Carolina Chickadees (Poecile Carolinensis), Taken January 29, 2025, In Georgia, US

They stopped after I took this photo, I embarrassed them

🪲ID Guess: I-Mark Leaf Beetle (Calomela crassicornis) 🌿Date: 25/01/2025

Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus), female, taken April 28, 2025, in Georgia, US

A lovely woodpecker mom visiting the feeders! Usually this species is very shy, and I wasn't being particularly quiet this day, so I'm not sure why she even came over lol. Regardless, I got some good pictures of her looking at me over her shoulder between bites! It's about time for me to start seeing her baby (or babies) at the feeders. Juveniles of this species completely lack the red head pattern of adults, having a plain gray head, so they're pretty easy to identify. Maybe I'll see them around!

Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor), taken April 30, 2024, in Georgia, US

A curious titmouse amongst the maple leaves! This one is older because I've been a bit bug-crazy the past few weeks, but I saw a baby starling at the feeders yesterday, so I'm going to be camping out there as babies begin showing up. I'm hoping the starling returns—they're usually pretty skittish. For now, enjoy this nice titmouse looking at me like I'm a weirdo, as they usually do lol.

i'm trying to write about The Wonders Of Nature again and it's like...such a Big thing that has a strangle hold on peoples brains its hard to articulate it powerfully enough to break down that barrier.

Essentially trying to say, "There is so much stuff in the natural world that is so beautiful and so cool it puts anything your imagination could come up with to shame. And I don't just mean in a remote jungle reserve somewhere, I mean where YOU live. HOME."

but it's just hard to convey the Intensity of it. cause im not exaggerating when I say that the coolness and fantastic beauty of the world so far exceeds the access most people have to information and experience of it, that starting to learn can provoke this kind of defensive reaction or even like. automatic dismissal or blindness to these experiences when they DO happen.

At least it happened to me. I remember when i was a kid a purple passionflower grew in our yard and i automatically assumed it was someone's weird garden plant that had escaped, rather than a wild plant that was growing naturally in its habitat.

it just kind of breaks the logic of the world I guess? why, in a world where purple passionflower grows by itself, would the landscape be a razed, sterilized wasteland of turfgrass maintained by homeowners that destroy every unfamiliar weed like theyre fighting off a zombie apocalypse

Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis), male, taken February 27, 2025, in Georgia, US

A beautiful drinker!! This lovely male bluebird came to the bird bath for a few sips and stayed long enough for me to get some nice photos! His blue stands out against the tan and green background so nicely. In the video, he gets spooked at the end by a robin who flew away noisily overhead!

Turquoise Bluets (Enallagma divagans), teneral (top) and adult (bottom), taken April 13, 2025, in Georgia, US

A couple lifer damselflies from yesterday! I actually initially thought they were different species because I didn't see the black stripe on the top individual immediately. The difference in their coloration is due to the top individual being teneral, a term referring to any arthropod who has recently molted and not had time to harden their exoskeleton. In almost every case, teneral individuals are much paler than more developed ones. In comparison to the fully-formed adult below it, this damselfly is nearly colorless! You can see some blue beginning to develop, but it's mostly metallic brown and lacks black venation on the wings. Soon, its new exoskeleton will dry, and it will be beautiful and blue like the others!

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.

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!

Stink Lacewing (Genus Chrysopa), taken April 2, 2025, in Georgia, US

A fresh new adult lacewing has graced this Earth! I almost walked right past him since he was at foot level on my boardwalk, hanging off an outlet box. As you can see, his wings are still drying and aren't fully expanded. Soon, they'll round out, harden, and he'll fly away in search of a mate!

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura), taken June 28, 2024, in Georgia, US

Pondering, I believe. Sometimes life is just sitting on the edge of the bird bath and overlooking the koi pond a few feet ahead.