Teach Honest History

@cliftographer

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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Teach Honest History@cliftographer· 17d

Anyone here fans of those tiny green tree frogs? Here's a quartet of photos I took this Friday. #herps #frogs #GTF #naturephotography

A green tree frog resting on a large leaf as seen from directly above the frog. This views shows the legs and toes nicely.

A view of the top of a green tree frog. This is an unusual view because the sun is behind the leaf shining through. This makes the leaf appear bright green and reveals the ribs and veins of the leaf clearly. The frog by contrast appears a darker green here.

A view of a half-hidden green tree frog perching in a near vertical pose on a reed. The one eye that is visible is partly open and one can see the white underside of the frog.

A side view of a green tree frog resting on the side of a reed. The sun is shining from above and illuminating the frog's face. The one eye that is visible is partly open.

Teach Honest History@cliftographer· 17d

The eastern tiger swallowtails absolutely loved this one gum bush. They came back to it repeatedly. #butterfly #naturephotography Alexandria, Virginia, USA 24-July-2026.

Three eastern tiger swallowtail butterflies hovering at a cluster of buttonbush flowers. All three are butterflies are of the common yellow and black color pattern and all have their wings spread wide. Two of them at the lower left of the photo are side by side and in almost exactly in the same position as if flying in formation.

Teach Honest History@cliftographer· 18d

For @luperamos1949.bsky.social Here you go! A short video of the common yellowthroat singing. Apologies for amateurish old man shaky video. #birds #video #birdvideo

Teach Honest History@cliftographer· 18d

Most songbirds frustrate me by perching high up in the canopy where I can't see them. Today however, this common yellowthroat perched in a small leafless tree about 8 ft off the ground in a clearing in good light and sang beautifully. Alexandria, Virginia, USA. 24-July-2026. #birds

Teach Honest History@cliftographer· 21d

If hot, humid, weather has got you down, travel back in time with me six months to when this ring-billed gull was enjoying a delicious morsel of something while standing on a thin sheet of ice. #BirdOftheDay #Gull #Gulls #birds

A ring-billed gull is standing on a thin sheet of ice on a marsh with some food dangling from its mouth (perhaps part of a crayfish but its hard to tell). The gull has a white head, chest, and belly, and light gray wings with black trim on the ends. The gull has a yellow big with a black stripe that gives it its name.

Teach Honest History@cliftographer· 23d

For #BirdOfTheDay theme #Corvidae I offer one male blue jay making it abundantly clear that the arrival of a second male blue jay is NOT OK. #birds

A male blue jay is facing the viewer on the rear edge of a bird bath on the right side of the photo. Its beak is wide open in a loud cry in reaction to the arrival of a second male blue jay that has just landed on the near side of the bird bath, perched on the left side with its back to the viewer. There is a large chunk of milky quartz stone in the center of the birdbath separating the two birds.

Teach Honest History@cliftographer· 26d

All anyone needs to know about Trump’s speech tonight. #USApol

Teach Honest History@cliftographer· 27d

Departing from my usual wildlife photos, here is Annaburg Manor in Mannassas, Virginia, USA. Built as a summer home by a very wealthy brewer in 1892, it featured electricity, indoor plumbing, and an air cooling system that worked by circulating air over blocks of ice. #photography #architecture

A neo-classical revival style manor house with large trees to either side and a circular driveway with a fountain in the center. The two-story wings of the house are buff-colored, while the three-story central part of the house and semi-circular portico are brick-colored, a coloring scheme derived from the owner's Prussian origin. The house has been partially restored but was only added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2022.

Teach Honest History@cliftographer· Jul 9

For #BirdOfTheDay theme #Finches I offer this pair of American goldfinches. Maybe not the best shot artistically, but I think this has a nice field-guide type of illustration to the differences between male and female. One doesn't often get both in the same focal plane at once. #birds

Two American goldfinches clinging to the sides of a cylindrical mesh bird feeder. At top is the female facing left with its characteristic muted greenish yellow head an torso and black and white wings and tail. Lower town on the feeder is the male facing to the right with its characteristic bright yellow head and body, black cap, and black and white wings and tail feathers.

Teach Honest History@cliftographer· Jul 7

#BirdOfTheDay theme #Orange - here's a classic American Robin perching in the early morning light. #birds

An American Robin poses on a barren tree branch in Winter. The bird is facing toward the viewer and low-angle morning sunlight illuminates the chest, face, and beak.

Teach Honest History@cliftographer· Jul 6

#BirdOfTheDay #TheWaitingGame Red-shouldered hawk. #birds

Teach Honest History@cliftographer· Jul 5

"Angel of the Marsh" #BirdOfTheDay ALT theme #AllWhite. Great Egret. #birds

An all-white snowy egret perching with outstretched wings on an wooden stump projecting over a pond. Seen from the bird's rear and illuminated in the sun, the bird is reminiscent of classical depictions of an angel.

Teach Honest History@cliftographer· Jul 4

For #BirdOfTheDay #WildAction I offer a triplet with an eastern kingbird perching on rosemallow hibiscus seeing, snatching, and flying away with a small bee. #birds

An eastern kingbird is perched on a branch of rosemallow hibiscus. It is leaning down facing some hibiscus blooms lower down on the branch. It apparently sees a bee near the center of one bloom.

An eastern kingbird has just left its perch on an upper part of a hibiscus plant and has caught a bee on a lower branch in its beak.

The eastern kingbird is in flight with a bee in its mouth. It is flying almost directly toward the camera. Just behind the bird is a rosemallow hibiscus plant with blooms.

Teach Honest History@cliftographer· Jul 3

"Full speed ahead!" For #BirdOfTheDay theme #Quackers, I offer this wood duck drake. Reston, Virginia, USA 24-Mar-2026. #birds

A male wood duck swims across an open blue pond. The duck sports the characteristic colorful mating season colors with various shades of green, purple, pink, black, brown, and white. The bird's head is reared back as if preparing to lunge forward, although this might also be a mating display.

Teach Honest History@cliftographer· Jul 2

#BirdOfTheDay theme #QuietReflection. Here's a female hybrid mallard duck from 9-MAR-2026, Alexandria, Virginia. This one had at least two surviving chicks this year the last I heard, I hope they make it. #birds

A female mallard hybrid duck is perching on a stubby outcropping of driftwood in a still blue pond. The duck is unusual in having a lot of black with some white splashes on it derived from its non-mallard parent. There is a cluster of bare wood stems sticking out of the water. All of the elements described previously have a good quality mirror-like reflection in the still water.

Teach Honest History@cliftographer· Jun 27

Our recently planted Cannova rose hybrid canna yielded its first bloom. Water droplets are from morning rain. We hope it will grow and come back perennially, but in Northern Virginia, USA we are at the northern edge of Winter survivability for this plant. #flowers #flowerphotography #bloomscrolling

A Cannova rose hybrid flower bloom with a few green leaves. It's a large wide rose-pink flower. There are droplets of water on the petals from the morning rain.

Teach Honest History@cliftographer· Jun 26

#BirdOfTheDay theme is #GreyDay, so here's a northern mockingbird wearing a nice variety of grays (sorry, I'm 'Murican, so gray), with a matching gray fence post. #birds

Teach Honest History@cliftographer· Jun 25

On a dog-walk yesterday a solitary white bloom caught my eye. It was stuck right in the middle of a large cone flower bush. My phone says it's a cala lily but I'm not sure I buy that. It's vine like and nearly a meter high. Any thoughts? #flowers #bloomscrolling #naturephotography #botany

Two white flowers on a vine amid a bush of deep pink coneflowers.

One white horn-shaped flower sitting between two cone flowers.

A solitary white horn-shaped flower in a large bush of pink cone flowers.

Teach Honest History@cliftographer· Jun 20

For #BirdOfTheDay theme #Raptors, here's an osprey at the start of a fishing dive. They basically just stop flying, go into a tuck position, and let gravity take over. Huntley Meadows Park, Alexandria, Virginia, USA 28-May-2026 #birds

An osprey diving nearly straight down against a clear blue sky. The osprey's top is facing the camera so we can see the white top of the head and some white in the tail feathers, but overall the bird is mostly brown. The bird's wings are tucked in close to its body.

Teach Honest History@cliftographer· Jun 19

For today's #BirdOfTheDay theme #OutForAWalk here's a juvenile white ibis strutting on the shore proudly displaying a fish it has caught. Alexandria, Virginia, USA 29-July-2024. #birds

A juvenile white ibis is strutting from left to right across the sandy shore of a pond. Despite the name, juveniles are mostly brown with a little white underneath. The bird has a small fish in its long curved beak.

Teach Honest History@cliftographer· Jun 18

Mr. Bluebird is here to detox your feed and spread some morning cheer! Eastern bluebird, Burke, Virginia, USA 15-Jun-2026. #birds

A male eastern bluebird poses at the top of a vertical aluminum-clad round post. The bluebird is facing forward with its head cocked slightly to the side. The morning sunshine is strong and shows of the bright blue on the head, wings, and tail. This contrasts with the rusty orange chest and sides, the off-white lower abdomen, and the mottled green of the grass in the background. The mood is cheerful and bright.

Teach Honest History@cliftographer· Jun 17

"Hi honey I'm home!" (the sequel). This time it's the female returning to the nest. Burke, Virginia, USA 15-Jun-2026 #birds

A female purple martin in flight with its wings spread as it is about to land on a perch just outside the man-made purple martin nest. A waiting male is perched to the left and looking at the female as it arrives.

Teach Honest History@cliftographer· Jun 16

Purple martin female and male portraits. Burke, Virginia, USA 15-Jun-2026. #birds

A female purple martin perching on a metal or plastic rod. The bird is iridescent brown feathers with a very dark blue head. The bird is facing to the viewers right with its head cocked slightly toward the camera. A pink numbered band can be seen on its right leg.

A male purple martin perching on a rod outside of a rectangular all-white man-made purple martin house. The bird has a deep blue head and shoulders with the upper bod a brownish purple. The bird is facing to the left with its head turned toward the camera. The chin, chest, and abdomen are off-white.

Teach Honest History@cliftographer· Jun 15

"Hi honey I'm home!" One purple martin arrives back at the nest that was tended by another. Note the two different leg tags on the arriving bird. Burke, Virginia, USA. 15-Jun-2026. #birds

A purple martin in flight on the right is flying right-to-left as it arrives back the nest. It has different colored bands on each leg. Another purple martin is perched in front of the nest. The nest is a man-made structure made of white plastic or metal.

Teach Honest History@cliftographer· Jun 15

Crows like to hang out by some picnic benches at Burke Lake Park. However, the pickings were lean today and I'm not sure this crow appreciated me focusing on her or him. It can be a challenge to get a good exposure and interesting pose with all black birds. 15-Jun-2026 Burke, Virginia, USA #birds

A crow is bending down looking for food on bed of very small pale crushed rocks. The crow has his or her head turned slightly toward the camera.

Teach Honest History@cliftographer· Jun 13

For today's #BirdOfTheDay them #Preeners&Scratchers I offer this great blue #heron preening in front of an adoring #turtle audience. #birds

A great blue is perched atop a log that spans part of a pond like an arch. The heron's head and neck is bent over as it preens some of its abdominal feathers. In the foreground there are nearly a dozen turtles, some of whom seem to be facing the heron. There is a reflection of the heron and the turtles in the still water below. The background is very lush dense vegetation on the far shore of the pond.

Teach Honest History@cliftographer· Jun 11

A margined leatherwing, or margined soldier #beetle, for you sciency folks it's Chauliognathus marginatus. 11-June-2026. #insects #insectphotography #naturephotography.

A well-lit soldier beetle is seen from the side. It is climbing up the underside of a diagonal green stem so the beetle is partly upside-down but it has no trouble clinging to the stem.

Teach Honest History@cliftographer· Jun 11

Trying out a new Cygnustech #macro flash diffuser. Not my specialty but this is one of my better #bee shots. I like how the light shines through the tracery of the wing ribs. Reminds me a bit of a Tiffany lamp. #naturephotography #insects #photography #insectphotography 11-Jun-2026.

A bee is seen from above its body as it is perched on the side of some small pink flowers. The wings are partially translucent and the flowers beneath them can be seen with a slightly amber cast.

Teach Honest History@cliftographer· Jun 6

A female ruby-throated hummingbird going "all in" to get to that nectar at the bottom of the flower. Alexandria, Virginia, USA 2-June-2026. #birds

A female ruby-throated hummingbird is hovering over a pink flower and has her long beak inserted fully into the trumped-shaped flower.

Teach Honest History@cliftographer· Jun 4

I am not one of those that obsessively chase after 'lifers', i.e. species I have not previously seen or photographed. I am nonetheless delighted when I do trip over something new. In this case it's a black saddlebag #dragonfly, one I'd never even heard of before. #insects #naturephotography