I got out today too late for much bird action, but there were a lot of Odonata out. Eastern Pondhawk male, Aztec Dancer (?), Widow Skimmer, Eastern Pondhawk female. All beautiful creatures.

Reakirt's Blue (Echinargus isola) female ovipositing.

Gulf Frittilary in Flight. I was patiently waiting for this one to land, and it just wouldn't, so I went for a butterfly-in-flight shot.

Moments before the red goes after the gray's tail.

#Butterfly populations declining rapidly in #US with 22% disappearing in 2 decades
A comprehensive study found 22% of #butterflies in #UnitedStates disappeared between 2000 and 2020... The researchers behind the Science study used data from more than 12.6 million butterflies spanning 342 individual species, drawing from 76,000 surveys across 35 nationwide monitoring programs. Funded by the #USGS, the study was the first to integrate such a vast dataset, its authors said.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/butterfly-populations-declining-us-science-study/

@Meznor @futurebird I’ve been running a pollinator garden for a few years and go out collecting Lepidoptera observations (I love moths and butterflies) in iNaturalist. Last year I observed 50 butterfly species (lots more moths ~150), it was so satisfying - I started the year with a goal to pick up new butterfly species and do daily butterfly observations whenever possible. I found five new species even after many years of more casual observations.

Some of our beautiful native bees

#insects #MacroPhotography

@Meznor @futurebird the Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) has an amazing range across N. America and Europe (I've seen them on both continents). I'm in Austin so here we're in range for both the American Lady butterfly (Vanessa virginiensis) and Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), they a pain to sort out, but this guide helps:

https://bugguide.net/node/view/236368

You can see the white spot and other field marks that are diagnostic for American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis) in the photo.

Today I went out looking at birds (found cool birds), but especially looking for insects. American Lady butterfly, Sonoran Bumblebee, Apiomerus spissipes (assassin bug that predates on bees - cool), and a blurry Large Milkweed Bug. They're lovely beings worth being appreciated for their beauty. cc @futurebird fellow bug appreciator.

There were a lot of wildflowers around, with a bunch of Antelope-horn Milkweed. I found milkweed bugs (lovely to see), but also found this beast, Apiomerus spissipes, an assassin bug that specializes on bees. When I first spotted them they were trying to snag a honeybee.

Photos from birding out in Georgetown, TX today

#nature #birding #birds #lepidoptera

can't remember where I saw it but "Using AI in education is like using a forklift in the gym. The weights do not actually need to be moved from place to place. That is not the work. The work is what happens within you" is a solid quote

Lineated Woodpecker

I found a Gulf Coast Toad this evening.

Do you ever look at a sparrow and think, "that bird is really wasting her potential?"

No. That thought would clang against the simple dignity we sense in nature, the dignity of a living thing inhabiting a life.

You are that sparrow. You are the branch she rests upon.

You embody that same dignity.

Moon Jelly graphite painting

@Dr_Brian_Pet nice pics, would love to spot a Green-tailed Towhee. For what it’s worth the other Towhee’s name is Abert’s Towhee with no L, though autocorrect will mangle it every time.

Some pics from the airboat. There’s manatees in the lagoon, and crocodiles, awesome. We also spotted a Lineated Woodpecker, Pygmy Kingfishers, Jacanas, lots of herons and egrets, tropical mockingbirds, and other cool wildlife.

I’ve been wanting to spot a Snail Kite for decades, delighted to find this one. We were in Belize yesterday on an airboat on a mangrove lagoon (covered in lots of liles, lovely). Those talons are great for grabbing apple snails, and that curved beak pries them from the shell. A raptor that specializes on snails, so awesome.