Society Has Ingrained In All Of Us That Bugs Are Bad And Evil And Scary And They Bite You For No Reason

Vesper Bluet (Enallagma vesperum), male, taken May 5, 2025, in Georgia, US

I am here once again with a new damselfly! I've actually seen a couple of these since taking this first photo, but none were as nice looking. Like many bluets, females can be differentiated from males by their thicker abdomen that lacks an elongated black segment on the end. As you can see, the last segment on this male's abdomen is black which would signify his sex if he were the same color as a female. Luckily, the males and females of this species are very easy to tell apart, males being bright yellow and females being blue!

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata), male, taken March 28, 2025, in Georgia, US

This guy looks a little rough, but I believe he's just in molt! His spring colors are coming in, and you can see a bit of his golden crown becoming visible. I think he needs a good bath to wash out all those old feathers. It's just about nesting season, so hopefully he finishes his molt soon!

Cooper's Hawk (Astur cooperii), taken February 13, 2025, in Georgia, US

He is assessing the situation after catching a lovely robin lunch! I saw him come in quick through the trees to land before he was spotted, and no watchful birds (blue jays, starlings, mockingbirds, etc.) were around to raise the alarm for everyone dining at the feeders. He swooped in fast and made a quick kill, then flew off after, perhaps to make it on time to a lunch date with a mate :)

Brown-headed Nuthatch (Sitta pusilla), taken March 7, 2025, in Georgia, US

Hanging around! As spring has begun to arrive, tons of these guys have just spawned in from who knows where. I sometimes see 3 or 4 on the feeders at once fighting over the best spot to eat! They're very small and kind of hard to photograph, but they make it easier by being very bold. Birds that come right to you are always a pleasure to photograph!

Brave Squirrel...

Fowler's Toad (Anaxyrus fowleri), taken April 4, 2025, in Georgia, US

Toads have begun to emerge from their slumber! Many are likely making their way to my koi pond, where they'll deposit thousands of eggs and screw up the water balance... I love them regardless, because getting to see them frolicking around the pond is fun lol. Lifting the filter cover and seeing toads swirling around is not fun, but they're usually okay!

Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis), taken April 30, 2025, in Georgia, US

My friend pointed out to me that catbirds have soulless, black eyes, and now I see it every time I look at them. I can't deny that this guy looks like he's committed crimes. Either that or his children that are actively screaming at him as this photo is taken have sucked the soul out of him. Is he telling me that he doesn't care about the horrific things he's done, or is he silently pleading for reprieve from parenthood? I don't think I could help him either way!

My beloveds... a whole row of some of my favorite native inverts and, of course, robins.

iNaturalist reblog game: post your top 5 most observed species. i'll go first

American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos), taken May 20, 2025, in Georgia, US

A lovely crow yelling back to their partner who sits a few branches away. These two flew overhead and stayed a while to (I assume) yell about me from the trees. I think they were sandwiched between me on the ground and a hawk circling a little ways off behind them, and they clearly had a lot to say about it! They circled around above me a few times before continuing in the direction they were headed, and after they left the hawk started yelling instead. You can never have quiet in the woods!

Maple Looper Moth (Parallelia bistriaris), taken April 19, 2025, in Georgia, US

A gorgeous moth amongst the grass! This is good proof that just because an animal is brown doesn't mean it's boring. I find that brown animals are often some of the most gorgeous, especially through the camera lens. I initially startled this moth into flight, but recognized it as a maple looper from afar. A good thing, too, because I would have ignored it if I thought it was a Genus Renia moth! Looking for moths in the leaves often feels like trying to find a rare, unique moth in the midst of a sea of Renias—they're just so numerous...