Journal archives for June 2021

June 10, 2021

Welcome to Manitoba Nature!

iNaturalist is being used by a growing number of Manitobans to connect with the natural world surrounding them - we can see this in the steady increase in observers and observations over the past few years. Just a few weeks ago we crossed that significant milestone of 100,000 observations The first City Nature Challenge in the Winnipeg region was part of that effort bringing in almost 2,500 observations in just 4 days.

One of the things that stand out the strongest for me after my 5 years using this platform is the way that it enables local experts to make substantial contributions. It connects what we each know about what we observe with all our knowledge about everything alive and that is kind of huge. This project is a way for me to support you all in learning more about nature in Manitoba by sharing what I know, what resources I have on my bookshelf and can find on the internet as well as help you to connect with each other. And I will be happy to share that role with any of you that would also like to offer your expertise.

Over on iNaturalist.org, it was noted that the whole extended iNaturalist global community has now managed to upload at least one Research Grade observation of one sixth of all named species It also sets out the following ideas to further support building the data set:

  • Grow the number of observers overall, especially in remote areas
  • Grow the number of observers of rare species
  • Grow the number of specialist identifiers

Those ideas sound pretty doable to me - lets take a run at them together. The first challenge is to make this project a clearing house for knowledge about nature in Manitoba and those individuals and organizations that are involved in studying it. I will write journal posts on a regular basis - topic suggestions are always welcome - and invite people to join this project.

Looking forward to seeing what our collaboration will come up with.

Mary Krieger
St Andrews, Manitoba

Posted on June 10, 2021 04:42 PM by marykrieger marykrieger | 0 comments | Leave a comment

Thanks to all, our official results and an invitation to a new project

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the event at the beginning of May - detailed results below. I am already looking forward to next years event - and am hoping that we will be joined by other Manitoba urban areas next spring.

I would also like to invite you all to join a new project Manitoba Nature. I hope that we can use this project to continue our collaboration in learning more about nature here in Manitoba.

the official results....

The 6th annual City Nature Challenge had over 10,000 more people participate compared to last year, and for the first time ever, we made over one million observations in the four days of the challenge!
Here are the collective results:
1,270,767 observations
45,300+ species, including more than 2,100 rare/endangered/threatened species
52,777 observers
Most-observed species globally: Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)

Here in the Winnipeg Region, our results were:
2,432 observations
423 species
63 observers
We contributed our fair share of mallards but in our count the mallard was pushed into second place by the Canada Goose.

Since you can't click the links in the infographic, here are some of the interesting observations from around the world:
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)
Lixus placidus weevil
Turkish Snail (Helix lucorum)
Witches’ Cauldron (Sarcosoma globosum)
Blainville’s Horned Lizard>(Phrynosoma blainvillii)
Purplish-backed Jay>(Cyanocorax beechei)
Sargassumfish (Histrio histrio)
Southern Lion>(Panthera leo ssp. melanochaita)
Common Giant Flying Squirrel>(Petaurista philippensis)
Euglossa macrorhyncha bee
Adelpha zea butterfly
Short-clubbed Wasp Orchid (Chiloglottis reflexa)
LARGER-CNC-2021-results-infographic
The City Nature Challenge also contributed to the most observations uploaded in a week on
iNaturalist again - and also gave iNaturalist the first two weeks ever with over one million
observations uploaded!
2021-05-06-Leiden-Univ

Posted on June 10, 2021 06:23 PM by marykrieger marykrieger | 2 comments | Leave a comment

June 12, 2021

Manitoba Breeding Bird Atlas Square Summary (14PA67) 2010-2014

breeding possible probable confirmed total
# of species 33 43 20 96

Target number of point counts in this square: 14 road side, 1 off road (Open Wetland: 1).
Approximate time allocation for general atlassing:: Young broadleaf forest: 2%, Mature broadleaf forest: 12%, Mature mixed forest: 1%, Open Wetland: 9%, Agriculture / open country: 64%, Urban / unclassified: 8%.















confirmed breeding probable breeding possible breeding unconfirmed

Canada Goose
Cooper's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Red-headed Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Western Kingbird
Eastern Kingbird
Black-billed Magpie
Common Raven
Barn Swallow
American Robin
European Starling
Yellow Warbler
Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Brewer's Blackbird
Orchard Oriole
Wood Duck
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Green-winged Teal
Hooded Merganser
Ruffed Grouse
American Bittern
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Merlin
Sora
Sandhill Crane
Killdeer
Wilson's Snipe
American Woodcock
Mourning Dove
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Alder Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
Tree Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
House Wren
Sedge Wren
Eastern Bluebird
Veery
Gray Catbird
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Common Yellowthroat
Clay-colored Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Le Conte's Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Bobolink
Baltimore Oriole
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
Sharp-tailed Grouse
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Broad-winged Hawk
Virginia Rail
Marbled Godwit
Black-billed Cuckoo
Common Nighthawk
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Great Crested Flycatcher
Loggerhead Shrike
Yellow-throated Vireo
American Crow
Winter Wren
Marsh Wren
Hermit Thrush
Cedar Waxwing
Nashville Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Ovenbird
Connecticut Warbler
Mourning Warbler
Vesper Sparrow
Nelson's Sparrow
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Purple Finch

Gadwall
Ring-billed Gull
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Magnolia Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler

the map
https://www.birdatlas.mb.ca/maps/pdf/14PA67.pdf
the summary results 2010-2014
https://www.birdatlas.mb.ca/mbdata/summaryform.jsp?squareID=14PA67&start=-1&lang=en

Posted on June 12, 2021 06:39 PM by marykrieger marykrieger | 0 comments | Leave a comment

June 13, 2021

Birds of Mapleton 14PA45

The Manitoba Breeding Bird atlas collected data on birds nesting in Manitoba between 2010 and 2014 summarized by UTM square. Here is a summary of the data collected for this square linked to the project observations of the specific species.

breeding possible probable confirmed total
# of species 37 23 20 80

Target number of point counts in this square: 15 road side.

Approximate time allocation for general atlassing: Young broadleaf forest: 1%, Mature broadleaf forest: 2%, Open Wetland: 1%, Agriculture / open country: 77%, Urban / unclassified: 16%.

confirmed breeding probable breeding possible breeding unconfirmed

Canada Goose
Red-tailed Hawk
Merlin
Hairy Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
American Crow
Common Raven
Purple Martin
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
House Wren
American Robin
European Starling
Chipping Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
House Sparrow

Mallard
Gray Partridge
Sora
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Pileated Woodpecker
Least Flycatcher
Western Kingbird
Eastern Kingbird
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Marsh Wren
Gray Catbird
Yellow Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Clay-colored Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Western Meadowlark
Brewer's Blackbird
American Goldfinch

Blue-winged Teal
American Bittern
Northern Harrier
Broad-winged Hawk
American Kestrel
Virginia Rail
Spotted Sandpiper
Marbled Godwit
Wilson's Snipe
Franklin's Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Black-billed Cuckoo
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Alder Flycatcher
Great Crested Flycatcher
Blue Jay
Black-billed Magpie
Horned Lark
Tree Swallow
White-breasted Nuthatch
Sedge Wren
Veery
Brown Thrasher
Cedar Waxwing
Tennessee Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Cape May Warbler
American Redstart
Le Conte's Sparrow
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Bobolink
Common Grackle
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
Purple Finch
Pine Siskin

Great Horned Owl (59%)
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (55%)
Upland Sandpiper (50%)
Eastern Wood-Pewee (49%)
Eastern Bluebird (47%)
Northern Shoveler (46%)
Wood Duck (44%)
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (38%)
Yellow-throated Vireo (38%)
Hooded Merganser (37%)
Sandhill Crane (37%)
Belted Kingfisher (36%)
Bald Eagle (35%)
Bank Swallow (35%)
Yellow-headed Blackbird (35%)
Cooper's Hawk (33%)
Red-headed Woodpecker (33%)
American Coot (32%)
Green-winged Teal (31%)
Sharp-tailed Grouse (30%)
Swainson's Hawk (28%)
Pied-billed Grebe (26%)
Black-and-white Warbler (26%)
Ovenbird (26%)
White-throated Sparrow (25%)
House Finch (25%)
Gadwall (23%)
Ring-necked Duck (23%)
Turkey Vulture (23%)
Great Blue Heron (22%)
Nelson's Sparrow (22%)
Redhead (20%)
Lesser Scaup (20%)
Ruffed Grouse (20%)
American Woodcock (20%)
Northern Pintail (19%)
Wilson's Phalarope (18%)
Black Tern (18%)
Ruddy Duck (17%)
Wild Turkey (17%)
Willet (15%)
Long-eared Owl (15%)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (15%)
Canvasback (14%)
Forster's Tern (13%)
Indigo Bunting (13%)
American Wigeon (12%)
Black-crowned Night-Heron (12%)
Yellow Rail (12%)
Hermit Thrush (12%)
Red-necked Grebe (10%)
Short-eared Owl (10%)
Northern Saw-whet Owl (10%)
Whip-poor-will (10%)
Nashville Warbler (10%)
Chimney Swift (9%)
Philadelphia Vireo (9%)
Eastern Towhee (9%)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (8%)
Scarlet Tanager (8%)
Eared Grebe (7%)
Western Grebe (7%)
Osprey (7%)
Sharp-shinned Hawk (7%)
American Avocet (7%)
Barred Owl (7%)
Lincoln's Sparrow (6%)
Common Goldeneye (5%)
American White Pelican (5%)
Double-crested Cormorant (5%)
Great Egret (5%)
Herring Gull (5%)
Common Tern (5%)
Northern Waterthrush (5%)
Mourning Warbler (5%)
Horned Grebe (4%)
Peregrine Falcon (4%)
Eastern Screech-Owl (4%)
Common Nighthawk (4%)
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (4%)
Swainson's Thrush (4%)
Dark-eyed Junco (4%)
Red Crossbill (4%)
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (3%)
Bufflehead (2%)
Common Loon (2%)
Least Bittern (2%)
Great Gray Owl (2%)
Olive-sided Flycatcher (2%)
Loggerhead Shrike (2%)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (2%)
Sprague's Pipit (2%)
Orange-crowned Warbler (2%)
Grasshopper Sparrow (2%)
Evening Grosbeak (2%)
Willow Flycatcher (1%)
Brown Creeper (1%)
Golden-winged Warbler (1%)
Connecticut Warbler (1%)
White-winged Crossbill (1%)
Common Merganser (0.5%)
Cattle Egret (0.5%)
White-faced Ibis (0.5%)
Solitary Sandpiper (0.5%)
Greater Yellowlegs (0.5%)
Caspian Tern (0.5%)
Blue-headed Vireo (0.5%)
Canada Jay aka Gray Jay (0.5%)
Winter Wren (0.5%)
Golden-crowned Kinglet (0.5%)
Ring-necked Pheasant (0%)
Clark's Grebe (0%)
Northern Goshawk (0%)
Ferruginous Hawk (0%)
Rough-legged Hawk (0%)
Piping Plover (0%)
Semipalmated Sandpiper (0%)
Bonaparte's Gull (0%)
Northern Hawk Owl (0%)
Burrowing Owl (0%)
American Three-toed Woodpecker (0%)
Black-backed Woodpecker (0%)
Say's Phoebe (0%)
Mountain Bluebird (0%)
Baird's Sparrow (0%)
Chestnut-collared Longspur (0%)
Fox Sparrow
Common Redpoll
Northern Cardinal
Townsend's Solitaire
Bohemian Waxwing
Northern Shrike
Lesser Yellowlegs
Tundra Swan
White-crowned Sparrow
Gray-cheeked Thrush
Blue-headed Vireo
American Tree Sparrow
Bay-breasted Warbler
Canada Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Hoary Redpoll

the map
https://www.birdatlas.mb.ca/maps/pdf/14PA45.pdf
the summary results 2010-2014
https://www.birdatlas.mb.ca/mbdata/summaryform.jsp?squareID=14PA45&start=-1&lang=en

Posted on June 13, 2021 12:36 PM by marykrieger marykrieger | 0 comments | Leave a comment

June 17, 2021

Manitoba Breeding Bird Atlas Square Summary (14PA56) 2010-2014

breeding possible probable confirmed total
# of species 29 10 48 87

Target number of point counts in this square: 15 road side.
Approximate time allocation for general atlassing: Young broadleaf forest: 4%, Mature broadleaf forest: 14%, Open Wetland: 4%, Agriculture / open country: 66%, Urban / unclassified: 9%.
















confirmed breeding probable breeding possible breeding unconfirmed
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal
Redhead
Hooded Merganser
Bald Eagle
American Kestrel
Killdeer
Mourning Dove
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Red-headed Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Kingbird
Blue Jay
Black-billed Magpie
American Crow
Tree Swallow
Bank Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
White-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Yellow Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Chipping Sparrow
Clay-colored Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Bobolink
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole
Purple Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
American Wigeon
Green-winged Teal
Red-tailed Hawk
Sora
Wilson's Snipe
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Sedge Wren
Veery
Savannah Sparrow
Sharp-tailed Grouse
American Bittern
Great Blue Heron
Osprey
Northern Harrier
Cooper's Hawk
Merlin
Sandhill Crane
Spotted Sandpiper
American Woodcock
Rock Pigeon
Black-billed Cuckoo
Great Horned Owl
Short-eared Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Alder Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher
Great Crested Flycatcher
Western Kingbird
Philadelphia Vireo
Common Raven
Purple Martin
Lark Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Scarlet Tanager
Western Meadowlark
Brewer's Blackbird
House Finch
Pine Siskin
Vesper Sparrow (82%)
Le Conte's Sparrow (60%)
Horned Lark (56%)
Orchard Oriole (53%)
Cliff Swallow (51%)
Upland Sandpiper (50%)
Eastern Wood-Pewee (49%)
Marbled Godwit (47%)
Northern Shoveler (46%)
American Redstart (45%)
Marsh Wren (43%)
Yellow-throated Vireo (38%)
Gray Partridge (35%)
Yellow-headed Blackbird (35%)
American Coot (32%)
Swainson's Hawk (28%)
Chestnut-sided Warbler (27%)
Pied-billed Grebe (26%)
Black-and-white Warbler (26%)
Ovenbird (26%)
White-throated Sparrow (25%)
Gadwall (23%)
Ring-necked Duck (23%)
Turkey Vulture (23%)
Nelson's Sparrow (22%)
Lesser Scaup (20%)
Ruffed Grouse (20%)
Northern Pintail (19%)
Broad-winged Hawk (18%)
Wilson's Phalarope (18%)
Black Tern (18%)
Ruddy Duck (17%)
Wild Turkey (17%)
Tennessee Warbler (17%)
Willet (15%)
Long-eared Owl (15%)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (15%)
Canvasback (14%)
Virginia Rail (14%)
Ring-billed Gull (14%)
Forster's Tern (13%)
Indigo Bunting (13%)
Black-crown. Night-Heron (12%)
Yellow Rail (12%)
Hermit Thrush (12%)
Red-necked Grebe (10%)
Northern Saw-whet Owl (10%)
Whip-poor-will (10%)
Nashville Warbler (10%)
Chimney Swift (9%)
Eastern Towhee (9%)
Franklin's Gull (8%)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (8%)
Eared Grebe (7%)
Western Grebe (7%)
Sharp-shinned Hawk (7%)
American Avocet (7%)
Barred Owl (7%)
Lincoln's Sparrow (6%)
Common Goldeneye (5%)
American White Pelican (5%)
Double-crested. Cormorant (5%)
Great Egret (5%)
Herring Gull (5%)
Common Tern (5%)
Northern Waterthrush (5%)
Mourning Warbler (5%)
Horned Grebe (4%)
Peregrine Falcon (4%)
Eastern Screech-Owl (4%)
Common Nighthawk (4%)
Northern Rough-wing Swallow (4%)
Swainson's Thrush (4%)
Dark-eyed Junco (4%)
Red Crossbill (4%)
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (3%)
Bufflehead (2%)
Common Loon (2%)
Least Bittern (2%)
Great Gray Owl (2%)
Olive-sided Flycatcher (2%)
Loggerhead Shrike (2%)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (2%)
Sprague's Pipit (2%)
Orange-crowned Warbler (2%)
Grasshopper Sparrow (2%)
Evening Grosbeak (2%)
Willow Flycatcher (1%)
Brown Creeper (1%)
Golden-winged Warbler (1%)
Connecticut Warbler (1%)
White-winged Crossbill (1%)
Common Merganser (0.5%)
Cattle Egret (0.5%)
White-faced Ibis (0.5%)
Solitary Sandpiper (0.5%)
Greater Yellowlegs (0.5%)
Caspian Tern (0.5%)
Blue-headed Vireo (0.5%)
Gray Jay (0.5%)
Winter Wren (0.5%)
Golden-crowned Kinglet (0.5%)
Cape May Warbler (0.5%)
Ring-necked Pheasant (0%)
Clark's Grebe (0%)
Northern Goshawk (0%)
Ferruginous Hawk (0%)
Rough-legged Hawk (0%)
Piping Plover (0%)
Semipalmated Sandpiper (0%)
Bonaparte's Gull (0%)
Northern Hawk Owl (0%)
Burrowing Owl (0%)
American. Three-toed Woodpecker (0%)
Black-backed Woodpecker (0%)
Say's Phoebe (0%)
Mountain Bluebird (0%)
Baird's Sparrow (0%)
Chestnut-collared Longspur (0%)

the map
https://www.birdatlas.mb.ca/maps/pdf/14PA56.pdf
the summary results 2010-2014
https://www.birdatlas.mb.ca/mbdata/summaryform.jsp?squareID=14PA56&start=-1&lang=en

Posted on June 17, 2021 02:22 PM by marykrieger marykrieger | 0 comments | Leave a comment

June 20, 2021

Observers need Identifiers - Identifiers need Observers

No observations - nothing to identify. No identifications, no connection to what we think we already know. If you know the name, you can find out what else is known about it and what is left to find out.

Frustrating an observer's itch to know more can be a barrier, especially for new observers. Recent events aside, it has been easy to believe that the human knowledge has a pretty good handle on what is going on here on our planet. Sure in the tropics there might be some gaps - there are a lot of weird beetles there after all but here in Manitoba, we pretty much know everything there is to know, right? So it can be a little surprising for an observer to hear from an identifier that the problem is not the lack of focus in their image - or the need for some feature not visible in the observation - but that no one knows the species name of that one because we haven't gotten around to figuring it out yet.

Similar frustration awaits new identifiers used to identifying specimens separated in time and space from the moment of observation. Many keys are tailored towards identifying collected specimens using characters that do not change when an organism has been preserved. Some characters easily visible in a inert specimen in the hand can be impossible to discern in the a photograph or recording. It can also be a little disconcerting for an acknowledged expert to be challenged to explain their id when they may have been more used to a more deferential approach.

Both of these frustrations have a common root - observers and identifiers are exploring together the new opportunities that this tool offers to explore our understanding of nature. Already the identifier community is developing additional tools that depend on features visible in photographs of an organism. Observers are finding ways to improve their documentation of organisms based on the needs of identifiers. As observations are continuing to be added, the likelihood grows that someone somewhere will have added an observation of the organism that you can look at and compare with your own experience, whether you are an observer, an identifier or both.

Happy exploring!
Mary Krieger
St Andrews, MB

Posted on June 20, 2021 03:32 PM by marykrieger marykrieger | 0 comments | Leave a comment

June 23, 2021

Seen Flowering in June: Yellow Ladyslippers, Canada Anemone and Northern Bedstraw

One often sees other organisms when photographing up close and personal with big showy flowers like these. The Observation Field 'Plant that the organism was found on' will give you a lookup to add the name of the plant when you add the observation of your plant photo-bomber...

Yellow Ladyslipper Cypripedium calceolus

where to find them...
"dry to moist open ground, thickets and woods in the southern two thirds of the province" 1
"moist woods, boreal forest" 2
"edges or open spaces in aspen poplar woods or upper margins of sloughs and ditches on roads and railway grades" 3
https://inaturalist.ca/observations?month=6&place_id=7590&subview=map&quality_grade=research&taxon_id=50713

pollinated by smaller species of bees;
https://goorchids.northamericanorchidcenter.org/species/cypripedium/parviflorum/

other organisms seen on this flower...

Canada Anemone (Meadow Anemone) Anemoneastrum canadense


previously known as Anemone canadense

where to find them...
"woods, thickets, meadows, shores and clearings throughout the southern three quarters of the province" 1
"One of the commonest anemones; found in large patches at the edges of woodlands, low moist places and hollows." 2
"Common. Habitat includes moist grassy areas, scrubby areas, edges of aspen poplar groves, particularly in parkland-prairie, but the plant is distrbuted throughout the area in suitable locations" 3
https://inaturalist.ca/observations?month=6&place_id=7590&subview=map&quality_grade=research&taxon_id=881527

other organisms seen on this flower...

Northern Bedstraw Galium boreale


previously known as Galium septentrionale

where to find them...
"thickets, rock outcrops, prairie, shores and clearings throughout the province except for the extreme north" 1
"Common; in openings in woodlands, along roadsides and moister places on prairies...In some years, almost the dominant roadside flower." 2
"Habitat includes the aspen poplar groves and associated scrub of the parkland region to where parkland and forest meet" 3
https://inaturalist.ca/observations?month=6&place_id=7590&subview=map&quality_grade=research&taxon_id=77188

The bedstraws are one of the larval food plants of the Bedstraw moth. These caterpillars also are willing to eat Fireweed and Evening primroses.
https://inaturalist.ca/observations?locale=en&place_id=7590&preferred_place_id=6712&taxon_id=118901

other organisms seen on this flower...

Sources

  1. Scoggan, H.J., Flora of Manitoba, 1957 Ottawa
  2. Budd, A.C., Budd's Flora of the Canadian Prairie Provinces
  3. Vance, F.R., Jowsey, J.R. and McLean, J.S, Wildflowers Across the Prairies
Posted on June 23, 2021 01:41 AM by marykrieger marykrieger | 0 comments | Leave a comment

American Arachnological Society virtual bioblitz June 25-27 2021 - join their project to participate.....

Make arachnid observations from wherever you are over the weekend of their annual meeting, from Friday June 25 to Sunday June 27, 2021. There will be fun prizes for the most observations, the most identifications, and more! The project is for folks who want to participate in finding arachnids and having arachnologists looking at the ID's. So a chance to put a little extra effort into photographing your local spiders and see what some experts think.

project link: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/aas-2021-virtual-bioblitz-364cdd97-db65-4b71-95b7-9c05543bfb90

More about the annual meeting here...
https://www.americanarachnology.org/aas-meetings/aas-meeting-2021/ #Arachnids21

here's some notes on what helps to get a spider identified from tips and tricks...

Photograph the shape of the spider’s web and take note of its habitat. Use your macro lens to obtain close-ups of the top side and underside of the spider, as well as a shot of the face head-on to see the position of the eyes. Photographing the eye arrangement and dorsal pattern can help you identify the spider to family or genus.
How They Got The Shot
Thomas Barbin(https://inaturalist.ca/people/thomasbarbin)
“I like to encourage active spiders (especially jumping spiders) onto a stick, leaf or rock to make photographing them easier. I hold the object with the spider in my left hand while resting the end of my lens on the palm/wrist area of my left hand. This allows everything to move as one, making it easier to focus on the spider. As I track and photograph the spider,I move the object with my fingers to get all the key angles for ID. Once I have what I need for an ID, I like to get creative with different angles. By facing different directions, I can choose what I want the background to be (blue sky, green leaves, dark background, etc.). Jumping spiders can be especially tricky and like to jump. When they jump, they leave a dragline attached to the object they jumped from and repel down. Try to grab their dragline before they hit the ground and lift them back up to your stick/leaf/rock!”
Posted on June 23, 2021 09:54 PM by marykrieger marykrieger | 2 comments | Leave a comment