Tan Jumping Spider (Platycryptus Undatus), Female, Taken October 28, 2023, In Georgia, US

Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura), taken March 27, 2025, in Georgia, US

Look at this wonderful vulture couple who were dining in on some scrumptious, long-dead raccoon! I'd been seeing vultures flying in and out of the area for the past few days, but never connected it to a carcass because rarely anything large dies here. I have no idea why the raccoon died—it was on the bank of the creek, a few feet from the water. I happened to glance over before attempting to parkour across the creek and spotted one of the vultures eating. I quickly turned right back around and (purposefully) walked to my house to switch my lenses and was able to catch them both together. They're my first vulture photos!

Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos), taken March 9, 2025, in Georgia, US

I haven't been out in a few days, so have this month-old mockingbird lol. There's something about the composition of this photo that is just really nice. I love the lighting, and the way the mockingbird kind of blends into the background is visually appealing! This specific pair has made a nest in a tree next to my house, so we may get to see babies at the feeders this spring!

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!

Wait a minute. Stink Bugs don't have a larva stage. They're just born as little guys and slowly get bigger as they get older??? 🥺

Eastern Calligrapher (Toxomerus geminatus), female, taken April 12, 2025, in Georgia, US

A nice hoverfly perching on a flower. While hoverflies are out year-round here, they're in full swing now! Along with dozens of adults, I've started to see larvae too! The larvae of many hoverflies (though not all) feed on small invertebrates, aphids being a favorite of some (aptly named "Aphideaters"). As adults, many become herbivores, feeding on plant nectar. This is the same strategy most insects employ. It's much easier to survive if adults and babies of the same species eat different things at different life stages—less competition!

Keeled Treehopper (Entylia carinata), taken April 27, 2025, in Georgia, US

A lifer treehopper for me! This guy flew in and landed right on top of a fly. Because of that, I thought it was another fly but noticed the pigmentation was strange, so I bent down for a closer look. Thank god I did, because this guy is epic! I'm always on the lookout for treehoppers, but they seem so rare to me. Hopefully this spring brings me even more hopper luck!

Garden Ghost Spider (Hibana gracilis), taken April 4, 2025, in Georgia, US

A sleepy spider resting on a blade of grass. This lady didn't move at all while I was photographing her, and paid no mind to me crunching away in the leaves around her. While dozens of wolf spiders fled for their lives beneath me, she was living her best life, having a rejuvenating nap. I wish all spiders were this unbothered—they're so hard to photograph when they run away!

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), male (top) and Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) (bottom), taken June 27, 2024, in Georgia, US

Whenever I look at these photos, I always like to put them next to each other to compare. In terms of woodland birds, these two could be considered opposites of one another, being arguably the most famous blue and red birds of North America, at least in the east!

Seeing as these were taken in about the same pose, at the same distance, it's also a good comparison of anatomy and size. I don't think it really hits home how much bigger jays are than cardinals until you see it yourself in person. There was a long period of my childhood that I considered the two equals, and learning that the jay was much larger was a big surprise later on!

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!