Photos / Sounds
What
Eastern Boxelder Bug (Boisea trivittata)Observer
martinlucasDescription
Among the leaves in a sandy oak woodland.
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Brown Stink Bugs (Genus Euschistus)Observer
martinlucasDescription
On a sunny tree trunk in a sandy oak woodland. ID is a preliminary suggestion.
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Mason Bees (Genus Osmia)Observer
martinlucasDescription
Visiting Viola pensylvanica in a low sandy woodland. I assume the red/orange face is due to viola pollen.
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Eastern Catkin Fly (Brachypalpus oarus)Observer
martinlucasDescription
A medium-large fly hanging around a fissure in a black oak tree -- just ~ 10" dia, but apparently hollow.
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What
Eastern Calligrapher (Toxomerus geminatus)Observer
martinlucasDescription
On Prunus americana.
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Mining Bees (Genus Andrena)Observer
martinlucasDescription
A smallish Andrena female visiting Prunus americana in my sand prairie garden.
The Bot suggest A. miserablis, and there is some similarity in appearance.
Photos / Sounds
What
Mining Bees (Genus Andrena)Observer
martinlucasDescription
A medium-small Andrena visiting prunus americana in my sand prairie garden. The bot suggests A. nasonii, and those do look similar.
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What
Carlin's Mining Bee (Andrena carlini)Observer
martinlucasDescription
A rather robust Andrena female visiting Prunus americana in my garden. A. carlini based primarily on the black hairs on the side of thorax, A. vicina is similar so that's a bit of a tough call.
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Unequal Cellophane Bee (Colletes inaequalis)Observer
martinlucasDescription
Visiting blooming Prunus americana in my garden.
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Sedgesitters (Genus Platycheirus)Observer
martinlucasDescription
A small gracile syrphid fly with a steely gray cast visiting (nectaring I suppose) on Prunus americana in the 'wilding' area of my sand prairie garden. Perhaps a Platycheirus.
Photos / Sounds
What
Orange-legged Drone Fly (Eristalis flavipes)Observer
martinlucasDescription
Nectaring, I assume, on Prunus americana in the 'wilding' area of my sand prairie garden. There were several of this little bumble mimics about, so these photos might be differenent individuals, it hard to be sure sometimes.
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Bare-winged Aphideater (Eupeodes perplexus)Observer
martinlucasDescription
A small fly visiting Prunus americana in my garden. ID based substantially on the bot's suggestion - and there are others that are similar so please don't rely on it until confirmed or corrected by an expert.
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What
Genus MyopaObserver
martinlucasDescription
A small conopid fly on Prunus americana in my garden 'wilding' area. Most likely: M. vesiculosa.
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What
Phasia fenestrataObserver
martinlucasDescription
A medium sized fly nectaring on Prunus americana. I planted them, but they were collected (with permission) from a nearby native population at risk from mowing. A somewhat bold ID, but I've previously photographed two other this time of year fairly nearby and it seems quite distinctive.
Photos / Sounds
What
Mining Bees (Genus Andrena)Observer
martinlucasDescription
A small Andrena male visiting Amelanchier blossoms in my garden. The bush is 'in cultivation', sort of I suppose, but I collected it from the wild and planted it in appropriate habitat so I doubt that's of great relevance. This is a single bee - the photos aren't great due to the strong winds at the time. It reminded me of Andrena nuda, but I was unable to find any photos of a male. The bot suggested Andrena miserabilis, but I don't see the distinct yellow face.
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Rough-legged Buzzard (Buteo lagopus)Observer
martinlucasDescription
Flying over Kiwani Marsh - the lighting was very flat causing my photo to lack detail, so I applied heavy processing to bring out the detail. It was a rather robust medium sized hawk. My best guess is that it's a rough-legged hawk.
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Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata)Observer
martinlucasDescription
A few among a lots of pintails.
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Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)Observer
martinlucasDescription
A pair flying over Kiwani Marsh - I think they stirred up the many pintails.
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Cluster Flies (Genus Pollenia)Observer
martinlucasDescription
A fly (about the size of a house fly) visiting snowdrop (galanthus) blossoms under an old black oak (Q. velutina) in my front lawn on an unusually warm late February day. The fly is rather hairy and shows some silvery shine markings on its abdomen when the light hits it just so. Also some similar markings on its face. Possibly a blowfly of some kind.
Photos / Sounds
What
European Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)Observer
martinlucasDescription
Visiting snowdrops (Galanthus) under a big black oak tree (Q. velutina) in my front lawn. Notable only in that it's my first bee observation for 2024 -- on an unusually warm day in an unusually warm February. I planted the snowdrops from ones I collected at an abandoned house site a few blocks away perhaps 20 years ago, so one could say they are 'in cultivation' but I don't really do anything with them.
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Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)Observer
martinlucasDescription
FOY for me -- there were others and they acted as if they were establishing territories.
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Snow Goose (Anser caerulescens)Observer
martinlucasDescription
A few of these amongst the throngs of A. albifrons. The beak markings are clearer on the second photo.
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Garden Orbweavers (Genus Argiope)Observer
martinlucasDescription
A small spider on an smallish orb web - in a patch of bog dewberries. It wasn't the subject of the photo, I noticed it off to the side, but thought it a bit interesting.
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What
Milky Backswimmers (Genus Notonecta)Observer
martinlucasDescription
In the shallow, clear waters of Betty's Pond - fishless, groundwater fed, sand bottom. I'm unsure of the suggested ID, even as broad as it is. I'd estimate size about 6-8mm. As is my custom, these are 'no-touch' photos with minimal disturbance to the subject.
Photos / Sounds
What
Tribe CorixiniObserver
martinlucasDescription
In Betty's Pond - clear, shallow, groundwater fed, fishless, and sand bottomed.
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Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)Observer
martinlucasDescription
At Kiwani marsh, KF&WA.
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Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons)Observer
martinlucasDescription
At Kiwani marsh -- there were lots of these.
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Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus)Observer
martinlucasDescription
A group of four. I could be mistaken, Trumpeters are probably around too, so please correct me if I'm wrong.
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What
Tribe CorixiniObserver
martinlucasDescription
In the shallow sand bottomed waters of Betty's Pond. A macro lens would have worked better than this normal lens, but I tried anyway. Some in Sigara are similar. About 6-7mm?
