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Here's a 2025 specimen from #CapeCod - the phantom midge (Chaoborus punctipennis). Its larvae are aquatic; adults do not feed and live only long enough to mate and lay eggs. Native to the USA & Canada, it was recently identified as an invasive species in Japan. #backyardnature #entomology

A phantom midge (Chaoborus punctipennis). It's named for the distinctive dots on its legs, wings, and thorax.

Adorable backyard alert! A squirrel gets playful with a pillow in Squirrel Playing Redux — tiny paws, big personality. Perfect quick mood booster on PeerTube. Watch the silliness and smile! #Animals #Wildlife #Squirrel #Cute #BackyardNature #Nature #PeerTube #English
https://rrgeorge.video/videos/watch/6a926b60-feb2-4ab9-8bb5-628aded4c1e9

Here's an unnamed non-biting midge of family Chironomindae, Xylotopus par. It's the only species of genus Xylotopus found in North America; its larvae mine decaying, waterlogged hardwood in slow-moving streams. #backyardnature #entomology

Xylotopus par, a non-biting midge of family Chrionomodae. They are identified by their distinctive yellow and black markings; they are the only species of genus Xylotopus found in North America.

Eastern Gray Squirrel

I think it might be one of my favourites.

https://islandinthenet.com/eastern-gray-squirrel-2/

Eastern gray squirrel hunched on a bare winter branch in flat grey morning light

The goldenrod soldier beetle (Chauliognathus pensylvanicus), aka the Pennsylvania leatherwing, is harmless to humans and plants; it's a notable pollinator of goldenrod, asters, milkweed, and other native plants. #backyardnature #entomology

Another #backyardnature picture from our trip to Cape Cod, MA last year...this is a red-fringed emerald (Nemoria bistriaria), also known as the two-striped emerald. They're often found in or near woodlands containing oak. #entomology

The red-fringed emerald moth (Nemoria bistriaria)

Today's #backyardnature visitor is a damsel bug, a voracious predator of aphids, caterpillars, and other insects. Several species are found in the eastern US; the grey body suggests that this specimen is Nabis americoferus. #entomology

Here's a northern flatid planthopper (Flatormenis proxima), the most abundant flatid in the eastern USA. It's noted for the waxy secretion it leaves behind when feeding (we don't know its purpose) and the 90-degree angle of the rear corner its wings. #backyardnature #entomology

The northern flatid planthopper (Flatormenis proxima)

Golden hour doesn’t always mean a direct sunlight…. sometimes it’s about quiet shade and patience. A Carolina Chickadee stopping by the backyard perch.

#chickadee
#carolinachickadee
#backyardbirds
#birdphotography
#wildlifephotography
#naturephotography
#goldenhour
#naturallight
#shadeandlight
#songbirds
#avianphotography
#birdsonearth
#birdsofnorthamerica
#backyardwildlife
#wildbirds
#birdwatching
#birdlovers
#naturelovers
#quietmoments
#earthfocus
#natureperfection
#featheredfriends
#handmadeperch
#ethicalwildlife
#natureart
#outdoorphotography
#softlight
#seasonallight
#backyardnature

The garden falls silent.

A few weeks ago, a Sparrowhawk turned our garden upside down in a storm of panic and wings. Yesterday, he returned. This time, there was no chaos — only anticipation. Every bird seemed to know what was coming. Long before I noticed him, the garden emptied itself. Not in panic, but with experience.

Only two House Sparrows (Passer domesticus — Huismus — House Sparrow) made a mistake. They chose low cover beneath the bird feeder house. When the Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus — Sperwer — Eurasian Sparrowhawk) landed on top of it, right above them, they froze. Perfectly still. Camouflage doing what evolution designed it to do.

The garden was silent. Too silent.

The sparrowhawk scanned the area, clearly disappointed. Then the two sparrows shifted… and briefly quarrelled. A fatal error. In a flash of muscle and feathers, the hawk launched himself downward. The sparrows reacted instantly — nimble, desperate, alive. They fled with the hawk right on their tail, vanishing beyond the garden.

I don’t know how it ended. That’s nature.

Predators like the Sparrowhawk don’t hunt for sport. They take what they need, removing weakness and maintaining balance. Without them, ecosystems collapse quietly and invisibly. Watching this unfold from my lunch table was a reminder that even the smallest garden is part of a much larger system.

Photographed handheld with my Canon 5D Mark IV and Sigma 100–400mm at f/6.3, 1/250 sec, ISO 3200 — overcast, calm, and deceptively peaceful.

Nature rarely announces itself loudly. Sometimes, it simply holds its breath.

#AccipiterNisus #Sperwer #EurasianSparrowhawk
#PasserDomesticus #Huismus #HouseSparrow
#BirdPhotography #GardenWildlife #UrbanNature
#NatureObservation #EcologicalBalance #Predation
#WildlifeBehavior #BirdsInTheGarden #NatureStory
#HandheldPhotography #Canon5DMarkIV #Sigma100400
#WinterWildlife #OvercastDays #NaturalSelection
#FoodChain #Ecosystem #BackyardNature
#PixelfedPhotography #WildlifeMoments

Today's #backyardnature visitor is the faint-spotted palthis moth (Palthis asopialis). They remind me of a delta-wing fighter, like a Dassault Mirage I or Saab Draken... #entomology

The faint-spotted palthis moth (Palthis asopialis). This dark-colored moth is reminiscent of delta-wing fighter jets...

The faint-spotted palthis moth (Palthis asopialis). In this side view, it has the appearance of a dead leaf...

Here's the rough prominent moth (Nadata gibbosa), aka the white-dotted or tawny prominent. One of only two Nadata species found in the Americas north of Mexico, their Latin name was derived from "gibb", meaning "humped", in reference to their humped thorax. #entomology #backyardnature

Working through the #backyardnature backlog...this tiny specimen is an insidious flower bug (Orius insdiosus), one of 500-600 species in family Anthocoridae. They are voracious eaters of mites, insect larvae, thrips, etc., which make them useful predators. #entomology