonuspoints
A Great Blue Heron standing on a rock in the middle of a placid river. The heron is in profile, standing on one leg with its neck tucked in an S curve. Its non weight-bearing leg is at a 90 degree angle to the front with its foot hanging down. The river is dark green in hue, the background is blurry green vegetation.
December 14, 2025 at 7:11 AM
hardlikearmour.bsky.social
@robcrank68.bsky.social Has issued a challenging theme for #BirdOfTheDay: #DucksOnOneLeg (alternate option is #finches).

My choice feels like a bit of a cheat, but 🤷🏼‍♀️. (Note - I recently posted a Shoveler preening on one leg, and didn't want to repost.)
A male Hooded Merganser is swimming past a pair of Mallards standing and sleeping in shallow water. The Merganser is swimming right to left in profile. The Mallards have their butts to the camera. The male is on the left standing on one leg, his head is fully hidden. The female is on the right, her head is partially visible over her back, and her third eyelid is covering her cornea.
December 13, 2025 at 6:39 PM
hardlikearmour.bsky.social
Yay! Alan is back and with a fun theme. I'm sharing the Bald Eagle from last week. #splashes #BirdOfTheDay #birds #raptors
A mature Bald Eagle standing in shallow water. The bird's head and tail are almost parallel to the water. There is water splashing from its beak because it just raised its head out of the water. The water splash is catching the evening light coming from behind.
December 12, 2025 at 7:05 AM
hardlikearmour.bsky.social
The alternate option for @robcrank68.bsky.social's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #pigeons.

This is a Band-tailed Pigeon seen at a local nature park last spring. #birds
A Band-tailed Pigeon perched near the top of a snag. It's a profile view of the bird facing left.
December 11, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Reposted by SaraG
toritorihkd.bsky.social
Today I experimented with various camera settings during the shoot. In the end, less than 0.5% of the shots were usable. This is one of those rare survivors 😅 🪶
本日は意を決して実験的撮影をして来ました。結果は…まだまだ設定を煮詰める余地がありそうです（言葉を濁す🤣）
#nature #photography #animals #wildlife #GreatSpottedWoodpecker #アカゲラ #birds #野鳥
A close-up photograph of a Great Spotted Woodpecker, showing its head and upper body in sharp detail. The bird has a black cap and a red patch on the back of its head. Its beak is slightly open with a small piece of debris visible. The plumage features beige, black, and white tones. アカゲラの頭部と上半身を鮮明に捉えたクローズアップ写真。黒い頭頂、後頭部の赤い斑が特徴的で、嘴はわずかに開き、微細なゴミが付着している。羽毛はベージュ、黒、白の色調で構成されている。
December 5, 2025 at 9:29 AM
hardlikearmour.bsky.social
I hope you had a pleasant journey home @alan678.bsky.social !!

I see Belted Kingfishers reasonably often, but they are not kind enough to let me get very close to them. This one was in some branches across a small pond at a city park.

#BirdOfTheDay #AlansNemesis #Birds
A female Belted Kingfisher perched on a mossy branch, among other mossy branches. Profile shot with the bird facing right.
December 10, 2025 at 3:24 PM
hardlikearmour.bsky.social
Great Egret in profile. #BirdOfTheDay #SideViews #birds #herons
Great Egret: a large white bird with a yellow bill and black legs standing on a log just above the water. It is in profile facing right.
December 9, 2025 at 2:44 PM
hardlikearmour.bsky.social
A female Northern Shoveler preening herself. Look at that fantastic bill! #MallardMonday #ducks #birds
A female Northern Shoveler preening herself while standing in shallow, rippled water. Her head is in profile and her foot is scratching at the side of her large bill.
December 8, 2025 at 10:55 PM
hardlikearmour.bsky.social
Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is #NestBuilders birds with nest materials, the alternative is #SmallBirdsBigPersonality small birds oozing personality.

I'm reposting this photo as I think it fits both categories. ❤️
hardlikearmour.bsky.social SaraG @hardlikearmour.bsky.social · May 3
Caught this Chestnut-backed Chickadee collecting some fur a couple of weeks ago. I hope it's nesting now -- the world definitely needs more of these cuties 🥰 #birds
A very small bird with a black crown, mask, and nape, a white cheek, black chin, dark brown back, and a grey breast, wings, and tail has a fluff of fur in its beak. It is standing on the ground surrounded by dry fir needles and twigs with its claws in a small piece of rabbit or squirrel pelt.
December 8, 2025 at 3:20 PM
hardlikearmour.bsky.social
Tiny birds perch on tiny branches. Rob has chosen today's #BirdOfTheDay theme: #BirdsOnTwigs, any bird on a thin branch. The Alternative theme is Ducks #OutOfWater.
#birds #hummingbird
A male Anna's Hummingbird perched near the tip of a tiny branch. Profile view with its bill to the left. Just a few of his head feathers are showing their magenta gleam. The tip of the branch has a few tiny russet colored leaves but is otherwise bare. The background is modeled green and black.
December 7, 2025 at 2:39 PM
hardlikearmour.bsky.social
My Tree Swallow on a fence photo won first place for urban wildlife in the Bird Alliance of Oregon's inaugural photo contest. The Cormorant photo above it was the grand prize winner. #birds #photography
A collection of bird and wildlife photos. Top to bottom and left to right: a weather vane with several small birds perched on it, a beaver swimming with its tongue sticking out, a black and white image of a duck, a Cormorant with its wings above its head just landing on the water, a hummingbird feeding from a cluster of pink flowers, and a Tree Swallow on a black fence.
December 7, 2025 at 3:27 AM
hardlikearmour.bsky.social
Afternoon clouds starting to turn golden in a cerulean #Sky #BlueSkyArtShow
Thin, fluffy to wispy clouds with some golden highlights against a cerulean blue sky.
December 6, 2025 at 7:11 PM
hardlikearmour.bsky.social
Alan's choice for today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is #movement any bird showing movement of any description. The alternative is #lookingup any bird looking up.

I went with this male Anna's Hummingbird. He got agitated by another hummer nearby, and I got this capture. #birds
A male Anna's Hummingbird with his wings akimbo and his magenta gorget flared. His body is angled, but his face is looking towards the camera. Some bare twigs in the lower part of the photo, background is otherwise clear blue sky.
December 6, 2025 at 5:37 AM
Reposted by SaraG
lorichirp.bsky.social
Per Rob, today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is all about #Borbs, birds looking round, and the Alternative is #Black birds.

A chilly Golden-crowned Sparrow on a fence. #birds #photography #EastCoastKin
December 5, 2025 at 3:30 PM
hardlikearmour.bsky.social
Startled into flight
Snow Geese take to the grey sky
Soon to land once more

#flyday #birds #badhaiku
A distant flick of Snow Geese above bare trees. The top half of the sky is dark, the bottom half is light. The photo is shades of grey.
December 6, 2025 at 12:20 AM
hardlikearmour.bsky.social
Female Dark-eyed Junco on a chilly, overcast morning. #birds #sparrows

Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is all about #Borbs, Birds looking round, and the Alternative are #Black birds.
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon coloration) A dapper looking bird with a dark grey head and pink beak is perched on a small stump. It is a mostly profile view with the body slightly angled towards the camera. The head is turned a bit more toward the camera.
December 5, 2025 at 2:35 PM
hardlikearmour.bsky.social
In addition to making friends with crows, I'm making friends with jays and squirrels. This particular jay, always likes to take two peanuts at a time. #ThursJay #birds #corvids #squirrels #urbanwildlife
A California Scrub Jay about to launch off a wood post carrying 2 peanuts in its beak. Several peanuts remain on top of the post. An Eastern Gray Squirrel hunkered down on top of a grey basalt boulder. The boulder has some green moss and brownish fir needles on its surface. The tan and grey coloration of the squirrel blend in well with the boulder. There is a small variegated rhododendron just behind the squirrel.
December 4, 2025 at 6:04 PM
hardlikearmour.bsky.social
The Golden-crowned Sparrow is a sweet little gem. #songbirds #BirdOfTheDay #birds #passerine
A profile view of a Golden-crowned Sparrow perched on a small stump. Mossy green colored background.
December 4, 2025 at 8:14 AM
hardlikearmour.bsky.social
The Bald Eagle I had the privilege of watching a couple of nights ago, also got to watch me. #BirdOfTheDay #LookingAtYou #Birds #Raptors
December 3, 2025 at 3:11 PM
hardlikearmour.bsky.social
Some action shots of a couple of Short-eared Owls having a squabble for #TalonTuesday #TwosDay #birds #raptors
Two Short-eared Owls in mid air having a fight near the top of the frame. The one in front has its winds spread downward at about a 45 degree angle. The one behind has its wings angled backward and its feet angled forwards, one foot visible beneath the other owls wing and the other foot hidden by it. Grey sky background with blurry bare trees at the bottom of the frame. Two Short-eared Owls in mid air battle both with wings spread. The owls appear to be looking right at each other. Grey sky background with bare trees in the lower half of the photo.
December 2, 2025 at 9:56 PM
hardlikearmour.bsky.social
Flashback to June, when the Gadwall ducklings were still fuzzy for today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme: #stripes any bird that has a stripe marking. The alternative is #mono bird captures, black and white. #birds #duckling
A single Gadwall duckling swimming on green water that is horizontally striated with sunlight. The duckling has a droplet of water hanging from the top of its bill. Its fuzzy feathers are glowing slightly in the light.
December 2, 2025 at 3:09 PM
hardlikearmour.bsky.social
Duck, duck, duck, goose. #MallardMonday #birds
3 Hooded Mergansers (2 female and 1 male) swimming with a Canada Goose. The male duck & goose are in focus, while the female ducks are not. One is in the foreground and one in the background.
December 1, 2025 at 9:16 PM
hardlikearmour.bsky.social
Yesterday evening a Bald Eagle swooped in for a drink. #BirdOfTheDay #Refections #birds #raptors
An adult Bald Eagle standing in shallow water taking a drink. Its entire beak is in the water with its eye just above the surface. Its head is clearly reflected in the water. There is a rock and a tree stump just behind the eagle, and a smattering of plants with red and green leaves.
December 1, 2025 at 3:21 PM