This stunning large specimen was just hanging out when we came across it. Absolute unit of a viper.
Another small-range Honduran endemic, the Lithobates lenca is named for the Lenca peoples of Honduras and El Salvador, the largest indigenous group in the region. They make some beautiful fabrics.
Honduras, June 2023
Three species (that I know of) in this photo--Argynnis aphrodite, Boloria bellona, and Argynnis cybele. The toad is an American toad.
Pennslyvania, July 2023
It might not be obvious, but these sparkling-tailed hummingbirds are actually smaller than some big beetles. When they're flying past, it's hard to believe that they're actually birds.
Honduras, June 2022
Florida, January 2021
This guy has been in Pennsylvania for over a month now. The juxtaposition between this Florida-to-South-Texas duck and the Canada geese in the background is wild to me. While it was great to see one of my favorite duck species, the mottled duck is threatened in the south by genetic swamping by mallards. Some folks I've talked to estimate that we will no longer have pure mottled ducks in the next 40-50 years due to hybridization. This guy has a bit of white at the bottom of his speculum, but it's not too much for a pure mottled duck drake. I commonly identify hybrids, so it was wonderful to photograph this duck.
July 2023. Ducks are my people.
I've had a lot of great birding days this year, but little compares to the sheer awe at watching 100,000+ snow geese lift off at once. Previously, I'd only seen three individual snow geese. I hope I get to experience this beauty and feeling again soon.
Pennsylvania, February 2023
Not pictured: 10 other small birds chasing this poor little raptor away from wherever it was trying to exist
Sparrows are often difficult to distinguish when you are just learning how to identify birds. Fortunately, they each have specific field marks to help you out! For example, most of their faces are radically different.
But also, it's probably a song sparrow.
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Dekay's brownsnake (Storeria dekayi) - One of the most commonly misidentified snakes in the US
(mander.xyz)
These small snakes live in the eastern US (and actually south through Texas, as far south as Honduras). They like slugs and other garden-variety invertebrates. Unfortunately, they're often mistaken for baby copperheads and other species.
The Nombre de Dios anole is endemic to Honduras and has a relatively small range consisting of a few mountain ranges. Contrary to what their name suggests, they're pretty small as adults.
I prefer to get action shots when possible, and sometimes, the birds deliver.
Pennsylvania, July 2023
