I’m a bit late posting this, but I’ve been having a delightful off-the-grid vacation.
So, almost all of my lifers are surprises, since I never know what I’ll encounter and often haven’t even heard of a species before I observe it. This species I had heard of, but it was certainly a surprise to see it when I did. I was taking a short hike at Hancock Shaker Village, and I had just reached the “South Family site”, basically the foundations of some early 19th century buildings. And as I look down into that…that’s a bear!
Yesterday I was hurrying along a dog park trail on my way to the wood trails when a ‘pixel’ of brilliant turquoise on a leaf of a trailside bush stopped me cold. Alas, all I could manage in the moment were two shots before this speck flew off, so I never got the focus I had hoped for. It was at the edge of my comfortable reach, as well as my lens magnification – not a winning combo.
I really couldn’t tell much from the small camera screen but when I got back to my computer and tried to ID it with iNat CS, the only lead was a genus page where I soon found what I think (as yet unverified) a very good match, considering it’s striking combo of features. If I’m right, this is a very rare one.
So yeah – great find, too bad about the photo. But I’ll still take it!
Fingers crossed, i think this is Closterocerus trifasciatus.
Undoubtedly my favorite lifer this past week was this Thread-legged Assassin Bug. It is holding its front two legs outwards, and can use them to grab and pull prey towards them - like praying mantids. So cool!
Technically not this week, since I photographed it 9 days ago, but I just downloaded my camera today, so that counts, right?
Not a lifer species … I see them all the time, they’re very common and are one of my favorite birds.
But it’s my first leucistic anything. Yay! https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/404566286
I recently returned from a trip to North Sulawesi Indonesia so it’s nearly impossible to choose which of the many lifers was my favourite. Is it the crested macaque, a species I’ve dreamed of seeing for thirty years after seeing one in a second hand book on where to see every primate in the world or the nesting hornbills or spectral tarsier? But really my favourite was a species I’ve dreamed of since I was a kindergartener leafing through colourful books of reptiles of the world.
Sulawesi lined flying lizard
I have been hoping to see a Gliophorus graminicolor for a few years looking in its prime Autum to winter (NZ) season. Finally saw one incidently bush bashing whilst hoping to maybe see some tree orchids (no dice).
Often it seems the best way to find something is to not be looking for it.
I always enjoy it when I see a plant and think “I’ve probably got other observations of that, but I’ll get a photo anyways” and then it turns out to be a lifer. This is horned seablite (unless I’m mistaken). It has a really cool texture and color which motivated me to get photos.
