Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene Carolina Ssp. Carolina), Juvenile, Taken May 25, 2024, In Georgia, US

American Robin (Turdus migratorius), male, taken February 24, 2025, in Georgia, US

A drinker, I fear... The robins were incredibly bold today, though that isn't unusual for them! This guy allowed me to take some nice pictures and a short video of him before he took off. With the sound on, you can hear the cacophony that is 20 birds screaming and my pond waterfall all layered on top of one another. Be grateful the blackbirds hadn't arrived yet—they're deafening.

Citrine Forktail (Ischnura hastata), female, taken April 24, 2025, in Georgia, US

The damselflies are finally coloring up! The variable dancers are all still teneral, but the fragile and citrine forktails are turning their brilliant colors! Females of this species come in two colors: orange and olive. I've yet to see an olive female, but these guys are fairly uncommon, so I'm not surprised. Regardless, it's nice to see these tiny pops of color flying around!

Sawfly (Genus Dolerus), taken March 7, 2025, in Georgia, US

'Tis the season for sawflies! I've only seen two so far, but more are certainly to come. This guy was quite striking, being bright red! Until now, I've only seen black sawflies in person, so I actually thought this was some kind of blood bee (Genus Sphecodes) until I put it into iNat lol! However, if you look closer, you can tell that the body is almost fully red, the antennae are not elbowed, and the head isn't really bee-shaped. What a cool find! Here's to hoping I see more!

Calico Pennant (Celithemis elisa), female, taken April 22, 2025, in Georgia, US

What I thought was a lifer dragonfly, but turned out to be the female of a species I've seen once before! This lady seemed quite relaxed around me, flying almost lazily through the air and allowing me to get very close (for a dragonfly). As far as dragonflies go, this species is quite small, and so is the rest of their genus, aptly named "small pennants"!

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata), female, taken March 11, 2025, in Georgia, US

What a lovely lady! In terms of warblers, these guys are pretty skittish compared to others that visit. They prefer to dart quickly in and out, which makes photographing them difficult but all the more rewarding! The males of this species have started gaining their yellow crowns, as I've been seeing them appear in some individuals.

Longhorn Beetles (Euderces pini), taken March 22, 2025, in Georgia, US

This guy is clearly having trouble keeping up with his lady. I originally thought these guys were carpenter ants and got closer to see why there were so many just hanging about and instead discovered half a dozen of these beetles all gathered around. The female must have sent out pheromones because she was surrounded by interested males. However, she was clearly taken, even if her suitor was struggling to keep up with her while she wandered!

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!

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!

Spotted Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus conanti), taken September 10, 2024, in Georgia, US

Enjoying the sun! It's pretty unusual to see salamanders sitting out in the open like this, so I initially thought this guy was dead. I ended up freaking him out when i put my hand near him to see, and I feel kind of bad about it, but I also really needed to know if he was alive lol... He was in close proximity to a large banded fishing spider that was also enjoying the sunshine, so I think this was just a nice spot! I hope he came back later and caught some more rays!

Clouded Skipper (Lerema accius), taken August 4, 2024, in Georgia, US

What a talented model! These guys and Zabulon Skippers often sit on the same patch of leaves in the sun and spread their wings. It makes for excellent photos since they have a really high tolerance for me getting up in their business! Clouded Skippers have some gorgeous chocolate brown wings, and this guy really wanted me to know that!