New-to-You species from this year's CNC!

Nature Talk
1

While I try to be an active observer year-round, I definitely ramp up during city nature challenge, and usually end up seeing some local plants and wildlife I’ve never seen before.

Now that the observation period for City Nature Challenge 2026 is done, I’m wondering if others have the same experience.

Use this space to share any cool or exciting or new-to-you species you observed this year!

My new-to-me species from this year’s CNC:

  • American Avocet
  • Solitary Sandpiper
  • Cooper’s Hawk
  • Sharp-Shinned Hawk (maybe; there is some debate)
  • Russian Olive
  • Hunt’s Bumblebee (I’ve just never managed to get a picture of him before!)
2

Toxophora sp., Perdita (Hexaperdita) sp., Anthophora (Pyganthophora) sp., Attalus cf. serraticornis, and Relictiphthiria sp.

3

my favorite new find was this little ‘peacock moth’:

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4

i found a new kind of rove beetle i didn’t know existed, called water skater beetles, and they are semi aquatic rove beetles. very cool! here’s the obs

5

Me too I got an Elaeagnus. The forester said it’s an autumn olive, IIRR. I also observed what CV says is a hosta just outside my house. I haven’t uploaded everything yet, so I may come back with more.

6

Prairie Warbler, and Ovenbird, only my second non-Setophaga warbler.

7

A bird I observed near my house turned out to be a tufted titmouse.

I just finished uploading, but haven’t associated all the pairs of observations.