Luther Rotto

@lutherrotto

Norse by heritage, Dakota born, Minnesotan for many years. A teacher still learning. A librarian who can never read, listen, and watch enough. Logophile. Erstwhile Vikes fan.

312 Following419 Followers1,294 Posts

Bluesky

Is this your profile?Claim it and lutherrotto.dirty.social is yours.Claim profile

Luther Rotto@lutherrotto· 9d

A House Wren parent takes a break from frenetic feeding forays but casts a glance back at the ever-hungry chicks in the bird house. #BirdOfTheDay #Wildlife #ECK #Birding #NaturePhotography #BirdPhotography #Birds #BirdPhotography #NoBranchWood

A House Wren perches atop a white picket fence on a bright Summer's day. It seems to be casting an anxious glance back in the direction of its bird house before dashing off to catch more food for its demanding chicks.

Luther Rotto@lutherrotto· 11d

A political cartoon shows a field of sheep gazing at the wolf's political billboard that says "I am going to eat you". One admiring sheep says to another, "He tells it like it is."

Luther Rotto@lutherrotto· 13d

For those who can't read backwards...

Luther Rotto@lutherrotto· 23d

'DucksLookingForWater' is more like it. This is the same saucy Mallard hen from prior posts, this time showing off her brood whilst on the way to the Mississippi just a few blocks down. #DucksOutOfWater #BirdOfTheDay #Wildlife #ECK #NaturePhotography #BirdPhotography #Birds #BirdPhotography

A Mallard hen escorts her brood of four through a lawn's bright green grass in the early Summer sunshine.

Luther Rotto@lutherrotto· Jul 20

Nuthin' says summertime more than a splashy trip to the birth bath for this mama Baltimore Oriole, escaping fledged but still demanding youngins in the area. (She notes the bath needs a bit of a cleanup, however.) #SummerLovin #BirdOfTheDay #ECK #Birding #NaturePhotography #BirdPhotography #Birds

A mama Baltimore Oriole takes a birdbath break on a sunny summer's day. The bath's solar fountain is splashing droplets and mature garden foliage provides a backdrop.

Luther Rotto@lutherrotto· Jul 11

"Hmmm...looks like rain later today. Better grab up these seeds while I can." (Our female Rose-breasted Grosbeak takes a moment to check the cloudy skies for rain on an early Spring day.) #UpAndDown #BirdOfTheDay #Wildlife #ECK #Birding #NaturePhotography #BirdPhotography #Birds #BirdPhotography

A female Grosbeak pauses eating at a weathered feeder to look upwards as though checking the weather on a cloudy Spring day. The background of soft focussed greenery forms a pleasant backdrop.

Luther Rotto@lutherrotto· Jul 2

Time to post this (yet again):

A political cartoon where an earnest looking everyman is in conversation with a red attired Trump supporter. Everyman: "Trump is lying to you." Supporter: "That's not what he says."

Luther Rotto@lutherrotto· Jul 2

These two are catching a quiet moment together before getting their busy day underway. (Still domesticity in hummers is a rare enough thing to deserve a place in today's #QuietReflection postings.) #BirdOfTheDay #Wildlife #ECK #Birding #NaturePhotography #BirdPhotography #Birds #BirdPhotography

A Ruby-Throated hummingbird pair take a moment to rest on the curves of a black metal shepherd's crook of a Spring morning, seemingly contemplating their busy day ahead. The soft-focus greenery of the woodland provides a backdrop to the scene.

Luther Rotto@lutherrotto· Jun 29

What Rob wants, Rob gets: Straight outta Lumix via Leica glass (RAW to JPEG), here is the Green Heron I've been itching to capture forever, intently looking for a meal by the lake in June. #BestOfJune26 #BirdOfTheDay #Wildlife #ECK #Birding #NaturePhotography #BirdPhotography #Birds #BirdPhotography

A Green Heron on a beach stroll leaning forward alertly looking for a meal in the gently rippling water. The sun illuminates the brown sand, the bird's lovely plumage, and a few snail shells washed up on the beach.

Luther Rotto@lutherrotto· Jun 26

A big favorite up here in Minne-snowta, a Loon shows a little leg to the photog on a lazy early summer day, just sorta #ShowingOff I guess. #BirdOfTheDay #Wildlife #ECK #Birding #NaturePhotography #BirdPhotography #Birds #BirdPhotography

A Common Loon floats placidly on the sunlit lake surface, it's red eye plainly visible and one of its legs raised jauntily as if waving hello.

Luther Rotto@lutherrotto· Jun 25

Little? [check] Brown? [check] Birds? [well, duh!] Food? [umm...] It's another two-fer day for me, today. Keep 'em coming, Alan n' Rob! #LittleBrownBirds #Food #BirdOfTheDay #Wildlife #ECK #Birding #NaturePhotography #BirdPhotography #Birds #BirdPhotography

In close-up, a House Finch parent with a freshly caught spider leans down to feed a lucky chick peeking out from a ceramic clay red apple nesting spot hanging from a garden shed eve. The scene is bathed in the sunlight of a summer morn.

Luther Rotto@lutherrotto· Jun 24

A two-fer for today's assignment ( #Birds&Bokeh + #Birds&Buds): a bird we don't like much around here (an invasive threat to native cavity dwellers in Minnesota). Too bad coz they're quite striking. #BirdOfTheDay #Wildlife #ECK #Birding #NaturePhotography #BirdPhotography #Birds #BirdPhotography

A Common Starling perches in a budding cherry tree with a backdrop of softly-focussed early spring greening trees.

Luther Rotto@lutherrotto· Jun 23

A female Ruby Throated hummingbird rests lightly on a bright pink flower, her probing tongue searching for nectar. A softly focussed summer greenery serves as a backdrop.

Luther Rotto@lutherrotto· Jun 23

A flower so good I gotta #Touchdown to eat! (She did actually land — see reply below.) #BirdOfTheDay #Wildlife #ECK #Birding #NaturePhotography #BirdPhotography #Birds #BirdPhotography

A female Ruby Throated hummingbird is caught just before landing on a bright pink flower with soft focus summer greenery as a backdrop.

Luther Rotto@lutherrotto· Jun 20

A Winter’s afternoon outing for our resident pair.

A pair of Pileated woodpeckers share opposite sides of a suet feeder on a Winters day with a softly focused background of snow drifts and barren trees as a backdrop.

Luther Rotto@lutherrotto· Jun 18

Her: Do you thing Spring is finally coming so we can make babies? ------------------- Him: What? #Black #BirdOfTheDay #Wildlife #ECK #Birding #NaturePhotography #BirdPhotography #Birds #BirdPhotography

A Pileated Woodpecker pair cling to a two-sided suet feeder, the male absorbed in feeding whilst the female gazes off to the right seemingly thinking about other things. A backyard winter scene with bare trees and snow is softly out of focus behind them.

Luther Rotto@lutherrotto· Jun 15

“Everything Trump does makes America weaker and worse off.” (Just like we drew it up back when…heh, heh, heh.) Trump is a Russian ASSet.

Luther Rotto@lutherrotto· Jun 14

A repeat of an earlier subject (different angle) but #SilentPresence makes this the correct posting. A solitary Trumpeter cob (prior post) lost its mate last Fall and now patiently awaits its future. #BirdOfTheDay #Wildlife #ECK #Birding #NaturePhotography #BirdPhotography #Birds #BirdPhotography

A brilliant white but solitary Trumpeter swan rests amongst the lake's Spring shore flowers for its mate lost the previous Fall. Its broken reflection on the rippling water reinforces its shattered life.

Luther Rotto@lutherrotto· Jun 10

"One – is the loneliest number..." A solitary Trumpeter cob (shown in a prior post) lost its mate last Fall and now awaits alone this season's happenings at the lake. (see reply below) #LivingLandscape #BirdOfTheDay #Wildlife #ECK #Birding #NaturePhotography #BirdPhotography #Birds #BirdPhotography

Luther Rotto@lutherrotto· Jun 9

"So show crows trooping with doves" [Sorry Bill!] Hoping the gorgeousness of the Trumpeters can rub off, Canadian honkers (smaller canadensis interior variant) paddle with beauty. #Geese #BirdOfTheDay #Wildlife #ECK #Birding #NaturePhotography #BirdPhotography #Birds #BirdPhotography #BirdWatching

On an early Fall afternoon paddling placidly across sky-reflecting rippled blue waters of a Minnesota lake, several of the smaller variety Canadian geese parade with brilliant white Trumpeter swans.

Luther Rotto@lutherrotto· Jun 8

Sanderlings, freshly arrived from the Arctic, madly chase the gentle waves, foraging for bits of food on the white sands of a sunlit Florida breach. #WorldOceansDay #BirdOfTheDay #Wildlife #ECK #Birding #NaturePhotography #BirdPhotography #Birds #BirdPhotography #BirdWatching

A small group of tiny Sanderlings fresh from their Arctic breeding grounds chase the gentle waves, foraging for small bits of food. The smoothness of a receding wave on the white sand shows their blurry reflections in the bright Florida sunshine.

Luther Rotto@lutherrotto· Jun 7

Hmmm. "Your assignment, should you choose to accept, is any bird standing/sitting on a branch." Welp — go big or go home I guess. #BirdOfTheDay #Wildlife #ECK #Birding #NaturePhotography #BirdPhotography #Birds #BirdPhotography #BirdWatching #BranchingOut

Luther Rotto@lutherrotto· Jun 6

This fine young Red-Tailed hawk has been featured in some of my past posts and he's 'borrowing' my backyard shed's ramp to get a closer look at any prey available nearby. #BirdOfTheDay #Wildlife #ECK #Birding #NaturePhotography #BirdPhotography #Birds #BirdPhotography #BirdWatching #BorrowedPlaces

A young Redtail hawk in closeup stands on the weathered ramp of a shed looking intently for a luncheon tidbit in the green grass on a bright August day.

Luther Rotto@lutherrotto· Jun 5

An early Spring Broad-winged Hawk checks me out, or maybe what my backyard has to offer for brunch — a gaze most small creatures would just as soon avoid. #BirdOfTheDay #Wildlife #ECK #Birding #NaturePhotography #BirdPhotography #Birds #BirdPhotography #BirdWatching #LookingAtYou

A Broad-winged Hawk perching amongst the branches of a budding Black Walnut tree seems to be intently surveying either the photographer or the nearby available prey for lunch on a sunny early Spring morn.

Luther Rotto@lutherrotto· Jun 4

"Turn that fecking camera OFF!" — An American Goldfinch caught mid-molt, and with a mouthful besides. #BadFeatherDay #BirdOfTheDay #Wildlife #ECK #Birding #NaturePhotography #BirdPhotography #Birds #BirdPhotography #BirdWatching

An American Goldfinch perched on a weatherbeaten feeder crunching a sunflower seed with its plumage in transition between Winter drab and brilliant Spring yellow presenting a somewhat shabby overall appearance.

Luther Rotto@lutherrotto· May 29

"Where are all the bugs? Why aren't my mates flitting all around? Why am I here, anyway?" An American Barn Swallow ponders life by the lake on a mid-summer's eve. #BirdOfTheDay #Wildlife #ECK #Birding #NaturePhotography #BirdPhotography #Birds #BirdPhotography #BirdWatching #NegativeSpace #Solitude

A solitary Barn Swallow perches on a boatlift's mechanism seeming contemplating its lot in life with the lake's late afternoon blue sky as a backdrop.

Luther Rotto@lutherrotto· May 27

The blend of textures of barren branches of which eagles are so fond, the soft layering of its brown feathers combined with its fierce eagle demeanor meet today's #Texture spec methinks. #BirdOfTheDay #Wildlife #ECK #Birding #NaturePhotography #BirdPhotography #Birds #BirdPhotography #BirdWatching

An American Bald Eagle is shown perching amongst barren snags against a pale blue September Minnesota afternoon sky, its gaze to the right seeming both fierce and content, its soft brown and tan feathers perfectly layered across its robust body.

Luther Rotto@lutherrotto· May 27

Here's the erstwhile job applicant of a few days back now foraging for a spot of lunch, post interview. (see reply below for his story) #Anatidae #BirdOfTheDay #Wildlife #ECK #Birding #NaturePhotography #BirdPhotography #Birds #BirdPhotography #BirdWatching

A close up of a Mallard drake sorting through Spring garden detritus for a meal with some stones of the garden border and sprouting peony in the background of an overcast day.

Luther Rotto@lutherrotto· May 22

Dear Sir: Please accept my application for the Assistant Pond Manager position in your back woods. Attached you will find my vita and a picture. Thank you. Respectfully, ... #HeadShots #BirdOfTheDay #Wildlife #ECK #Birding #NaturePhotography #BirdPhotography #Birds #BirdPhotography #BirdWatching

Luther Rotto@lutherrotto· May 21

This very diligent Purple Finch (or is it a Cassin's) doing its best to suss out a whole seed amongst the detritus below the feeder on an otherwise glum early Spring day. #Grassland #Red #BirdOfTheDay #Wildlife #ECK #Birding #NaturePhotography #BirdPhotography #Birds #BirdPhotography #BirdWatching