Northern Mockingbird, 9/10

Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis), male, taken January 23, 2025, in Georgia, US

There are currently several pairs of bluebirds sharing the feeders, but come spring there will only be one! They're quite territorial nesters with their own species, but they're easily beaten out by more aggressive species like starlings and house sparrows, which, along with several other factors, drove them to concerningly low numbers in the mid-1900's, going so far as to be listed as endangered in some states. Conservation efforts by professionals and the general public in the mid-late 1900's quickly caused a rebound in the population, and we are now seeing their increase slow, indicating they are almost at maximum population capacity!

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Corthylio calendula), taken February 10, 2025, in Georgia, US

The "king" part of this bird's name has certainly gone to their heads. I've seen these little guys pick on some pretty big birds, with notable success. It pays to be little and mean in the bird world!

glurg

Eastery Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), taken January 23, 2025, in Georgia, US

Just a little guy trying to stay warm. This picture shows off its soft underbelly quite nicely—it looks so comfortable! With how cold it is right now and the regular presence of several hawks in the backyard, there are few squirrels visiting the feeders. I never thought I'd say it, but I actually kind of miss them!

Jumping Spider (Pelegrina proterva), male, taken March 18, 2025, in Georgia, US

My first angry face of the year! Regardless of his grumpy appearance, I missed him dearly this winter. These guys are quite common in my area, especially the males which like to climb the posts of my boardwalk to hunt. They're quite hard to distinguish from some other species in the genus unless you compare them side-by-side, but luckily this is the only species of this genus that appears in my normal hunting grounds, so I'd notice if they looked off. The females are a different story entirely, as is the case for most in Dendryphantina...

Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis), taken May 9, 2025, in Georgia, US

A lovely catbird getting a snack! This guy looked quite youthful, but I doubt he's a product of this spring. He was far too put together to be a juvenile, and you can tell he doesn't have a baby face. Perhaps this is his first nesting season!

the ant people are the only ones on inaturalist that consistently use the "favorites" button. unfortunately the rest of us don't know their secrets so there will be like, dozens of faves on a picture of an ant and i am like why is the ant so special. teach us to see the beauty of the ant.

Spotted Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus conanti), taken September 10, 2024, in Georgia, US

Enjoying the sun! It's pretty unusual to see salamanders sitting out in the open like this, so I initially thought this guy was dead. I ended up freaking him out when i put my hand near him to see, and I feel kind of bad about it, but I also really needed to know if he was alive lol... He was in close proximity to a large banded fishing spider that was also enjoying the sunshine, so I think this was just a nice spot! I hope he came back later and caught some more rays!

Leafhopper (Genus Gyponana), nymph, taken March 25, 2025, in Georgia, US

Sometimes life is just a leafhopper dancing... This guy was tiiiiny, probably only 1st or 2nd instar, and he was not a fan of me, as is evident by his defensive dancing! When threatened, leafhopper nymphs (and sometimes adults) will sway back and forth like this to both mimic windblown debris and skew a potential predator's perception of their form. Obviously, this has little effect on humans, but it can save their life if a smaller predator takes interest. Leafhoppers are wonderful animals, and this is one of the many reasons why they're some of my favorites!