20 years ago (pre-iNat), I had a lot of cool experiences, around the world, that went un-documented or under-documented. Here are 3:
Assembling aquatic invert collections and minnow collections during college
Working on a deep-sea trawler off the south coast of Australia. Knee-deep in cool species that you might only see in museums or nature documentaries.
A blizzard of giant moths and other critters coming to lights in Costa Rica
But like @silversea_starsong said, it all comes out in the wash. Because iNat exists, today is the best time in human history to be into nature. The best is yet to come!
Me and my family were in Great Smoky Mountains National Park stuck behind a guy going really slow in a white Ford. (Every time we see a white ford we make jokes about how slow it will be.) Then we saw a black bear. The bear seemed to be an expert at going behind some plants or a tree that covered it just as I hit the shutter on my camera. We had a few more encounters with bears but no good pictures. ):
Trust me- it’s a python
I just clicked it after he entered into it’s hole. But it will come out in the winter days for sun basking. So Pl see this Picture once again any day during December-January.
One time I was in Costa Rica in Monteverde. I was on a hiking trail and my guide pointed out something flying towards us, before I could get my camera out a male Resplendent Quetzal flew right over our heads. We saw a few more over the course of the day but I still could not get any pictures.
I also have another one, this one is not exactly epic but it bugs me. I saw a beautiful reddish orange dragonfly sitting on my rose bush outside. In typical fashion it flew away as soon as I started to raise the camera. A few minutes later I saw a gorgeous Bluebird sitting outside. pretty much the same thing happened.
Yes! If the light is poor, or the chance is brief, I prefer to enjoy watching the animal, and hope that I will see it again in easier circumstances.
In the same style, I see things relatively undocumented, but not knowing the diagnostic features, fail to take a good photograph, or have the appropriate kit with me.
You can pop a ziplock over the hole and wait for it to come out. How you choose to open it afterwards depends on what wasp it is and how you feel about them.
A while back, I was photographing at the Arsenal when I heard a Red-tailed Hawk cry out. Nothing unusual, but something sounded a little … off … about the call. I looked up to try and locate the bird–just in time to see a not-quite-adult Red-tail careening overhead, chased by at least eight Red-winged Blackbirds.
The sound that I had heard? Was pure terror. It was the buteonine equivalent of “Ohmygodohmygodgetitoffgetitoffgetitoff!!!” Not ten feet over my head.
There was no way that I could get a camera lined up fast enough, so I just stood back and enjoyed the show.
I was at the pool today and I saw a beautiful black and blue butterfly. I of coarse hadn’t brought my camera and so it went away. still not sure what it was, the design reminded me of a swallowtail but I don’t think it was one.
One way to get an idea would be to use the “explore” tab, filter for your locality and butterflies, and see if there are any observations that look like the same kind.
I am struggling to describe how jealous I am of these!!! That sounds incredible!!! When I get older I hope to someday get a peek at my local museums fish collection… I got a teaser at the recent marine sciences open house, but I’m sure there is so much I am missing…
I had a similar experience! While driving on Del Puerto Canyon Road in western California I had a cougar cross the road ahead of me. I pulled over and saw it watching me from up the slope, but by the time I had my camera in hand it had vanished. I photographed footprints at the scene, although a fellow iNatter id’ed them as more canid than feline.
While I am 99.9% it was a cougar, that ID and the passing of time has fogged my memory slightly and makes me doubt what I know I saw. I wish wish wish I had managed even a blurry photo.
I’ve missed a couple other lifers, like a Golden Eagle because it got chased away by corvids before I could get my longer range lens on and nab a photo.
I don’t know about epic, but I recently saw a swallowtail (Papilio machaon) for the first time. It just sat there on a flower in our garden, but of course I didn’t have my phone or camera with me. So I hurried back inside only to see it fly off in the distance.
After that, I make sure not to go outside without my phone and macro lens at least.
Some weeks ago I went for a walk in the countryside near the place I live, and, of course, I took my camera with me. I was ‘lucky’ enough to see a red deer but… I ran out of battery just when I was about to take the shot… and then other deer showed up
On my first visit to Dinosaur National Monument last month (October 2024) my friend and I were driving on a high ridge and topped a hill to see a huge bird on a deer carcass, with its back to us. I said “Is that a vulture?” and then as it lifted off right in front of the truck, we both yelled “Golden Eagle!” I grabbed my phone with one hand and DSLR with the other but … too late. Still, the eagle was a stunningly beautiful and unexpected sight and I feel lucky to have seen it.
