Archivos de diario de enero 2023

01 de enero de 2023

A backyard big year project - for all wild taxa

Since joining iNaturalist in 2016, I've tried to document of all the wild organisms that I could find on our little quarter-acre lot. So far I've found 492 taxa with at least one iNaturalist observation.

This year I thought I'd try a big year. But instead of doing like the birders do, traveling all over the continent or world looking for birds, I will stay here - on our little lot and try to find as many wild living things as I can.

So that's what I plan to do tomorrow morning - January 1, 2023.

Publicado el enero 1, 2023 01:13 MAÑANA por swells swells | 2 comentarios | Deja un comentario

A New Year's Day surprise

#1 Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus)

I went out this morning to see what I could find. It was cold and foggy, and I didn't see or hear any birds. But I thought I'd at least see a squirrel that I could take a photo of for my first taxon of the year.

When I got to the backyard, I startled a hawk on the ground and it flew off to a nearby oak tree. I was only able to get one photo before it left the yard.

I wasn't sure whether it was a Cooper's or Sharp-shinned hawk, but it was quickly IDed on iNat as a sharp-shinned.

This was not only the first taxon on my big year yard list - it was also a lifer for the yard! #493

#2 Fox squirrel (Sciurus niger)

We have several of these squirrels in our yard. They are native to the eastern US, but are quite happy to live here in northern Idaho.

# 3 Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)

# 4 Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)

# 5 American Robin (Turdus migratorius)

Publicado el enero 1, 2023 06:21 TARDE por swells swells | 5 observaciones | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

04 de enero de 2023

LQA big year #6, 7

Observed: 2 Jan 23

I've never been very successful IDing moss and lichen, but I thought I'd try to include them in the big year project. If anyone can help with these I'd appreciate it.


#6 Shield Lichen (Parmelia sp.


#7 Orthotrichaceae

Publicado el enero 4, 2023 04:12 TARDE por swells swells | 2 observaciones | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

LQA big year #8

Observed: 3 Jan 23

I found this little guy on our kitchen counter. I often see them on our puzzle table, too. I wonder if they are living in the soil (maybe eating the roots) of our house plants.

Length ~ 3mm


Dark-winged Fungus Gnat (Sciardiae)

Publicado el enero 4, 2023 04:21 TARDE por swells swells | 1 observación | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

05 de enero de 2023

2023 #9

I found a small spider (6.5 mm) on the bedroom wall. It looks to me like it's a ground spider (Gnaphosidae) in the genus Sergiolus. Unfortunately, it lost a leg when I captured it.


Sergiolus sp.

Publicado el enero 5, 2023 03:22 MAÑANA por swells swells | 1 observación | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

2023 #10

We have a woodpile that is several years old. We seldom burn wood anymore, so our wood (Western Larch mostly) is starting to rot.

This afternoon I spotted some small fungi growing on one of the split logs - a Common Bird's Nest Fugus (Crucibulum laevae), I believe.


Common Bird's Nest Fugus (Crucibulum laevae)

Publicado el enero 5, 2023 11:10 TARDE por swells swells | 1 observación | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

07 de enero de 2023

2023 #11 and 12

House Finch and Black-capped Chickadee

House Finch Black-capped Chickadee
Publicado el enero 7, 2023 01:00 MAÑANA por swells swells | 2 observaciones | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

14 de enero de 2023

2023 #13 and 14

It's been cold and rainy (of course - this is Idaho in January) so there hasn't been much to see outside.

But I managed to find a some earthworms and Common Pill Woodlice under a garbage can in the yard. I've tentatively ID them to family, waiting for some help from iNat experts.

Earthworm (Lumbricidae) Common Pill woodlouse (Armadillidium vulgare)
Publicado el enero 14, 2023 05:21 MAÑANA por swells swells | 2 observaciones | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

15 de enero de 2023

2023 #15

I found a small (7 mm body length) spider in the bathtub this morning. I'm pretty sure it's in the Agenelinae subfamily, but that's about the best I can do. I might have to make a specimen of this one to ID further. But spiders are so hard to ID and I'm not wild about collecting in alcohol.


Agenelidae (Typical Funnel Weavers)

Publicado el enero 15, 2023 12:36 MAÑANA por swells swells | 1 observación | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

17 de enero de 2023

2023 #16 & 17

Observed: 15 Jan 23

It was relatively warm this afternoon (~ 7 deg C), and there were several interesting insects on the wall just outside the front door. A dark-winged fungus gnat (Sciaridae), which I've already found in the house, as well as two new taxa for the yard list - and for the 2023 list. These two are also the first in their families.

The first was a Pteromalid, which has been IDed on iNat as belonging to the genus Conomorium.

The second was a Small Dung Fly (family Sphaeroceridae).

Both ~ 2.5 mm.

Pteromalidae: Conomorium sp. Small Dung Fly (family Sphaeroceridae)
Publicado el enero 17, 2023 01:19 MAÑANA por swells swells | 2 observaciones | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario