Periodic reminder that this link will give you a totally random bird:

ebird.org/species/surp...

You can make it your browser's default page.

You're welcome.

Periodic reminder that this link will give you a totally random bird:

ebird.org/species/surp...

You can make it your browser's default page.

You're welcome.

We have less time than we knew and that time is buoyant, and cloven, lucent, and missile, and wild.

Just do your best

Do everything you can

And don't you worry what their bitter hearts

Are gonna say

They also have very cool tshirts.

metrony.threadless.com

This is a 28 (?) acre forest that was purchased by the Metropolitan New York Library Council.

They're working with local librarians and a whole bevy of artists, architects and the generally curious.

There are regular tours, and it's easy to get to on Metro North.

I visited Library Field with my son today.

It was marvelous to wander the grounds and to hear about the ways people are thinking around very cool question:

What does a library looks like when it is also a forest?

libraryfield.org

Best New Yorkers:

1. The woman who cuts the tourist locks off the Brooklyn Bridge

2. The ladies who follow the turkey in the Financial District around to keep it safe

3. The Mayor

New Yorkers: you have to go and see Studio Mercier's pop-up show at Heft Gallery in the LES.

Aaaaaand... You have to do it tomorrow.

A whole series of work made from a sail-powered crossing of the Atlantic.

heftgallery.com/exhibition/t...

silver scarab beetle framed handmade paper bug art

decorated beauty moth framed handmade paper bug art

spotted leaf framed handmade paper bug art

longhorn beetle framed handmade paper bug art

Four of my handmade bugs are available on my ko-fi! These are one-of-a-king art pieces made using paper, card, and pencils (mostly), and are framed in repurposed frames.

Check them out! ko-fi.com/cloudyapplea...

#paperart #bugsky #invertsky #beetlesky #artsky #handmade

BtB Retreat 2026 - Santa Marta, Colombia Spend five days in the lush and bird-filled jungle of Santa Marta, Colombia with Jer Thorp and a small group of curious bird + data + art enthusiasts. We'll wander the forest with local guides, learn ...

Last year I convened a group of people at a jungle lodge in Colombia to immerse ourselves in nature, to slow down, and to think about the ways data and story might be grounded in place.

It was one of the most rewarding things I've ever done... so I'm doing it again!

This is all to say that I'm *very* excited to be doing this again. I hope you'll consider joining me in September!

Room at Frana Lodge

Frana Lodge, surrounded by jungle

The place where we are hosting these retreats is so magic I hesitate to even talk about it, lest it gets overrun.

It's a hike-in lodge, built with all natural materials, and run by some of the best humans I've ever met.

www.franalodge.com

A small group of people make an early morning river crossing

The people who joined me were just absolutely fantastic.

It was such a gift to be in the company of such generous and curious people for a week. I left feeling 100% more hopeful about humanity.

You can read some testimonials from them on the site: www.jerthorp.me/btb-retreat-...

Portrait of Ryan Mandelbaum

The inestimable @ryanfm.bsky.social co-facilitated with me, bringing an incredible wealth of knowledge and an enthusiasm for critters of all types that was impossible to not get swept up by.

Ryan will be co-facilitating our Week 2 cohort in 2026!

A group of people are writing and drawing around a table in a jungle lodge

A small group of people hike up a jungle road into some sunbeams

We hiked up to visit Kogi villages and took night walks in the forest. We marveled over whooping motmots, tiny beeping treefrogs, brilliant blue fish and swarms of army ants.

We swam in jungle pools and ate food 100% sourced from the community around us.

BtB Retreat 2026 - Santa Marta, Colombia Spend five days in the lush and bird-filled jungle of Santa Marta, Colombia with Jer Thorp and a small group of curious bird + data + art enthusiasts. We'll wander the forest with local guides, learn ...

Last year I convened a group of people at a jungle lodge in Colombia to immerse ourselves in nature, to slow down, and to think about the ways data and story might be grounded in place.

It was one of the most rewarding things I've ever done... so I'm doing it again!

Data Engineer #00246 - Richmond, Virginia, United States Title: Data Engineer #00246 State Role Title: Information Tech Spec III Hiring Range: $100,000 - $125,000 Pay Band: 6 Agency: The Library of Virginia Location: Library of Virginia Building Agency Web...

The Library of Virginia in Richmond seeks a data engineer ($100k-$125k) to transform data practices at a 200-year-old cultural heritage org with an eye towards the future.

Looking for someone to imagine & collaboratively implement tomorrow's data infrastructure.

Apply by May 1! Tell your friends!

a very handsome fellow offering food to his mate. Photograph (c) Jonathan Slaght, 03 May 2017, Minneapolis MN

the #BirdOfTheDay theme today is #JKLMNOP, any bird that has these letters to start their 1st or 2nd names. The alt theme is #Urban, birds in an urban environment. So here is a male Merlin on a phone pole in my #Minneapolis neighborhood, May 2017, offering food to his mate. CC @alan678.bsky.social 🦉

The image is a screenshot of the Cornell Lab BirdCast Migration Dashboard for Kings County, New York, for the night of Sunday, April 12, 2026.

Big night for migration last night on the eastern seaboard.

I ❤️ BirdCast's migration dashboard, it's maybe the only dashboard I've ever seen that sparks joy...

dashboard.birdcast.org/region/US-NY...

This might be hard to recall but we used to go for many days without thinking about the president.

Have you watched several Spurs games the last three seasons? You might be entitled to compensation.

Ground parrot, a very camouflaged green parrot in some grass

LOOK AT THIS BIRD

ebird.org/species/grop...

Illustrated Jane’s Walk Toronto poster with bold white text reading “Hey! Walk submissions are open! Toronto.” A cartoon person holds a “Start” flag beside a winding path with city imagery, a bird flying above, and a deadline of April 20th shown at the bottom.

Purple illustrated graphic showing a hand holding a “2026” flag and a laptop displaying the Jane’s Walk website. A winding path with a small animal and a sign reading “Our Streets,” with the website URL janeswalkfestivalTO.com at the bottom.

Blue illustrated poster with a winding path, a sign reading “Our Stories,” and a streetcar moving along the path. Bold white text reads “Submissions deadline April 20th” with the hashtag #OurStreetsOurStories below.

Green illustrated poster showing a looping path forming a location pin shape and the CN Tower. Bold white text reads “Festival returns May 1–3” with the website janeswalkfestivalTO.com at the bottom.

🚶 Jane’s Walk Festival returns May 1–3

🗣️ Turn your neighbourhood story into a walk
⏳ Deadline: April 20

🔗 janeswalkfestivalto.com/submit-a-walk

#OurStreetsOurStories

Hummingbirds looking a bit rough this year.

I keep thinking about Jay’s thread from months ago. It’s about comics but it could be about any industry

As Christina Koch took the floor, the room erupted in another standing ovation & a round of embraces.

"10 days ago, this journey started with our mission manager knocking on my door," she shared. "& it ended last night when my nurse on the ship put me to bed and said, 'Ma'am, can I get a hug?"

2/4

At least here the NASA livestream seems to be delayed so I switched to the CBC livestream and Chris Hadfield is of course great at this (Roberta Bondar is pretty good too). “I happened to be sitting about twenty yards from here when I watched Armstrong walk on the moon, over at a neighbour’s house…”

Yes, it triggers my anxiety. Just say something!!

I feel this, too. I like the vibe for sure.