Wheel big, which is a kind of assassin bug

Don't have the right equipment to capture this either visually or auditorily, but starlings starting to flock up again.

Complained about the drought yesterday and we got some rain, so this is me officially complaining about the drought again today.

Officially back in drought. Blerg

Haven't had time to bird, but I can tell migration is underway because the local ponds have more herons and egrets showing up.

Interesting tidbit from our weekly anti-Trump protest in my small, red KS town. Starting to harvest corn, so 4 grain trucks drove past us. All of them gave us long, enthusiastic honks of support.

Ordered sneezeweed seeds & the company accidentally sent me the wrong species. They quickly fixed it, but now I have 6 packets of Helenium flexuosum that I can't use because it's not native to my chunk of KS. Does anyone know of a restoration that would want them? Seeds from MO. #nativeplants

New savanna habitat open to the public next to Sleepy Hollow State Park in Michigan. www.mlive.com/environment/...

Chickweed Geometer moth. Geometer means Earth measurer because their caterpillars are inchworms.

Interesting that Trump's corruption extends down to the tiniest corners of government. Fired a museum director who refused to illegally give Trump a sword gifted to Eisenhower. www.kansascity.com/news/state/k...

Chlorophyllum molybdites at the park. Falling back into drought, but a spate of rain has brought out the fall fungi. My ID book says this is a common cause of poisonings because it looks like it should be yummy m

Stalk borer moth. Think maybe an ironweed borer or northern burdock borer.

Grey treefrog with maybe not its best attempt ever of matching color with the background.

Johnson grass starting to go dormant, so time to start switching over to pulling winter creeper in wooded areas along streams. Too bad we're tipping back into drought, making the ground hard.

#vaccines #vaccinesavelives #rfkjr #measles #publichealth

Must be some kind insect hatch because there were 5 or 6 nighthawks circling the park while I walked the dogs. At least one chimney swift, too .

I'm no good at moth identification, but here are some cool ones I've seen this fall along with one thing trying to eat them.

I worry that Trump is over extending the military as I understand he is now ordering troops to Grover's Mill, NJ on reports of objects falling from the sky .

Holding penalties the only consistent #kufball defender today.

New issue of Hogan's Alley just arrived.

#voteblue #2026 #yourvoicematters #democracy #yourvotematters

Variety of bugs enjoying a patch of rigid goldenrod. #nativeplants

Prairie restoration looking for help collecting seeds in the Rockford, IL - Beloit, WI area. #nativeplants www.rrstar.com/story/news/l...

Cook County Forest Preserves were heaven for a nature loving kid trapped in the burbs like me. patch.com/illinois/pal...

Hummingbird activity at the feeder dipped for a few days, but has now picked up again. Makes me wonder if the summer crew moved south and a new batch is migrating through. My dad reports the same phenomenon at his apartment.

Button blazing star, Douglas Co, KS. #nativeplants

Arcigera flower moth. Awesome fuzzy head.

Tree frog wishing I would leave him alone.

#freedomofspeech #1stamendment #yourvoicematters #resist #democracy

Some of this weeks bugs -- praying mantis, cicada, mayfly and juniper stink bug.

Huge swarm of dragon flies in the yard. Super fun to watch. Hope they are eating skeeters.

Join us for the biggest festival yet!

Found a couple patches of downy gentian. Sure sign summer is coming to an end. #nativeplants

Mourning underwing moth. At first I thought it might be a dejected underwing, which is a much better name. Still a lovely moth.

Fog fruit, Franklin Co., KS #nativeplants

Self-restoration in Anderson Co, KS. These are all natives that have moved into an abandoned gravel parking lot at a former light industrial site next to a virgin prairie. Tall thistle, broomweed, Pitcher sage and stiff sunflower. #nativeplants

Large Maple spanworm moth

Willow tree growing in a parking lot.

Double - toothed prominent moth

Scenes from the boat ramp restoration today: Canada goldenrod, sneezeweed, ashy sunflower and willow-leaved sunflower. Still a ton of Johnson grass, though 😞 . #nativeplants

Common angle moth

I'm trying to explain groypers to my wife and she keeps calling them Gobstoppers, which I think might be a better name.

One small anecdote about Charlie Kirk's resonance in the wider culture. Just got back from our weekly anti Trump rally at a small town in KS. Same small number of people yelling and flipping us off. Only one person mentioned Kirk. Many more honks of support.

Hot, muggy weather has sadly returned, so I'm going to spend the day pretending I'm still in the mountains of Colorado.

Bee pollinating an invasive musk thistle. Booooo! I keep explaining to them that they should stick to natives, but the little jerks won't listen.

Stiff sunflower and tall thistle, Anderson County,KS. #nativeplants

Twin-spotted sphinx moth

Kansas Freestate Advocates arrested today in DC SEPT 10th Well done friends!

Ruby-throated hummingbird near our feeder. Photo courtesy of my wife. #birds