Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo Lineatus), Taken February 18, 2025, In Georgia, US

Smoky-winged Dancer (Argia fumipennis ssp. fumipennis), teneral female, taken May 6, 2025, in Georgia, US

Here I am again, filling my blog with damselflies... Update on these guys: the males are STILL brown. It's been 3 weeks!!! When will they turn purple?? They look nice brown as well, but they're not even the pretty brown they get when they're mature. When fully adult, females will become a nice golden brown and males become a vibrant violet, both having black patterning as well. It looks gorgeous, but right now all of them are this sad, pale brown. The day I see a purple male I am going to jump for joy and scare it away lol.

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...

Tan Jumping Spider (Platycryptus undatus), female, taken October 28, 2023, in Georgia, US

A head-on view of a small jumping friend! You can see her tapping her palps on the post as she moves, likely for extra sensory input. She was quite wary of me, but she was nice and allowed me to take a nice video and get a couple pictures! Tan jumpers have such fuzzy faces, unlike most other jumpers I see, and that gives them extra cuteness points in my head!

Common Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon), juvenile, taken May 22, 2025, in Georgia, US

My first (and hopefully not last) snake of the year: a tiny watersnake! This guy couldn't have been very old. I would actually guess based on his size that he was very recently born! The little creek I found him in will provide a great place to begin life, full of small fish, salamander larvae, and invertebrates for this baby to eat until he's large enough to eat bigger prey and swim long distances.

Unlike most other snakes, N. sipedon is ovoviviparous, meaning eggs develop and hatch inside the mother before being laid, and the mother gives birth directly to baby snakes! Upon being born, these babies are immediately independent and soon leave the mother, who can give birth to—in extreme cases—up to 30 babies!

Slaty Skimmer (Libellula incesta), male, taken July 30, 2024, in Georgia, US

Dragonflies remain fierce contenders for my favorite photo subjects, at least amongst bugs! For their size and speed, they're very cooperative. I've even had some take advantage of the mosquito cloud following me to grab a snack! This guy just sat on the tip of this stick and helped me make some sick looking pictures!

does iNaturalist really help research? Or it's just for fun and to help U feel love for the wildlife around U?

Yep! Research Grade observations are called that for a reason, they be and are used by plenty of researchers! There have been papers written on iNaturalist data, species have been described via iNaturalist, and so on. I personally have collected and sent specimens to multiple researchers who have contacted me because of my iNaturalist observations even

Though it is also fun :>

White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis), taken March 11, 2025, in Georgia, US

A little sparrow frolicking in the moss and newly-sprouted grass. I could watch these guys for hours—they're just so charismatic! I especially like the dappled light of this spot, as it accentuates their camouflage. Rooting through the leaflitter under dappled sunlight, you'd be hard-pressed to find these guys!

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.

Red-headed Ash Borer (Neoclytus acuminatus), taken May 21, 2025, in Georgia, US

Another lifer beetle for me! It shouldn't be surprising, but it feels like everywhere I go I'm finding new longhorn beetles—round-necked ones especially! A lot are just the same colors recycled in different patterns, and I find it a bit funny. This guy was quite pretty and allowed me to take several photos before getting too shifty. I would also be bothered if a giant appeared and started manhandling the leaf I was sitting on, but this individual was brave and waited patiently for me to leave. How generous!

Hooded Warbler (Setophaga citrina), male, taken April 1, 2025

Quite the uncommon visitor showed his face at the feeders yesterday! I've only seen hooded warblers once before: a small group traveling south last fall. Males of this species can be distinguished from females by the black band around their face, which resembles a hood! Females can look much like other warblers such as Pine Warblers (Setophaga pinus). They can be distinguished from male pine warblers by their olive backs and easily distinguished from the brown females by color!