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  Topic: Wildlife, What's in your back yard?< Next Oldest | Next Newest >  
midwifetoad



Posts: 4003
Joined: Mar. 2008

(Permalink) Posted: Aug. 28 2012,09:15   

Quote (Henry J @ Aug. 27 2012,22:19)
Moth that looks like a poodle has Internet abuzz (Bizarre photos)
By: David Strege

Quote
The first word that comes to mind when casting your eyes upon this photo of a bedazzling insect labeled the Venezuelan Poodle Moth is Photoshop. Really? A moth that looks like a poodle? Eyelashes that Lady Gaga would envy? Seriously?


Henry

Looks like proto-feathers.

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Any version of ID consistent with all the evidence is indistinguishable from evolution.

  
Freddie



Posts: 371
Joined: Oct. 2009

(Permalink) Posted: Aug. 28 2012,15:03   

Quote (The whole truth @ Aug. 28 2012,03:13)
Freddie, if you're concerned that some of your other pictures aren't very good, don't worry, I won't denigrate them. Even a blurry, badly lit (or worse) picture can often be helpful when it comes to identifying a critter or plant. And I know how hard it can be to get good pictures of some things, especially when they don't sit still.

Regarding the checkerspots, I'd say that the second picture is a chalcedon checkerspot (Euphydryas chalcedona) which is also also called 'variable' checkerspot, etc., etc., and some people consider the chalcedon to be the same as the colon checkerspot and maybe even the same as the anicia checkerspot. Yeah, it's a bunch of lumping or splitting and just plain confusion. The same thing goes for some lycaenids and many other butterflies. Taxonomists like to throw a lot of names at things before they know what they actually are.

Edith's checkerspots are easy to identify if you have a ventral view. They have a thin dark line running through one of the orange/red bands on the hind wings. The chaos with Edith's starts when it comes to "sub" species, "forms", etc.

The butterflies know what they are. :)

The white spots on the abdomen of the second checkerspot above are also an indicator that it's a chalcedon although the white spots aren't always there. I think that the first one is also a chalcedon ('variable', etc.) but I wish I had a ventral view to be sure.

Not at all - I just had to dig into my archive to find the RAWs and pull them out (i'm a bit anal about keeping everything, too many times I have deleted something only to find I needed it the next day!)

Thanks very much for your help. In the UK there are some different species of birds that are really quite difficult to tell apart, I hadn't really considered that butterfly's would be in the same camp even more so!

--------------
Joe: Most criticisims of ID stem from ignorance and jealousy.
Joe: As for the authors of the books in the Bible, well the OT was authored by Moses and the NT was authored by various people.
Byers: The eskimo would not need hairy hair growth as hair, I say, is for keeping people dry. Not warm.

  
The whole truth



Posts: 1554
Joined: Jan. 2012

(Permalink) Posted: Aug. 28 2012,15:56   

Quote (Freddie @ Aug. 28 2012,13:03)
Quote (The whole truth @ Aug. 28 2012,03:13)
Freddie, if you're concerned that some of your other pictures aren't very good, don't worry, I won't denigrate them. Even a blurry, badly lit (or worse) picture can often be helpful when it comes to identifying a critter or plant. And I know how hard it can be to get good pictures of some things, especially when they don't sit still.

Regarding the checkerspots, I'd say that the second picture is a chalcedon checkerspot (Euphydryas chalcedona) which is also also called 'variable' checkerspot, etc., etc., and some people consider the chalcedon to be the same as the colon checkerspot and maybe even the same as the anicia checkerspot. Yeah, it's a bunch of lumping or splitting and just plain confusion. The same thing goes for some lycaenids and many other butterflies. Taxonomists like to throw a lot of names at things before they know what they actually are.

Edith's checkerspots are easy to identify if you have a ventral view. They have a thin dark line running through one of the orange/red bands on the hind wings. The chaos with Edith's starts when it comes to "sub" species, "forms", etc.

The butterflies know what they are. :)

The white spots on the abdomen of the second checkerspot above are also an indicator that it's a chalcedon although the white spots aren't always there. I think that the first one is also a chalcedon ('variable', etc.) but I wish I had a ventral view to be sure.

Not at all - I just had to dig into my archive to find the RAWs and pull them out (i'm a bit anal about keeping everything, too many times I have deleted something only to find I needed it the next day!)

Thanks very much for your help. In the UK there are some different species of birds that are really quite difficult to tell apart, I hadn't really considered that butterfly's would be in the same camp even more so!

You're welcome.

Yeah, some birds are really difficult to identify too, along with a lot of other things, especially when splitters or re-namers get going. Some butterflies are distinctive, like red admirals or mourning cloaks, but sometimes even the distinctive ones are nitpicked as to sub species, forms, or whatever.

--------------
Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. - Jesus in Matthew 10:34

But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me. -Jesus in Luke 19:27

   
Freddie



Posts: 371
Joined: Oct. 2009

(Permalink) Posted: Sep. 08 2012,07:15   

Female Mallard, a common bird but I just liked the photo :-)



--------------
Joe: Most criticisims of ID stem from ignorance and jealousy.
Joe: As for the authors of the books in the Bible, well the OT was authored by Moses and the NT was authored by various people.
Byers: The eskimo would not need hairy hair growth as hair, I say, is for keeping people dry. Not warm.

  
Freddie



Posts: 371
Joined: Oct. 2009

(Permalink) Posted: Sep. 15 2012,13:28   

A few pictures from the past week.  Made an effort to get up to catch the sunrise today and ended out in the wetlands for about 3 hours, soaked below the waist from the dew on the long grass & rushes. Got a few good shots (as far as I am concerned!) so it was worth it - might post some more tomorrow.

Comma (Polygonia c-album)



Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) taking in some windfall.



Four-spot orb-weaver (Araneus quadratus) - Female



Four-spot orb-weaver (Araneus quadratus) - Female



[ETA: Both spiders taken hand-held, manual focus. The first is at 235mm from about 2 metres, the second is 300mm from about 3 metres - almost impossible to use auto-focus]

--------------
Joe: Most criticisims of ID stem from ignorance and jealousy.
Joe: As for the authors of the books in the Bible, well the OT was authored by Moses and the NT was authored by various people.
Byers: The eskimo would not need hairy hair growth as hair, I say, is for keeping people dry. Not warm.

  
Henry J



Posts: 5786
Joined: Mar. 2005

(Permalink) Posted: Sep. 15 2012,21:13   

Shelob!

Or from a different story series:
"Why does it have to be spiders? Why can't it be follow the butterflies?"

Henry

  
Freddie



Posts: 371
Joined: Oct. 2009

(Permalink) Posted: Sep. 16 2012,02:59   

Quote (Henry J @ Sep. 15 2012,21:13)
Shelob!

Or from a different story series:
"Why does it have to be spiders? Why can't it be follow the butterflies?"

Henry

Unfortunately for Ron, there were rather more spiders than butterflies around yesterday :-)



--------------
Joe: Most criticisims of ID stem from ignorance and jealousy.
Joe: As for the authors of the books in the Bible, well the OT was authored by Moses and the NT was authored by various people.
Byers: The eskimo would not need hairy hair growth as hair, I say, is for keeping people dry. Not warm.

  
Erasmus, FCD



Posts: 6349
Joined: June 2007

(Permalink) Posted: Sep. 16 2012,11:22   

http://scienceblog.com/56594....spiders

i caught about 100 green sunnies and bluegills yesterday, mostly on a popping bug.  also hen-of-the-woods, autumn olive berries.  anybody found any muscadines

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You're obviously illiterate as hell. Peach, bro.-FtK

Finding something hard to believe based on the evidence, is science.-JoeG

the odds of getting some loathsome taint are low-- Gordon E Mullings Manjack Heights Montserrat

I work on molecular systems with pathway charts and such.-Giggles

  
Freddie



Posts: 371
Joined: Oct. 2009

(Permalink) Posted: Sep. 16 2012,12:41   

Quote (Erasmus @ FCD,Sep. 16 2012,11:22)
http://scienceblog.com/56594......spiders

i caught about 100 green sunnies and bluegills yesterday, mostly on a popping bug.  also hen-of-the-woods, autumn olive berries.  anybody found any muscadines

You and the Mrs. ?



--------------
Joe: Most criticisims of ID stem from ignorance and jealousy.
Joe: As for the authors of the books in the Bible, well the OT was authored by Moses and the NT was authored by various people.
Byers: The eskimo would not need hairy hair growth as hair, I say, is for keeping people dry. Not warm.

  
Robin



Posts: 1431
Joined: Sep. 2009

(Permalink) Posted: Sep. 16 2012,13:04   

Quote (Freddie @ Sep. 15 2012,13:28)
A few pictures from the past week.  Made an effort to get up to catch the sunrise today and ended out in the wetlands for about 3 hours, soaked below the waist from the dew on the long grass & rushes. Got a few good shots (as far as I am concerned!) so it was worth it - might post some more tomorrow.

Awesome pics Freddie! Thanks!

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we IDists rule in design for the flagellum and cilium largely because they do look designed.  Bilbo

The only reason you reject Thor is because, like a cushion, you bear the imprint of the biggest arse that sat on you. Louis

  
Henry J



Posts: 5786
Joined: Mar. 2005

(Permalink) Posted: Sep. 16 2012,15:42   

Quote (Freddie @ Sep. 16 2012,01:59)
Quote (Henry J @ Sep. 15 2012,21:13)
Shelob!

Or from a different story series:
"Why does it have to be spiders? Why can't it be follow the butterflies?"

Henry

Unfortunately for Ron, there were rather more spiders than butterflies around yesterday :-)

Oh what tangled webs they do weave...

  
Erasmus, FCD



Posts: 6349
Joined: June 2007

(Permalink) Posted: Sep. 16 2012,20:41   

Quote (Freddie @ Sep. 16 2012,13:41)
Quote (Erasmus @ FCD,Sep. 16 2012,11:22)
http://scienceblog.com/56594......spiders

i caught about 100 green sunnies and bluegills yesterday, mostly on a popping bug.  also hen-of-the-woods, autumn olive berries.  anybody found any muscadines

You and the Mrs. ?


hell yeah man that fish is HUUUUUGE

really there is nothing better than wearing out half a gross of fish lips on a crisp clear blue late summer day.

--------------
You're obviously illiterate as hell. Peach, bro.-FtK

Finding something hard to believe based on the evidence, is science.-JoeG

the odds of getting some loathsome taint are low-- Gordon E Mullings Manjack Heights Montserrat

I work on molecular systems with pathway charts and such.-Giggles

  
Henry J



Posts: 5786
Joined: Mar. 2005

(Permalink) Posted: Sep. 16 2012,22:31   

We're gonna need a bigger boat?

  
Dr.GH



Posts: 2333
Joined: May 2002

(Permalink) Posted: Sep. 17 2012,00:35   



~20 lb female dorado

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"Science is the horse that pulls the cart of philosophy."

L. Susskind, 2004 "SMOLIN VS. SUSSKIND: THE ANTHROPIC PRINCIPLE"

   
Wesley R. Elsberry



Posts: 4991
Joined: May 2002

(Permalink) Posted: Sep. 17 2012,08:31   

Quote (Freddie @ Aug. 28 2012,15:03)
Not at all - I just had to dig into my archive to find the RAWs and pull them out (i'm a bit anal about keeping everything, too many times I have deleted something only to find I needed it the next day!)

Who has *time* to delete?

--------------
"You can't teach an old dogma new tricks." - Dorothy Parker

    
OgreMkV



Posts: 3668
Joined: Oct. 2009

(Permalink) Posted: Sep. 30 2012,10:34   

I opened my door this morning and saw this...



A few minutes after this shot, he took off and tried to take his squirrel to the roof of the neighbor's house.  The bird made it, the squirrel didn't.

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Ignored by those who can't provide evidence for their claims.

http://skepticink.com/smilodo....retreat

   
dhogaza



Posts: 525
Joined: Feb. 2006

(Permalink) Posted: Sep. 30 2012,22:34   

Well, went off for a farewell afternoon at a local wildlife area that will close until April 16th ...





Pelicans, too, unusual here and probably moved over from the eastern Great Basin due to drought:


  
Lou FCD



Posts: 5455
Joined: Jan. 2006

(Permalink) Posted: Oct. 01 2012,14:26   

Quote (dhogaza @ Sep. 30 2012,23:34)

Schweet.

--------------
“Why do creationists have such a hard time with commas?

Linky“. ~ Steve Story, Legend

   
Robin



Posts: 1431
Joined: Sep. 2009

(Permalink) Posted: Oct. 12 2012,08:14   

Anyone any good at IDing Duskywing butterflies? This one has me stumped:



I think it might be a Juvenal's (Erynnis Juvenalis), but it's tough for me to tell.

Also, here's a nice shot of a Grey Hairstreak for those of you who like such things:


Grey Hairstreak (Strymon melinus)

And not sure what kind of fungus it is, but I thought it really cool:



--------------
we IDists rule in design for the flagellum and cilium largely because they do look designed.  Bilbo

The only reason you reject Thor is because, like a cushion, you bear the imprint of the biggest arse that sat on you. Louis

  
Lou FCD



Posts: 5455
Joined: Jan. 2006

(Permalink) Posted: Oct. 25 2012,12:25   

Not to flog my own log (well, actually totally to flog my own log, but whatever), but if anyone is interested, this is my definitive Best of the Birds album. They're not all great (but hey, most are!), but they are each the best I've taken so far of each species, and I replace shots with better shots as I get them. The album is publicly visible, and you don't need a G+ account to see them. I don't really use G+ anymore, but I do like the album format.

I've added a bunch of new species and better shots of a bunch more species already on my life-list lately.

ETA Ferinstinses, this Wood Stork



and several shots of this here Bald Eagle



Several shots of Northern Harriers



A shitty shot of a Peregrine Falcon on a shitty day



A cute little Eastern Phoebe



An American Redstart



And some others.

Edited by Lou FCD on Oct. 25 2012,13:33

--------------
“Why do creationists have such a hard time with commas?

Linky“. ~ Steve Story, Legend

   
Robin



Posts: 1431
Joined: Sep. 2009

(Permalink) Posted: Oct. 26 2012,11:02   

Lovely stuff as usual Lou! Really like that Phoebe (though I think it's actually an Alder Flycatcher given the wing bars and buff on the breast). Thanks!

PS: I have to confess a certain jealousy regarding both the Bald Eagle and the Harrier; I have absolutely no luck getting shots of things flying. Nice work!

Edited by Robin on Oct. 26 2012,11:04

--------------
we IDists rule in design for the flagellum and cilium largely because they do look designed.  Bilbo

The only reason you reject Thor is because, like a cushion, you bear the imprint of the biggest arse that sat on you. Louis

  
Lou FCD



Posts: 5455
Joined: Jan. 2006

(Permalink) Posted: Oct. 27 2012,06:54   

Quote (Robin @ Oct. 26 2012,12:02)
Lovely stuff as usual Lou! Really like that Phoebe (though I think it's actually an Alder Flycatcher given the wing bars and buff on the breast). Thanks!


Thanks, Robin!

I think what you're seeing is some highlighting on the edges due to the sunlight angle that looks more like wing bars than they actually are. I won't swear to it, though. The Eastern Phoebe is new to me, and the Alder Flycatcher would be a first, so my unfamiliarity with them both complicates things.

Quote (Robin @ Oct. 26 2012,12:02)
PS: I have to confess a certain jealousy regarding both the Bald Eagle and the Harrier; I have absolutely no luck getting shots of things flying. Nice work!


It's tough, and the shots I have are the best shots of several hundred. All the Bald Eagle and most of the Northern Harrier shots were taken on a pair of crappy, rainy days with solid overcast. (Most of my new raptor shots are that way, actually.) My only real option was to crank up the ISO to obscene levels in order to keep the shutter speed up enough to get more than a brown blur. That introduced a crap-load of noise of course, which is annoying, but whattaya gonna do, y'know?

--------------
“Why do creationists have such a hard time with commas?

Linky“. ~ Steve Story, Legend

   
Robin



Posts: 1431
Joined: Sep. 2009

(Permalink) Posted: Oct. 29 2012,10:38   

Quote (Lou FCD @ Oct. 27 2012,06:54)
Thanks, Robin!

I think what you're seeing is some highlighting on the edges due to the sunlight angle that looks more like wing bars than they actually are. I won't swear to it, though. The Eastern Phoebe is new to me, and the Alder Flycatcher would be a first, so my unfamiliarity with them both complicates things.

Could be. I'm not the best when it comes to flycatchers and similar. Where's Alby when you need him?

ETA: After further review, I think you're right Lou. I think the sun sheen on the wing is throwing me.

Edited by Robin on Oct. 29 2012,10:40

--------------
we IDists rule in design for the flagellum and cilium largely because they do look designed.  Bilbo

The only reason you reject Thor is because, like a cushion, you bear the imprint of the biggest arse that sat on you. Louis

  
Lou FCD



Posts: 5455
Joined: Jan. 2006

(Permalink) Posted: Oct. 29 2012,20:26   

Quote (Robin @ Oct. 29 2012,11:38)
Where's Alby when you need him?

You just have to whistle for him. You know how to whistle, don't you Robin?

--------------
“Why do creationists have such a hard time with commas?

Linky“. ~ Steve Story, Legend

   
Robin



Posts: 1431
Joined: Sep. 2009

(Permalink) Posted: Nov. 08 2012,08:16   

Quote (Lou FCD @ Oct. 29 2012,20:26)
Quote (Robin @ Oct. 29 2012,11:38)
Where's Alby when you need him?

You just have to whistle for him. You know how to whistle, don't you Robin?

Just one of the best scenes!

--------------
we IDists rule in design for the flagellum and cilium largely because they do look designed.  Bilbo

The only reason you reject Thor is because, like a cushion, you bear the imprint of the biggest arse that sat on you. Louis

  
Wesley R. Elsberry



Posts: 4991
Joined: May 2002

(Permalink) Posted: Dec. 05 2012,22:42   

This fellow was in the driveway this evening as I went to collect mail.



He was very cooperative. I had to encourage him to move off into the grass where he would be less likely to attract Ritka's attention, or that of a passing red-shouldered hawk.

--------------
"You can't teach an old dogma new tricks." - Dorothy Parker

    
qetzal



Posts: 311
Joined: Feb. 2006

(Permalink) Posted: Dec. 07 2012,21:19   

Is that a legless lizard? Can't quite see the head clearly enough.

  
Wesley R. Elsberry



Posts: 4991
Joined: May 2002

(Permalink) Posted: Dec. 08 2012,19:35   

It didn't look like any snake I know of in the area, so, yeah, I think legless lizard is a good call.

But I'm not a herpetologist.

--------------
"You can't teach an old dogma new tricks." - Dorothy Parker

    
Henry J



Posts: 5786
Joined: Mar. 2005

(Permalink) Posted: Dec. 08 2012,20:51   

Where's Steve Irwin when you need him!

Or failing that, wasn't that Lenny's field?

  
The whole truth



Posts: 1554
Joined: Jan. 2012

(Permalink) Posted: Dec. 09 2012,01:32   

Quote (Wesley R. Elsberry @ Dec. 08 2012,17:35)
It didn't look like any snake I know of in the area, so, yeah, I think legless lizard is a good call.

But I'm not a herpetologist.

What area (state, etc.) is that Wesley?


ETA: It appears to be of the genus Ophisaurus. Glass lizards are variable in coloring and markings. Take a look at Ophisaurus ventralis on this page:

http://www.mister-toad.com/photos....os.html

Edited by The whole truth on Dec. 09 2012,00:17

--------------
Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. - Jesus in Matthew 10:34

But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me. -Jesus in Luke 19:27

   
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