Are there any organisms that seem common and easy to add to your life list, but you seem to never be able to find one? For me, it’s probably the yellow-bellied sapsucker. Everyone seems to have these cool pictures and sightings, but I have yet to see one. Are there organisms like that for anyone h…

[image] sbrobeson: what, were you expecting some vertebrate species? Not necessarily.

Hummingbird Clearwing White-lined Sphinx Modest Sphinx Leafy Spurge Hawkmoth Carolina Sphinx Most seen moths in my state, that I have yet to find. I probably miss them while I’m looking for birds, of which Evening Grosbeak would be number one nemesis.

@oksanaetal is correct! Focusing on just vertebrates would be a bit boring, in my opinion. Any organisms qualify!

My nemesis bird is the Eastern Whip bird - I can hear them everywhere when I travel to our closest temperate rain forest, but 18 years of searching one out has netted me a big fat zero. Until just a couple of months ago, my other nemesis was frogs - not a specific frog, just any species. Growing …

In terms of animals, Spotted Salamanders have eluded me for years- all life stages, never seen. Same goes for an adult copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix). I have only ever seen one live baby and one dead adult, both of those years ago despite them apparently being “dirt common”. I have also never …

Lizards… There is at least one type in my area and people post cool pictures. Never have seen one in my country… Some years ago my neighbours (they are the ones, which cuts the grass before it can grow type people) had one at the stairs to their frontdoor! … Another one is “ice bird”. They are …

Yeah, kingfishers are tricky – such beautiful birds, but so difficult to spot, much less photograph. On several occasions I’ve been near water and seen a quick flash of blue that couldn’t have been anything else, but I’ve only managed to get photos once, and that was largely luck.

But you made it! - Great! The day will come, when I spot one… - Don’t knock when, but I will see one!!

Any lifer nemeses?

Nature Talk

AdamWargon April 30, 2025, 1:21pm 17

85 replies on this topic here:

https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/what-is-your-white-whale/57449

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Any lifer nemeses?

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