🙏💜

A broad, still expanse of water fills the foreground, so clear that the lakebed—small rounded stones in muted grays and browns—shows through beneath a thin veil of reflected sky. The surface is nearly motionless, acting as a mirror for the dawn above. At the horizon, the lake narrows into a distant valley framed by layered mountain ridges. The mountains rise on both sides in dark, cool silhouettes—deep blue to charcoal—softened by early light and atmospheric haze. On the left, a dense forest of conifers forms a continuous, shadowed edge that slopes gently into the water; on the right, the mountain face is steeper, its contours more pronounced but still subdued in the low light. The sky is the focal point. A scattered field of mid-level clouds stretches across it, each cloud catching the first light of sunrise. Colors transition from pale gold and peach near the horizon to cooler blues and soft grays higher up. The brightest band sits just above the distant valley, where the sun—still hidden—pushes a warm glow outward, illuminating the undersides of the clouds. This light is duplicated almost perfectly in the lake’s reflection, forming a symmetrical composition: sky above, sky below, divided by a thin, horizontal line of brighter water near the center. The reflection is slightly softened by faint ripples, but remains remarkably crisp.

#MountainMonday
#BlueskyMonday

Sunrise Glacier National Park

A brilliant purple flower with three triangular petals, a center cluster of purple hairs and stamens with bright yellow anthers, and long, fluted blade-like leaves (Virginia spiderwort).

"All the other colors are just colors, but #purple seems to have a soul — when you look at it, it's looking back at you." – Uniek Swain 💜💚 #MacroMonday #MacroPhotography #Flowers #Gardening #Bloomscrolling #NaturePhotography #ECK #VirginiaSpiderwort #Wildflowers

Danke, Gerald. Our weather has cooled down and I'm loving it. Wishing you a great week. 😊

Right place, right time for sure!

Thank you kindly, Estelle. Have a lovely week. 🥰

Many thanks, Rob. 😊

Thank you. I owe it all to Mr. Cardinal. 😉

For Sunday #Stunday, a male Green-winged Teal, eyes closed, with a reflection in still blue water. #birds #photography #ECK #WestCoastKin #PhotographersUnited

Alan H says:The #BirdOfTheDay theme is #ABCD, let’s do this, any bird beginning any part of their name with these letters. Extra points for a set using all. The alt is #CaptionThis a funny caption with any bird capture. #birds #photography #ECK #WestCoastKin #PhotographersUnited

"B" for Bald Eagle

Art Challenges: Hosts #Abstracia: @wealiearts.bsky.social‬ #AlphabetChallenge: @sheena-mck.bsky.social #AnimalArtTuesday: @mikecoffeyart.bsky.social #ArtYear: @annalarssonstudio.bsky.social #BlueSkyArtShow: @churchstreetimages.com #BlueSkyMonday: @arminausejo.com #BNWmacro: @geraldmfoto.bsky.social‬ #ClassicMono: @jaycee-visionlogic.bsky.social + rotating hosts #ColorADay: @wealiearts.bsky.social‬ #FishyFriday: @victoriapfeiffer.bsky.social‬ #FlyDay: @grays.art #FoodOnFriday: @lorettarobinson.bsky.social #ForestFriday: @chrisclougholy.bsky.social + @alinagrafik.eurosky.social #HumansOfBlueSky: @luiscordoba.bsky.social #ImageAndVerse: @niamhie.bsky.social + team #MacroMonday: @elaschneider43.bsky.social + @freyasnowball.bsky.social #MixedMedia52: @eliharlan.bsky.social #MountainMonday: @rouxroamer.bsky.social #PalacesAndGardens: @sabineshutterbug.bsky.social‬ #PostProcess: @rjrock.bsky.social + @bloodraynes.bsky.social #RockinTuesday: @xobreex3.bsky.social #scape: @jaycee-visionlogic.bsky.social + @rina2012.bsky.social‬ #SelfPortraitSunday: @lotuscarroll.bsky.social + @biggaboss.bsky.social #SensoryArt: @subicrn.bsky.social #SmallBirdSaturday: @javajanegallery.co.uk #ShowHeart: @amvrpic.bsky.social #Stunday: @handcranked.bsky.social + @alinagrafik.eurosky.social #TheCampfire: @pmgibbs.bsky.social‬ #TidesOutTuesday: @runningpast.bsky.social #UrbanGaze: @rnantel.bsky.social #XtraXmas: @wealiearts.bsky.social‬ #WackyWednesdayArt: @itsmtntime.bsky.social

Here are the #ArtChallenge hosts and creators that I know of.

Have questions about #EastCoastKin or art challenges?
@young-spartacus.bsky.social
can help!

Art Challenges: April 20–26 Monday, April 20 #BlueSkyMonday (anything blue) #MacroMonday (any macro) #MountainMonday (mountains) #MinimalMonday (minimalism) #ColorADay (#PinkMon) Tuesday, April 21 #RockinTuesday (rocks) #TidesOutTuesday #TagTuesday (graffiti/street art) #AnimalArtTuesday #ColorADay (#BlueTue or #CyanTue) Wednesday, April 22 #WaterfallWednesday #WallsOnWednesday #WindowsOnWednesday #WackyWednesdayArt #ColorADay (#RedWed) Thursday, April 23 #HumansOfBlueSky (people) #UrbanGaze (anything urban) #PalacesAndGardens (#travelandtransport) #ColorADay (#YellowThu) Friday, April 24 #Scape (any kind of scape) #FishyFriday #ForestFriday #FoodOnFriday #FlyDay (critters that fly) #ColorADay (#BWFri) Saturday, April 25 #BNWmacro #ColorADay (#GreenSat) #SmallBirdSaturday #BlueSkyArtShow (#odd) Sunday, April 26 #Stunday (stunning) #ImageAndVerse (photos with poems written by you or anyone) #BNWmacro #ColorADay (#OrangeSun) ALL WEEK #ArtYear (any art) #BirdOfTheDay (see Alan H or Rob Crank for daily prompt) #ClassicMono (monochrome) #ShowHeart (hearts) #Abstractia (#mythology) #AlphabetChallenge (#WeekPForPurple) #MixedMedia52 (#ocean) #PostProcess (#EraShift)** #SensoryArt (#burn) **Edit the photo posted by Rock on April 12 to make it feel like it was taken in a different decade or century Compiled by @handcranked.bsky.social Questions? @young-spartacus.bsky.social

Your art challenge cheat sheet for April 20–26 is here! Make art, have fun.

See comments for host list.

#EastCoastKin #ECK #PhotographersUnited #PhotographersOfBluesky #photography
#ArtYear #dailyart #art #traditionalart #painting #drawing #onlybeautifulthings #artchallenge #artprompt

#birds #birdphotography #nature #wildlife #birding
#photography #naturephotography #wildlifephotography
#yellowrumpedwarbler #warbler

Yellow-Rumped Warbler

Wow! Beautiful animal.

Thank you so much, Vicki! 🥰 The area behind the flowers was in the shade so it was easy to get the blacked-out effect.

A brilliant red bird with a black mask and beard, black eyes, and a crest standing straight up (Northern Cardinal) stands sentry on a tree branch surrounded by vibrant green leaves and bokeh from the afternoon sun.

I happened on this guy guarding his lady while I was standing beside the #trees where they perched. #Cardinal #Birds #ECK #NaturePhotography

Today's #BirdOfTheDay is #ABCD - birds beginning with one of these letters.

A cluster of bright white deutzia flowers with a center funnel filled with white stamens topped by yellow anthers make a bright statement against deep green leaves and blurred flowers in the background.

"I was walking on the footpath and found, white flowers unfolding the magic of happiness." – Pahul 🤍🌿✨
#Stunday #Flowers #NaturePhotography #ECK #Deutzia #Garden #Bloomscrolling

Our first sighting of a Bewick's Wren for the #birdoftheday theme of #ABCD! @alan678.bsky.social We've heard them often, but it was fun to see this little one. Delta, BC #birds #birdphotography

A black and white close-up of a branch of blackberry flowers with their long spatulate petals around a center filled with long stamens. They have dark green serated leaves.

#BNWMacro 🖤🤍 #BlackandWhitePhotography #Macro #ECK #Flowers #Garden #Bloomscrolling #NaturePhotography #ClassicMono

A small Willow Warbler perches on a leafy branch in bright sunlight. The bird has soft olive-brown upperparts and pale yellow underparts, with a faint pale eyebrow stripe and a fine, pointed bill. One wing is lifted and slightly extended, as if the bird is stretching or adjusting its feathers, while it balances among glossy green leaves. Its dark eye catches the light against a softly blurred natural background, giving the scene a vivid, lively feel. Summer visitor: The Willow Warbler migrates to the UK each spring from sub-Saharan Africa—an impressive long-distance traveller for such a tiny bird. • Song: Known for its beautiful, descending, melancholic song—often described as a gentle “cascade” of notes. • Very similar to the Chiffchaff, but usually has paler legs and a longer wing projection. • Diet: Mainly insects and spiders, which it gleans from leaves and branches. • Habitat: Prefers open woodland, scrub, hedgerows, and young trees—often where there’s plenty of light and undergrowth. • Population trend: Sadly declining in parts of the UK, especially in the south and east, though still common in northern and western areas. • Nesting: Builds a dome-shaped nest on the ground, well hidden in grass or low vegetation.

Good morning. The #BirdOfTheDay theme today is #LeafandLight any bird captured in sunlight with leaves in frame. The alt is #CourtshiporConflict birds courting or squabbling. Good luck. I’ve went with a Willow Warbler in a leafy tree.
I’ve included some facts in alt.

#birds #photography #ECK

Most welcome. 😊

👏👏👏 Great choices!

Green Herons are infrequent visitors to our part of coastal California.
#birdoftheday #herons #birds #reflections

What a beauty!

Thank you very much. 🧡

... and so yummy! 😄

Wish you could see it in person. Remember creamsicles? It's about the same shade of orange.

A brilliant golden sun sinks into dark blue ocean turning the horizon a burning orange and creating an echoing reflection that glistens on the sand as the surf retreats. Footprints track from the left foreground to beach walkers silhouetted in the distance as two pelicans glide through the sky above.

"Now she’s lit by the warm orange spreading from the horizon as not-quite-day, becomes not-quite-night" – David Levithan 🧡✨💛
#TidesOutTuesday #Sunset #Beach #ECK #Florida #Silhouettes

😍

Hey Rep. Tony Gonzales, what’s the delay?