At first glance, the milkweed leaf beetle looks like a ladybug on steroids. After that cursory look, you can appreciate that it has a more dome-like abdomen, larger antennae, and is missing the white dots on the side of the … Continued
Bigger isn’t always better. These tiny weevils are fascinating despite their minuscule size. It is easy to overlook these 5-6mm beetles. I didn’t come across these much as a kid growing up in rural western New York. In Michigan they … Continued
One of the more recognizable birds in North America has to be the Northern Cardinal. Almost everyone can identify the male. They seem to be plastered on every bag of bird seed, so they are a popular marketing tool as … Continued
Sparrows are underrated. To most people they are just LBBs–little brown birds. Sure, they aren’t the flashiest of birds, but they have a subtle beauty about them. Some are downright beautiful if you only take the time to look carefully … Continued
This male Eastern Bluebird was aggressively defending his nest from his own reflection in our shed’s window. I snuck inside with the tripod and 400mm lens to get some shots. He came in incredibly close. After bagging a ton of … Continued
We have been lucky enough to have Eastern bluebirds nest in our yard multiple times. As the field nearby is slowly being taken over by trees, our property has become less attractive to the bluebirds. This year they built a … Continued
I do a lot of sketching from my own photos while I’m waiting for my kids in their karate classes. Its a good way to be productive in what otherwise might be dead time. Some kids at the dojo like to … Continued
I’m a big fan of dragonflies. To draw them, I take tons of photos for reference. I also have some dead ones that I use for reference on tiny details like wing venation. I typically use a 200-400mm lens with … Continued
White-breasted nuthatches are entertaining, cute and energetic birds. Here in Michigan they visit suet and bird feeders year round. When I lived in Cleveland years ago my wife and I used to go birding in a park where they were tame … Continued
I’ve never had the misfortune of being burned by a blister beetle. I spent a good part of my youth picking up all sorts of animals. I’ve been burned by saddleback and Io moth caterpillars. If the blister beetle is … Continued