I’m curious to know, does anyone else here spend their layover hours “iNatting” (my personal term for making observations)? For me, it’s a great way to put new points on my global map and turn a boring wait into something productive. I find myself constantly looking for signs of life, whether it’s spotting wildflowers out of the plane window while taxiing or identifying birds through the terminal glass.
Beyond just the data, I’ve started using iNaturalist as a sort of digital travel journal. It’s a perfect way to keep a record of exactly where I’ve been and when, essentially using my observations to map out my journey. Does anyone else use their transit time to hunt for new spots, or do you have any interesting “airport finds” in your collection?
That one time I was in Cyprus airport for 5 hours (example)
Yes! In fact, when I went to Europe for the first time, I was coming back from Italy on a layover in Madrid - I had reeeeally wanted to see a magpie! Alas, 20 minutes before the plane leaves back home, I’d already had resigned that it would be a next time thing. And then, I look out the window, and who do I see?!
I don’t fly very often, but the last time I did, I didn’t iNat. Probably because the big camera was packed away, but I’ll have to change that! I do iNat however waiting for a train or bus, and this was my best observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/162671662
Very cool! When traveling around the city in NZ I often make observations from and around bus stops and train stations when waiting. Sometimes I end up finding some pretty cool stuff like this instance of Solenogyne gunnii in a lawn right beside the bus stop. It is relatively uncommon in the area or at least quite overlooked. https://www.inaturalist.nz/observations/278683564
Not anymore, not after almost getting arrested at the Hilo airport in Hawaii.
My flight had arrived earlier than my traveling companion and I had a few hours to kill…first time in Hawaii. So, I walked outside to see what I could see…mostly anoles as you can see here. Well, I was checking out some trees along the edge of airport road when I hear a disembodied voice “Hey! Hey you! I see you. Don’t go in there, come back out.” I stepped back out onto the shoulder of the road to an airport security person driving up speaking through the vehicle’s loudspeakers. They asked what I was doing, and for ID. Then I hear their radio asking for a status report. By this time I had given the security guard my campus ID and explained I was a biologist awaiting another traveller by looking for lizards. The guard radioed back in: “It’s okay, he’s…he’s a biologist.” I got a stern talking to and advised to avoid looking suspicious like this, told to stick to the terminal, and released.
I saw my first Hawaiian Short-eared Owl out the window of the plane as we were landing – it was flying parallel to the landing strip – but no pics of course.
My favorite, and most frustrating, like this was on a back road in the forest in Vermont. A Merlin dropped out of the overhanging canopy and parked itself right behind and above the front of the hood of my car, then sat there surfing it like a dolphin surfing a bow wave. Did that for maybe half a kilometer through a few turns, then zipped off into an open area by the creek.
I’ve never thought to try getting photos while I’m in an airport, but I do love looking at my map of observations - I remember all the cool places I’ve visited when I see the map filling in with observations in new places.
I like to see what I can find inside the terminal. Most airports there is an area with potted plants, and bugs to be found living on those plants. Often there is a less used area with spiders. Sometimes House Sparrows or even pigeons flying around inside pooping on things.
I think of “iNatting” as a well established phrase within the iNatting community.
I would guess this is a member of a population that lives and breeds inside the terminal.
With regard to projects, I see there are a number of projects that document biodiversity at individual airports, but:
There is no umbrella project to collect all of the airport projects
There is no single project that takes observations from any airport, anywhere in the world
Maybe someone in this thread will be inspired to create these projects! One name suggestion could be, “The Layover List: Organisms in and around airports”.
Here’s a cockroach I saw in Legazpi Airport in the Philippines (Still needs an ID).
I was trying to be discreet while chasing this critter all over the bathroom, trying to get a decent shot with an old cellphone and poor lighting. Imagine you’re doing your business, and a crazy person is running around trying to take pictures.
I have not been in an airport or airplane since I joined iNat. If, however, I took a plane to California to visit relatives, and stopped at an airport in an intermediate time zone and observed something there, by how much should I adjust the time when uploading the observation? I’m in North Carolina and have to adjust every observation by 4 or 5 hours, depending on the time of year. My account on my computer is set to US Eastern, but the computer’s clock is of course set to UTC, as is the camera’s.
