Wildlife photography of all kinds in no particular chronological order... call me North!All photos posted are taken by me, and everything that appears here is documented on iNaturalist as well.
242 posts
Latest Posts by northerlyy - Page 9
Soldier Fly (Sargus fasciatus), female, taken May 31, 2024, in Georgia, US
A very beautiful green soldier fly! This is the first of only four soldier flies I've seen in the wild, the others being the more well-known Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) and two Compost Flies (Ptecticus trivittatus). There is no shortage of flies in my area, but majority of them are Nematocera! So it was a treat to see such a nice metallic green fly that wasn't a bottle fly!
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis), taken July 19, 2024, in New Hampshire, US
This guy sat on this branch and preened for a few minutes. It's the longest I've ever seen a nuthatch sit still! He almost looks like a completely different bird all calm and ruffled like that lol.
Gray Goggle Eye (Holcocephala calva), taken July 19, 2023, in Georgia, US
One of the first pictures I took with my clip-on macro lens. The ones that you clip onto your phone camera are extremely good for getting decent quality images of small inverts. These robber flies are surprisingly brave considering their size, much more so than their larger cousins, who let you get just close enough and then fly a couple feet away lol!
Banded Fishing Spider (Dolomedes vittatus), female, taken September 27, 2024, in Georgia, US
Aside from maybe Joro Spiders, this is one of the largest spiders I find in my area. I almost stepped on this girl while I was circling a tree, and she shot out of the leaves and scared the crap out of me! She was a wonderful model, though, unlike her cousins the White-banded Fishing Spiders (Dolomedes albineus) who are hateful and cannot sit still.
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus), taken January 23, 2025, in Georgia, US
Very small, and very very round. Some days the wrens here look more sphere than bird. That's part of their charm!
Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis), male, taken January 23, 2025, in Georgia, US
There are currently several pairs of bluebirds sharing the feeders, but come spring there will only be one! They're quite territorial nesters with their own species, but they're easily beaten out by more aggressive species like starlings and house sparrows, which, along with several other factors, drove them to concerningly low numbers in the mid-1900's, going so far as to be listed as endangered in some states. Conservation efforts by professionals and the general public in the mid-late 1900's quickly caused a rebound in the population, and we are now seeing their increase slow, indicating they are almost at maximum population capacity!
American Robins (Turdus migratorius), female (1 & 2), males (3 & 5), and juvenile (4), taken January 23, 2025, in Georgia, US
A few of the robins in my backyard robin army! They're eating so much food. Hundreds, all day every day for weeks... I love them, but oh my god.
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), female, taken January 23, 2025, in Georgia, US
One of the only cardinals brave enough to come down to the feeders while I was out today! The red-winged blackbirds are coming through right now, so I sat for an hour in the cold weather only for them to keep just enough distance to make okay-ish—but not good—pictures!! All of the male cardinals were skittish today because of the wind, but this pretty lady posed nicely!
Drab Prominent (Misogada unicolor) larvae, taken August 21, 2023, in Georgia, US
Circles!! Curling up into a ball is this caterpillar's main defense mechanism, which doesn't really work well on humans... I find their patterns quite pretty, and they have lots of individual variation! They get their common (and scientific) name from their adult form, which is an almost patternless light beige.
Jumping Spider (Admestina wheeleri), male, taken July 17, 2024, in New Hampshire, US
His task? Uncertain, but he's doing something! This genus nests in crevices in tree bark, but I'm not sure if he's trying to create a nest, deposit sperm, or a secret third task.
The picture was taken after the video while I followed him on his journey around this tree for at least 10 minutes before I decided he wasn't of interest any more. He wandered away from where he made this possible nest in a seemingly random direction, kind of just meandering along the tree, and it has me wondering if he decided the spot he chose wasn't suitable for a nest. Regardless, this genus is known to be quite illusive, so I wanted to document the behavior in a video in case it was of interest. Who knows!
Double-banded Grass-Veneers (Crambus agitatellus), taken June 20, 2024, in Georgia, US
A peek at one of the many tiny white flying things in the average suburban lawn! Most of them are leafhoppers, but many of them are moths as well, especially grass-veneers. This species is particularly beautiful with its brown and black coloration and can be distinguished from others by the paired black bands on the latter half of the wings. You can even see some decent variation between these 3 individuals!
Common Loon (Gavia immer), taken July 19, 2024, in New Hampshire, US
Loons are absolutely fascinating to watch. This specific individual was going about the lake with its mate and another pair of loons, possibly from a neighboring lake. It got close enough for me to run out on the dock and try to get pictures at like 8 in the morning, but sadly the sun was on the wrong side of the lake lol! At least the backlighting looks cool!
Coppery Leafhopper (Jikradia olitoria), female, taken August 24, 2024, in Georgia, US
Quite plain looking, but one of my favorite creatures in the life... This is a female leafhopper ovipositing (laying eggs) into the bark of an oak tree!
The ovipositors of Cicadomorphans (cicadas, leafhoppers, treehoppers, and spittlebugs) are reinforced with metals like manganese, zinc, and iron to make them strong enough to saw into bark, stems, and—in the cicada's case—straight into the woody branches of trees! These are some of my favorite insects, and J. olitoria is a local I've grown fond of seeing.
Here is the paper that goes into depth about the structure of the cicada ovipositor!
Smoky-winged Dancers (Argia fumipennis ssp. fumipennis), male (top) and female (bottom), taken September 5, 2024, in Georgia, US
The Southeastern subspecies of the Variable Dancer, as opposed to the Violet Dancer in the (sort of) Northeastern US. They're extremely common in my area, appearing in droves along with Fragile Forktails. I absolutely love their colors, both male and female!
Eastern Fence Lizards (Sceloporus undulatus), taken October 6, 2024, in Georgia, US
I hiked a mountain and these guys were all over the top! Before this, I'd never seen this species despite living only 20 minutes from this mountain. They must prefer the more arid, primarily pine forest as opposed to my creekside, primarily deciduous one. I've been up this mountain several times before, but I guess I never cared to look for microfauna before. Not sure how I missed these guys!
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis), taken April 27, 2024, in Georgia, US
Probably my second favorite set of bird photos I've ever taken! I love how white-throated sparrows look, and this guy just posed so perfectly. I haven't been able to replicate these photos since I got them because all of the birds are so shy, but I'm still trying. Maybe I'll get lucky with a brave bird soon...
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis), taken April 27, 2024, in Georgia, US
Some of my proudest bird pictures (so far)! This was the first time I took out my current camera to test it on the birds, and this catbird and a white-throated sparrow got really close for some water! When I tell you I scrambled to get the bird in focus, I fucking scrambled. It worked out in the end!
Four-banded Stink Bug Wasp (Bicyrtes quadrifasciatus), female, taken August 3, 2024, in Georgia, US
Digging a hole in the sand! There were a few different species of sand wasps flying around this area, but most ran before I could get to them. I missed this lady initially storing her prey, but I did get her filling in the hole! She posed very prettily at the end, maybe showing off her hard work!
Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), taken October 29, 2024, in Georgia, US
There is a thriving squirrel army in my backyard. On the days leading up to winter, there can sometimes be over a dozen inside the fence at once. This one stopped for a drink!
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus), male, taken April 27, 2024, in Georgia, US
I have one pair of red-bellieds that visit the feeders year-round, but the male is much bolder and always poses so well! He always makes such nice photographs, but I don't get him often because of how shy he and his mate are. These are some of the first pictures I got of him with my current camera!
Putnam's Jumping Spider (Phidippus putnami), juvenile female, taken May 7, 2024, in Georgia, US
I always love it when jumping spiders stare at the camera. I have so many pictures of their big, shiny eyes looking up at me. This little girl was a great model! Very cute!
Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis), juvenile female, taken September 22, 2024, in Georgia, US
I had the pleasure of seeing this baby anole for a week or so straight! She had taken shelter in a sturdy pile of sticks and leaves on my usual route and would always run for cover when I came by. This day, however, she graced me with her presence and cooperation.
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus), male, taken January 11, 2025, in Georgia, US
Nothing exciting, but I can't help but find this guy charming. His red feathers are dull and thus unattractive to a female, but I find the dull coloration nicer to look at than the bright red of other males. He's probably young and hasn't had the time to get super red. Hopefully he does soon—he needs to pick up chicks in the spring!!
Chinese Mantis (Tenodera sinensis), taken October 23, 2024, in Georgia, US
October is getting to the end of mantis season! 2024 was the first time I was ever outside looking for it, and I got to see lots of fun mantises, including this one! He was the perfect model, even if he got a little freaked out at the end and put his legs out.
Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis), male, taken January 11, 2025, in Georgia, US
The lighting in the photo made this bird turn out the bluest I've ever seen a bluebird. The males already get a gorgeous sapphire in the winter, but this takes it a step above! He was also a great model and sat nice and still for me!
Downy Woodpeckers (Dryobates pubescens), males, taken January 10, 2025, in Georgia, US
Year-round regulars at the feeders! They're always so full of personality. I can't wait to see the babies in the spring—they always look perpetually lost lol!
Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis), males (1-3) and female (4), taken January 10, 2024, in Georgia, US
Male cardinals stand out so much in the white and gray of the snow! However bright they may be, the female of this batch is definitely my favorite. Her almost imposing image framed by branches is just perfect to me.
American Robins (Turdus migratorius), males (1-3) and females (4 & 5), taken January 10, 2025, in Georgia, US
The robin-pocalypse is currently happening at my feeders. Hundreds of robins are migrating in from north and stopping to eat. It's both annoying because of how much they eat and nice because they make great photos. They're the exact same color as the dead leaves on my japanese maple and are a nice pop of color in the snow, which looks nice in photos!
White-throated Sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis), taken January 10, 2025, in Georgia, US
Georgia got its first decent snow in years, so I sat outside in the freezing weather for hours yesterday and took pictures of the birds. Some of my favorites are of White-throated Sparrows—they're surprisingly photogenic for a bird their size!