MikeF

From an "Other 98%" post on fb:

"Minneapolis isn’t “responding” to ICE anymore. Minneapolis is organizing to OUTLAST ICE. After weeks of escalated federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota, the Twin Cities are doing something the rest of the country keeps saying it wants but rarely builds: an everyday, neighborhood-level infrastructure that makes state violence harder to pull off in silence.

Here’s what that infrastructure looks like on the ground: Signal chats that spread sightings in minutes, people walking around with whistles, neighbors showing up fast when someone’s being cornered, and ordinary folks choosing “I’m watching” as a civic identity.

In a Jacobin interview, Minneapolis organizer Aru Shiney-Ajay describes a staggering density of participation, including neighborhood chats reaching “over 4 percent” of residents and rapid-response patrol chats that hit 1,000 people in a single neighborhood by late morning.
That matters because ICE thrives on logistics and isolation. You cannot “community statement” your way out of a federal dragnet. You have to interrupt the machine where it eats and sleeps and hides.

That’s why Minneapolis didn’t just stay defensive. It went on offense.
Activists have targeted the “pillars” that let ICE operate like an occupying force: hotels, rental cars, corporate partners, the quiet, normal places where repression refuels.

A local campaign that pushed a Hilton-branded hotel to refuse service to ICE, triggering national blowback and a corporate scramble. What makes this smart isn’t the spectacle. It’s the leverage. A regime can ignore outrage. It can’t ignore friction inside the supply chain that keeps its agents moving.

Then came the proof-of-concept flex: the January 23 “ICE Out” general strike day in Minneapolis and beyond, called by unions and community groups as a refusal of business as usual under terror.

This was a muscle-building exercise: can we coordinate, can we hold lines, can we protect each other, can we make the city ungovernable for people who think they can hunt humans here?
This is what resistance looks like when it grows up. Not just rage. Routines. Not just protest. Infrastructure.

And that’s the real exportable lesson: if you want ICE out of your city, don’t wait for permission from pundits or politicians. Build networks that make disappearance difficult, complicity expensive, and solidarity automatic."
#abolishice #Minneapolis #maga #fascism #antifascism

We don't usually see Red-bellied Woodpeckers feeding at the tips of twigs, although feeding behaviors can seasonally vary according to abundance of foods, and this was a very harsh winter for residents. This woodpecker's attention seemed to be focused on this flower bud. In the last shot, you can see the woodpeckers' distinctive barbed tongue, used for extracting larvae from tree-trunks.

Hempstead Lake State Park
3/26

#birds #birding #birdphotography #wildlifephotography #birdsofmastodon #biodiversity #Picidae

Leucistic Gray Squirrel in Brooklyn's Prospect Park, 4/29
#nature #biodiversity #wildlifephotography

Tree Swallows are back up here, and setting up shop, this one taking a break from jostling with rivals and wooing mates, today at the Lido Beach Passive Nature Area, NY

#silentsunday #birds #birding #birdphotography #wildlifephotography #birdsofmastodon #biodiversity

Veery in the Ramble, Central Park, NYC, on May 5.

#birds #birding #biodiversity #urbannature #birdphotography #wildlifephotography #birdsofmastodon

A Hooded Warbler (aka "Monjita") in Prospect Park, yesterday (4/27), a seasonal migrant, like most wood warblers, but not a common bird in our area. Like most songbirds, this ground foraging warbler is in a decades-long decline, but is not considered endangered. This little guy didn't make it easy to get a clear shot, but, hey, you take what you can get.

He was one of my relatively few observations for this weekend's City Nature Challenge. The Challenge ends today, but so far, in NYC, 12,701 observations were made, comprising 1,399 species, by 665 observers. For Brooklyn, there were 2,512 observations of 670 species by 166 observers. And I am proud to say that one of our students was top dog in Brooklyn and one of the leaders for NYC, with 508 uploads and 175 species.

#birds #birding #birdphotography #wildlifephotography #birdsofmastodon #biodiversity #iNaturalist #CityNatureChallenge

With massively swarming termites and the largest influx of migratory birds this season, I figured things would get interesting in The Ramble in NYC's Central Park last Tuesday (5/5). I was not disappointed. Here are a few of the Wood Warblers (Parulidae) present.

Wood Warblers get their name due to early naturalists' confusion due to the "New World" group's similarity to "Old World" warblers, although they are not closely related and most do not have the melodious songs of their Eurasian counterparts. As the other element of the name indicates, most of this group occupies varying woodland niches, some broader and some narrower. Niche breadth accounts for the adaptability of some -- like the Yellow-rumped Warbler -- to our local environment. Overall, the group's reliance on forested habitats leaves them vulnerable to decline and extinction due to deforestation and climate change. Those at most risk include the Blackpoll Warbler, shown here, the Worm-eating Warbler and Canada Warbler, also observed in our area. If you are in Mexico, Canada or the U.S., to see how warblers and other birds will fare in your area under varying models of climate change, have a look at Cornell and Audubon's online Survival By Degrees app.

#birds #birding #biodiversity #urbannature #birdphotography #wildlifephotography

You know that spring is here when our two species of Kinglets show up with their non-stop hyperactive acrobatics among the twigs in search of small arthropods.

Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Hempstead Lake State Park
3/26

#birds #birding #birdphotography #wildlifephotography #birdsofmastodon #biodiversity

A friendly Wood Thrush in The Ramble, Central Park, NYC, yesterday. This American Robin cousin has been on my bucket list for a few years now. I've never been able to photograph one, although I've seen them and heard them. They have declined (50% losses over the past 50 years), largely due to habitat loss and degradation, but they're not a rare species. This one seemed to be trying to make up for the elusiveness of their brethren, as they posed patiently for me. Well, the pool was right there... In any case, I was on my way to meet my son for his birthday, but I figure I got the better present!

#birds #birding #birdphotography #wildlifephotography #birdsofmastodon #biodiversity

An American Oystercatcher at Pt. Lookout, NY, on 4/12. The bird is thermoregulating, not injured. Note the band. If you see a banded bird (and can determine the color and read the code), it is important to report the information, as it is critical for conservation efforts. They can be reported here: https://amoywg.org/banding-re-sighting/

#birds #birding #birdphotography #wildlifephotography #birdsofmastodon #biodiversity #shorebirds

Purple Plovers sometimes share rocky habitats with Dunlins and Sanderlings, although the former favor marshes and the latter prefer sandy beaches. One of the ways they avoid competition is through their ability to feed on nearly vertical rock faces in the intertidal zone. Spiderman peeps!
#birds #birding #birdphotography #wildlifephotography #birdsofmastodon #biodiversity #shorebirds

A few more birds from our 4/29 visit to Prospect Park, Brooklyn
#birds #birding #biodiversity #urbannature #birdphotography #wildlifephotography

I dare you to stand on one leg on a wet jetty rock amid the crashing surf and scratch your nose.

Purple Sandpiper
Pt. Lookout, Lido Beach
4/12

#birds #birding #birdphotography #wildlifephotography #birdsofmastodon #biodiversity

Red-tailed Hawk with a captured Rock Pigeon on the Pratt Inst. campus in Brooklyn on 4/29
#birds #birding #biodiversity #urbannature #birdphotography #wildlifephotography

Another Jones Beach, NY bird last Saturday, an unseasonal Piping Plover. They usually don't return from their winter range in parts south until March or April, but in recent years, as the climate has warmed, a rare few have remained up here all winter. This winter that may have posed a problem for pipers lime this one, as the polar vortex brought weeks of intense cold and major snowfalls. Food became scarce. This Plover was out and about foraging on this first mild day in a while, and seemed to be behaving erratically.

Piping Plovers are an endangered species due to habit loss and climate change, including rising sea levels. Concerted education and outreach efforts and protection of nesting colonies (often on public beaches) have led to recovery in some places, but overall, numbers continue to decline. The Audubon Society estimates that they stand to lose half their current range by 2050 if global warming continues at its current rate.
#climatechange #extinction #birds #birding #birdphotography #birdsofmastodon #biodiversity #naturephotography #wildlifephotography #shorebirds #peeps #pipingplover

Some photos of Purple Pipers at Jones Beach, NY, last Saturday (Feb. 28).

Unusually there were dozens if not more of these shorebirds present, and not only on their favored rocky habitats, but running around on the beach in multitudes with Sanderlings and Dunlins. I suspect the intense cold and snow storms we've had over the past two months affected their food supply on the jetties, leading them to forage with their cousins. These birds nest in the Arctic tundra and overwinter in our middle latitudes. In a sense, by favoring the expansion of the polar vortex, climate change was bringing the Arctic conditions they migrate away from right to them.
#birds #birding #birdphotography #birdsofmastodon #biodiversity #naturephotography #wildlifephotography #winterbirds #shorebirds #peeps #PurpleSandpiper

A few more birds during a gorgeous day at the Marine Nature Study Area, on March 10, but very quiet. As though the marsh residents had been shell-shocked by this winter's intense cold and major snow cover. Winter Ducks are moving out, and soon spring migrants will arrive. A day later, Ospreys arrived.
#birds #birding #birdphotography #birdsofmastodon #biodiversity #naturephotography #wildlifephotography

Common Loon at Jones Beach, NY, on 2/28. Symbol of Minnesotan resilience and persistence in the face of ICE repression!

#birds #birding #birdphotography #birdsofmastodon #biodiversity #naturephotography #wildlifephotography

Beautiful Mallard pair at Marine Nature Study Area yesterday on the first mild day since our extreme winter began. The Mallards were scarfing up birdseed at the feeder, the two making like small dust-busters, only interrupted by occasional playful nips by the male at his bff.
#birds #birding #birdphotography #birdsofmastodon #biodiversity #naturephotography #wildlifephotography #Mallards

When you've been hankering for a good bath this whole lousy winter, you've gotta make a long trip in a couple of weeks, and you finally get a warm-ish day.

White Throated Sparrow
Hempstead Lake State Park
3/26

#birds #birding #birdphotography #wildlifephotography #birdsofmastodon #biodiversity

Female or juvie American Goldfinch and Northern Flicker foraging at Grant Park, NY. Flickers are woodpeckers with a penchant for drilling into the soil to eat ants.
4/8.

#birds #birding #birdphotography #wildlifephotography #birdsofmastodon #biodiversity

A rather friendly American Crow today at Grant Park, our local recreation spot. Flew in about 30 feet from me and just perched and did some preening. I took a lot of photos and came closer, and they just looked at me, perhaps hoping I had some peanuts. When I left, the Crow left.

#birds #birding #birdphotography #wildlifephotography #birdsofmastodon #biodiversity #corvidae

Hooded Merganser on 3/19 at Marine Nature Study Area on LI. Note, this is a distressed bird. The erratic and circling movement seen in the video clip posted at the same time as the photo indicate infection with H5N1, Avian Influenza. 😭
#birds #birding #birdphotography #birdsofmastodon #biodiversity #naturephotography #wildlifephotography #H5N1 #AvianFlu

Small (about 5" in length) Field Sparrows are found throughout the eastern half of the U.S. -- nesting in the northern part of that range -- where they prefer open, grassland habitats with some trees. They avoid -- and will not nest near -- human settlements, although some, like this one, may visit during migration. They are uncommon in the NYC/LI area. Field Sparrows are threatened by habitat loss, particularly the expansion of suburbs (such as we are seeing with the last gasps of the Hempstead Plains on L.I.). This little bird was persistently foraging in a limited area of Grant Park, my local sports park, on 3/31. No idea what the Sparrow is chomping on in the second picture. They usually feed on very small seeds and insects.

#birds #birding #birdphotography #wildlifephotography #birdsofmastodon #biodiversity

Hooded Merganser on 3/19 at Marine Nature Study Area on LI. Note, this is a distressed bird. The erratic and circling movement seen in this video clip indicate infection with H5N1, Avian Influenza. H5N1 is taking a heavy toll n waterfowl and other birds in this area, that on top of a harsh winter in which many starved due to heavy snow cover. Should you encounter birds showing these symptoms, the best course of action would be to contact wildlife conservation personnel.

#birds #birding #birdphotography #birdsofmastodon #biodiversity #naturephotography #wildlifephotography #H5N1 #AvianFlu

Mosquitoes reach Iceland for the first time as the Arctic heats up

https://phys.org/news/2026-04-mosquitoes-iceland-arctic.html

#climatechange

“Mobilize Everybody”: Minneapolis Organizers Share Lessons From Their Struggle

ttps://truthout.org/articles/mobilize-everybody-minneapolis-organizers-share-lessons-from-their-struggle/

#abolishIce #fascism #maga #minneapolis