Ben Acker
LightNews LightNews
banner
saddletrousers.bsky.social
Ben Acker
@saddletrousers.bsky.social
810 followers 140 following 180 posts
Birds r great n so r u.
Posts Replies Media Videos
saddletrousers.bsky.social
Here’s Romeo, the Eurasian Eagle Owl currently hanging out at the Carolina Renfaire

#birds
An owl’s face is center frame. It has gorgeous eyebrows and cool orange eyes.
October 11, 2025 at 9:47 PM
saddletrousers.bsky.social
I’m not certain what type of horsefly this is, but its eyes are so rad.

#bugsky
A large horsefly is clinging to a portion of a chain link fence. The background is a soft mix of greens, browns, and yellows.
September 21, 2025 at 7:42 PM
saddletrousers.bsky.social
Found this Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae) (I think?) on a quick trip to SC this week.

#bugsky
An orange butterfly is center frame. It is sitting on an orange and yellow flower. I don’t know what it’s thinking about.
September 19, 2025 at 2:26 AM
saddletrousers.bsky.social
An Eastern Wood Pee-Wee hanging out after catching some bugs. #birds
A gray and white-breasted bird sits center frame. Its bill is yellow underneath and black up above, and you can see the small downturn on the upper bill that flycatchers have.
September 12, 2025 at 3:04 PM
saddletrousers.bsky.social
Here’s our front porch Lantana for #FlowersOnFriday 🌱
8 yellow Lantana blooms fill the screen. It is an extreme close up, only one of the blossoms is entirely shown.
August 29, 2025 at 7:29 PM
saddletrousers.bsky.social
Hey! Happy Friday yall! This Osprey landed on our back porch in Frisco, NC. I *think* it could be a juvenile that has been hunting from a duck blind nearby. #birds
A brown bird with a white neck, yellow eyes, and black bill is looking directly at the camera. In the background is greenery.
August 1, 2025 at 8:46 PM
saddletrousers.bsky.social
Here’s an American Crow buddy dropping by. #birds
A black-and-white portraits of a crow is center frame, from the breast up. The crow is looking to the right, and only one beetle-black eye is visible.
June 23, 2025 at 1:23 AM
saddletrousers.bsky.social
Happy Friday, #birds!!!

I got a new lifer in the Tufted Puffin!!! These were flying around Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach on the Oregon Coast.
A blue sky is the background for two Tufted Puffins, flying from left to right. Their black bodies are offset by their glorious ivory eye masks and brows, and their orange beaks are clearly visible.
June 20, 2025 at 3:18 PM
saddletrousers.bsky.social
YAAAAAALLLLL We got a new feeder visitor!!! A red-headed woodpecker!!!! Apologies for the dirty window and zoomed-in phone potato quality.

#birds
Center frame is the brilliant head of a Red-Headed Woodpecker. It’s on a feeder, peeking up.
June 2, 2025 at 1:38 PM
saddletrousers.bsky.social
If you have a chance, make Bill Smith’s Honeysuckle Sorbet Recipe. It’s amazing, and any leftover syrup goes really well with seltzers.

www.ourstate.com/bill-smith-h...
May 11, 2025 at 8:06 PM
saddletrousers.bsky.social
Picked 4 cups of honeysuckle to make Bill Smith’s honeysuckle sorbet this weekend.
A metal mixing bowl is displayed full of yellow and white honeysuckle flowers.
May 10, 2025 at 7:07 PM
saddletrousers.bsky.social
I’ve been looking for this dude all over NC. With those buck ruffles I shoulda been looking at Renfaires.

#birds 🦉
A Sandhill Crane does its mating dance.
April 30, 2025 at 3:36 PM
saddletrousers.bsky.social
Hey y’all! I’m in Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and it’s SOOOO RAD!!!! Most recent lifer is this Cinnamon Teal!

#birds 🦉🦆
The frame is filled with grass with a striking cinnamon colored duck in center frame. It is looking left, has a black bill and a red eye. It is looking right at you and wants you to have a great day.
April 26, 2025 at 9:42 PM
saddletrousers.bsky.social
This White-eyed Vireo was hanging out in Bynum today!
Against a green backdrop a White-eyed Vireo stands on a branch
April 5, 2025 at 11:17 PM
saddletrousers.bsky.social
In the US some folks call them “snakebirds”! They’re super rad. Here’s an American Anhinga!
An Anhinga sits on a pier with water and boats visible, though blurred, in the background.
March 18, 2025 at 7:25 PM
saddletrousers.bsky.social
Maybe they're born with it? A Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) Shakes some feathers

#birds
Against a blurred green background a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) is in the midst of shaking their feathers all over the place.
March 16, 2025 at 1:10 AM
saddletrousers.bsky.social
Happy Woodpecker Wednesday! Here’s a Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Dryobatis borealis)

#birds
The bark of a long-leaf pine occupies 2/3 of the shot. Sitting on the pine is a Red-cockaded Woodpecker looking to the left. It’s head is capped with black with white cheeks extending to its beak. The wings are black and white striped, and there is a band visible on its leg, indicating it has been tagged.
March 12, 2025 at 12:22 PM
saddletrousers.bsky.social
This American Robin has AMAZING eyelashes.

#birds
An American Robin is center frame. It has a red breast and black wings. This one specifically has the cutest eyelashes. I don’t think robins usually have eyelashes, but this one absolutely does.
March 10, 2025 at 11:35 PM
saddletrousers.bsky.social
A Pileated Woodpecker stopped by the house this week!

#birds 🦉
A deciduous tree fills the left side of the picture and center frame is a large bird perched, looking to the left. The bird’s wings are in, and black. The neck is white and black stripes extending to its bill and head. The top of the bird’s head is bright red.
March 7, 2025 at 11:23 PM
saddletrousers.bsky.social
This smug House Finch was upset that I had to clean the feeders. #birds
A House Finch is center frame, facing left. It’s a male, and his brow and cheeks are a pretty buff red color blending into brown and white streaks in the chest.
February 22, 2025 at 5:21 PM
saddletrousers.bsky.social
Here’s a angry Coot for #wadingwednesday!

#birds 🦉🪶
A bird fills the frame, it is looking directly at the lens with red eyes slightly higher on its face than the white bill, which has a dark mark towards the tip.
January 29, 2025 at 3:52 PM
saddletrousers.bsky.social
See duck, post duck, be duck. 🦆 #birds
January 20, 2025 at 12:12 AM
saddletrousers.bsky.social
I *REALLY* wish I was able to get this tough boi in focus.

#birds
An out-of-focus Ruby Crowned Kinglet is standing on ice and looking at the camera with a very angry face
January 14, 2025 at 10:27 PM
saddletrousers.bsky.social
An Eastern Towhee on Transis Camp Rd. I love their red eyes!

#birds
A bird sits center frame. It is facing to the right. Its head and back are black, moving to orange under the wings, and white belly. Its red eye is visible.
January 13, 2025 at 6:45 PM
saddletrousers.bsky.social
Here’s a Hermit Thrush from Sunday’s Bird Count for New Hope Audubon in NC
A brown-backed, buff-breasted bird sits facing to the right of the frame. The bird is standing on a deciduous branch without any leaves, but other twigs are present.
January 7, 2025 at 8:18 PM