Photos / Sounds

What

Queen Crater (Appalachina chilhoweensis)

Observer

chamberlain75

Date

May 2024

Photos / Sounds

What

Striped Horse Fly (Tabanus taeniatus)

Date

July 2022

Photos / Sounds

What

Agreeable Tiger Moth (Spilosoma congrua)

Date

July 2022

Photos / Sounds

What

Earleaf Greenbrier (Smilax auriculata)

Observer

janetwright

Date

February 12, 2017 09:10 AM CST

Description

Smilax characters, "thumbnail test" showing marginal vein in S auriculata and laurifolia when edge of leaf is pulled away by a thumbnail. See also https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/18649237

Photos / Sounds

What

Earleaf Greenbrier (Smilax auriculata)

Observer

janetwright

Date

February 12, 2017 07:59 AM CST

Description

Smilax characters, "thumbnail test" showing marginal vein in S auriculata when edge of leaf is pulled away by a thumbnail. See also https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/18649238
(Although other Smilax, such as S. bona-nox, may have a vein embedded in the margin, it's much more delicate and usually breaks easily with this test rather than remaining as a string. Try two or three leaves if you're not sure.)

Photos / Sounds

What

Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)

Observer

pattyproffit

Date

April 2022

Photos / Sounds

What

North American Racer (Coluber constrictor)

Observer

bellumknight

Date

April 1, 2022 01:55 PM EDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Satin White Palpita (Palpita flegia)

Observer

bgomez

Date

February 10, 2004 01:06 PM HST

Description

increíble espectáculo de la llegada masiva de la "mariposa blanca" a El Ejido El Águila, Cacahoatán, en la zona de influencia de la Reserva de la Biosfera Volcán Tacana

Photos / Sounds

What

Barberries (Genus Berberis)

Date

August 11, 2018 06:31 AM UTC

Photos / Sounds

What

Chicken Turtle (Deirochelys reticularia)

Observer

jessturtle

Photos / Sounds

What

Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)

Observer

kyletansley

Date

February 16, 2019 01:16 PM EST

Description

Flock of about 40, munching fruit like there's no tomorrow.

Photos / Sounds

What

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)

Observer

janetwright

Date

November 26, 2008 07:53 AM CST

Description

window strike (recovered)

Photos / Sounds

What

Great Purple Hairstreak (Atlides halesus)

Observer

lmfcrews

Date

October 9, 2020 03:58 PM EDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Domestic Dog (Canis familiaris)

Observer

jessturtle

Date

July 14, 2019 08:15 PM EDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Carolina Saddlebags (Tramea carolina)

Observer

jessturtle

Date

June 17, 2019 10:57 AM EDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Common Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon)

Observer

kevinricker

Date

July 2, 2020 02:19 PM EDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus)

Observer

sappytaillow

Date

June 7, 2020 09:42 AM EDT

Description

The ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo noise in the background.

Photos / Sounds

What

Eastern Hognose Snake (Heterodon platirhinos)

Observer

cape_fear

Date

April 2020

Photos / Sounds

What

Jaguar (Panthera onca)

Observer

greglasley

Date

August 2017

Description

On August 16, we witnessed what has to rank with one of the most incredible wildlife experiences I’ve ever had. Cheryl and I were on a trip with 6 other nature photographers and our leader. We had been in the Pantanal area of Brazil for about a week with 5 days along the Cuiaba River near Porto Jofre, looking for Jaguars and other photo ops. Our daily routine was breakfast at 5:30 AM and we took off on boats from 6 till about 11AM, lunch at noon at the lodge, then on the boats again 3PM till dark. Our group has 3 boats so just 3 people per boat so plenty of room for photo gear, etc. Over several days we had seen 10-12 Jaguars. Some were very good photo ops, some poor photo ops, some just glimpsed.

There are several lodges in the area and it is a popular place to visit for folks hoping to see Jaguars, so much like Yellowstone National Park, a crowd can gather when some significant wildlife is seen, but instead of car jams to see a Grizzly such as Yellowstone, this can be boat jams for a jaguar. I have seen as many as 22 boats, 70-100 feet off shore with lots of people in each boat taking photos of a sleeping Jaguar. BUT…that is not the end of the story! We were often in more remote areas of the rivers and inlets and streams more or less on our own looking for birds, etc., so lots of times there are no other boats around. The boat drivers all have radios, so if a Jaguar is seen, other boats are informed. We move 20-25 miles up and down the river to explore, so many times other boats are not close enough to arrive while a Jaguar is in view.

My limited Jaguar experience is that some are just sleeping and/or resting and mostly ignore the boats in the river. Others are walking though the edge of the forest near the river and when a boat becomes visible, the animal just vanishes back into the forest. This morning at about 7:30 AM our three boats were in an out-of-the way location, a mile or so apart. The boat I was in was photographing a Great Black Hawk when one of our other boats called us on the radio to say they had a Jaguar swimming in the river, apparently hunting, so we headed to that area. Apparently the Jaguar, with just its head visible, swam up to loafing Yacare Caimans and pounced onto a caiman which was about 6 or so feet long. The Jaguar and the caiman thrashed in the water with the Jaguar biting into the skull of the caiman. That is about the time our boat arrived, after the Jaguar had mostly subdued the caiman, but the caiman was still thrashing about. The Jaguar was up against a high dirt bank, still mostly in the water with a firm grip on the skull of the caiman and the Jaguar was not letting go. It was very dark and under heavy foliage and vines so I was shooting at 4000 and 6400 ISO but that was my only choice. Eventually the Jaguar was able to work itself and its prize away from the vines and it drug the caiman out of the water and up the dirt bank and eventually back into the forest to enjoy its catch beyond the curious and amazed eyes of the human observers. The caiman was as large or larger than the Jaguar. All I have to say is that a mature Jaguar is an incredibly powerful predator and watching this whole 15 minute episode is something I’ll not forget. What a beast!

This entire series was shot from a boat, perhaps 40 feet off the bank with a Canon EOS 7D Mark II and a Canon 100-400 IS lens in case anyone is interested.

Cuiaba River,
near Porto Jofre,
Pantanal,
Brazil
16 August 2017

Photos / Sounds

What

Great Egret (Ardea alba)

Observer

joshl

Date

September 21, 2019

Photos / Sounds

What

Six-spotted Tiger Beetle (Cicindela sexguttata)

Observer

daverogers

Date

June 11, 2017 01:58 PM HST

Photos / Sounds

What

Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta)

Observer

ac-soilgirl

Date

August 2019

Description

We got to witness the sea turtle volunteers helping some hatchlings make their way to the ocean!

Photos / Sounds

What

Northern Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus)

Observer

jbrown252

Date

July 31, 2019 11:09 AM EDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Viceroy (Limenitis archippus)

Observer

joshl

Date

July 26, 2019

Photos / Sounds

What

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

Observer

jbrown252

Date

June 30, 2019 03:04 PM EDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Scotch Bonnet Snail (Semicassis granulata)

Observer

as_is_the_sea

Date

February 18, 2019 01:35 PM EST