#backyardnature — Public Fediverse posts

Photogenic profile of a #BaldFacedHornet.

#wasp #yellowjacket #insects #pollinators #BackyardWildlife #BackyardNature #nature #wildlife

#BaldFacedHornet isn't a true hornet. It's in the yellowjacket wasp family.

#wasp #yellowjacket #insects #pollinators #BackyardWildlife #BackyardNature #nature #wildlife #NatureVideos #NatureShorts

This isn't just any wasp...

The anchor-shaped marking on the first abdominal segment identifies an eastern yellowjacket (Vespula maculifrons), and the dots identify a queen.

Most yellowjackets die each winter; a few queens survive to start new colonies each spring. #entomology #backyardnature

"Hey, there are weird things in the raised planters...they look like exoskeletons." They were exactly that - puparaia (the hard outer shell of a pupa, left after the adult emerges) of the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens). A bit of careful digging revealed some additional pupae. #backyardnature #entomology

After a recent storm, I spotted a tiny speck on the glass of my front door. I thought it was a leaf, but I decided to take a closer look...and I've never seen a land #snail this small. (I have absolutely NO guess as to genus or species...) #backyardnature #malacology

#Squirrel - a chonky one.

#BackyardWildlife #BackyardNature #wildlife #Saanich

That twig is no twig; it's an "inchworm". Larvae of geometrid moths (family Geometridae) only have two pair of abdominal prolegs; that's why they move in the "inch by inch" way that gave them their name. (Geometridae means "earth measurers".) #entomology #backyardnature

Their sibling has re-joined us & is chilling & cooing at me, while perched on trellis 😍

#crow #corvids #BackyardWildlife #BirdHomie #wildlife #birds #BackyardNature

My backyard #crow BFF. Giving me a monologue of their day, thus far 💗

#corvids #BackyardWildlife #BirdHomie #wildlife #birds #BackyardNature

The salt marsh moth (Estigmene acrea) is found throughout the USA; it's in the same subfamily as tiger, lichen, footman and wasp moths. We'll see 3-4 generations of this moth in the southern USA each year, while the rest of the country sees only 1 or 2. #entomology #backyardnature

Hey, #entomology and #backyardnature folks, here's an #iPhone #photography note...the zoom setting is preserved in the image's EXIF metadata. If you're on Windows, you'll find it in the Details tab in File Manager; on Linux, I use exiftool. Useful when reviewing pictures of small things...

My backyard #crow BFF, perched on a big planter pot - 2 feet from my potting station chair. It was doing some preening while I was potting up new food plant seeds 💗❤️💗

#corvids #BackyardNature #BackyardBirding #Wildlife #CorvidFriends #BirdBuddies #coexistence

#Crow friends are back.

#corvids #BackyardNature #wildlife #CorvidFriends #birds

#Birds currently singing their joyous morning songs, in our backyard, right now 😊

#Saanich #BackyardBirding #BirdLovers #BackyardNature #BackyardWildlife

This small mayfly visited me this morning; the dark forelegs and tiny hindwing suggest Leptophlebia cupida, aka the early brown spinner. They'll only live for a few days after emerging from their aquatic nypmh stage - just long enough to mate and lay eggs. #backyardnature #entomology

The chipping sparrow (Spizella passerina) is found throughout North America. Usually rather drab, breeding season finds them with a reddish cap and white supercilium (the stripe running from the base of the beak above the eye), as seen here. #backyardnature #ornithology

Here's a false potato beetle (Leptinotarsa juncta), found in the eastern USA. Their larvae feed on plants in the nightshade family, including tomatoes, tobacco, peppers, and, yes, potatoes. #entomology #backyardnature

Today's #backyardnature is a stonefly of genus Perlesta, the "golden stones". More than 30 Perlesta species have been identified; while most are in the US, two species have been identified in China. #entomology

Here's the celery leaftier, also known as the greenhouse leaftier (Udea rubigalis). A member of family Crambidae, this grass moth is found throughout the Americas. #entomology #backyardnature

Here's a dung beetle (Copris fricator). There are more than 9000 known species of dung beetle worldwide, but this fairly small (body length < 1in (18mm)) species is native to the eastern USA. #entomology #backyardnature

Quiet morning at the studio window.

Snow still on the ground, chickadees arguing outside, and a little woodland painting slowly coming to life on the desk.

After the surprise Mastodon welcome yesterday, it feels a bit like inviting the whole forest in for #coffee . ☕🌲

Back to painting and Thank you all. 🫂
#Mastodon
#ArtStudio
#BackyardNature
#ArtistLife
#Fediverse

Day 2 on Mastodon:

I don’t fully understand the Fediverse yet, but everyone seems super nice and no one's tried to sell me crypto, so that’s already an improvement over most of the internet. 🔐😅

So, if you like birds, bees, gardens, my quirky art, or quiet backyard moments… we’ll probably get along just fine. 🌿🐦🐝🎨

Hope you're all having a wonderful day ✌🏻

#Mastodon
#NewHere
#BackyardNature
#fantasyart
#polymerclay
#stickerart

Hi from Rhode Island!

Artist, gardener, and quiet observer of the small world in my backyard.

You’ll usually find me near the feeders or in the garden watching the neighborhood wildlife. Chickadees supervise, the crows recognize me, and in summer
the bees take over the flowers.

I grow vegetables, paint some of the birds I see, and share the little moments happening right outside my door.

Nice to meet you. 🌿🐦🐝

#Birding #Gardening #BackyardNature #Pollinators #Watercolor

After last night’s ice storm the sun warmed the trees and the ice began to fall.

It looked like rain, but it was thousands of tiny pieces of ice tinkling through the sunlight.

Nature putting on a little morning show. ❄️🌞
#Nature #Winter #BackyardNature #Weather #QuietMomentsInAnime

I'm experimenting with some new kit for my #backyardnature and #entomology photographs: a petri dish with white tissue holding the specimen in place while I use my phone to photograph through a magnifying loupe. The second image is a varied carpet beetle (Anthrenus verbasci)...

Here's a 2025 specimen from #CapeCod - the phantom midge (Chaoborus punctipennis). Its larvae are aquatic; adults do not feed and live only long enough to mate and lay eggs. Native to the USA & Canada, it was recently identified as an invasive species in Japan. #backyardnature #entomology

Adorable backyard alert! A squirrel gets playful with a pillow in Squirrel Playing Redux — tiny paws, big personality. Perfect quick mood booster on PeerTube. Watch the silliness and smile! #Animals #Wildlife #Squirrel #Cute #BackyardNature #Nature #PeerTube #English
https://rrgeorge.video/videos/watch/6a926b60-feb2-4ab9-8bb5-628aded4c1e9

Here's an unnamed non-biting midge of family Chironomindae, Xylotopus par. It's the only species of genus Xylotopus found in North America; its larvae mine decaying, waterlogged hardwood in slow-moving streams. #backyardnature #entomology

The neighbour's mossy roof aka the raccoons & squirrels suburban rooftop highway to get last of the #crabapple fruits.

#fruits #tree #mosstodon #nature #BeKindToWildlife #Coexistence #Saanich #WorldInMyEyes #BackyardNature #VancouverIsland #PNW #Winter #FoodForWildlife

Part of my bountiful, backyard #TurkeyTails colony. I have thousands of them now 😀

#FungiFriday #mushrooms #nature #BackyardNature #fungus #fungi #mycelium #Wsanec #Saanich #biodiversity #mosstodon #lichensubscribe #YYJ #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #Cascadia #PNW #Medicinal #Wildcrafting

Unidentified tiny parasol mushrooms, yellow witches butter, false turkey tails & true turkey tails - all in our backyard 😃

#Moss #lichen #TurkeyTail #fungi #WitchesButter #FalseTurkeyTail
#mushrooms #nature #BackyardNature #Wsanec #Saanich #VictoriaBC #YYJ #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #Cascadia #PNW #biodiversity #RainsBringMushrooms #BackyardEcology #mosstodon #lichensubscribe #concentric #fungus #UrbanNature #photography