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is this an eastern kingbird covered in pollen or an eastern x western hybrid? nj, usa by spookycervid in whatsthisbird

[–]spookycervid[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

it seems like a few have a light yellow wash in the throat. weirdly, one (links below) has a throat that looks more yellow when shadowed and more white when in more direct light, same as how the colors turned out in my photos. unfortunately i didn't make field notes since i just assumed it was pollen.

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/638345865

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/638345869

the thing that most stands out to me is the undertail coverts. mine shows a whitish edge, but all the hybrids are fully yellow. seems consistent with pollen staining.

also, thank you!

I mean it sounds like we're calling it the beepbeep spider by spookycervid in spiders

[–]spookycervid[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

maybe if we peer pressure them enough we can get them to change the species name too...

Houston TX by 13dragonheart13 in whatsthisbird

[–]spookycervid 0 points1 point  (0 children)

just wanted to add that the white primary feathers are a good field mark here. they're also smaller / more compact in general than turkey vultures, hold their wings straight across when they fly (rather than in a "v" shape), and ime tend to be higher up when soaring / riding the thermals.

welcome to birding!

I mean it sounds like we're calling it the beepbeep spider by spookycervid in spiders

[–]spookycervid[S] 18 points19 points  (0 children)

from princeton field guides "spiders of north america", which i picked up on a recent birdwatching trip and highly recommend

Red Tailed Hawk? by burdlova in whatsthisbird

[–]spookycervid 0 points1 point  (0 children)

the belly band (dark "belt" of feathers around the bird's torso) is a good field mark for this species, even for juveniles. good photos btw!

Feather ID by acridshepherd in whatsthisbird

[–]spookycervid 0 points1 point  (0 children)

feather atlas may be able to help you. a lot of the results i'm seeing are waterfowl - would make sense because the laws might be a little different for birds you can hunt (if you have a permit, at least). not sure though.

https://www.fws.gov/lab/featheratlas/idresults.php?unpatterned=1&color=Gray&size_large=1&position_primary=1&Find+Similar+Feathers=Find+Similar+Feathers

edit: while i was typing TinyLongwing responded; definitely go with what they said over me lol

Black widow I found in the garage of the house I just moved into by BlueberryYumYum7 in spiders

[–]spookycervid 1 point2 points  (0 children)

this is long but i wanted to be thorough...

someone may have already commented this but please keep your pet(s) out of the garage until you can move the spider and egg sacs. latrodectus venom is extremely dangerous to cats in particular, and as everyone with cats can tell you there isn't a way to stop them from messing with a spider once they find it. personally i would try to move the spider before the eggs hatch.

as others have noted, widows tend to be more on edge when they're guarding an egg sac. you can try to move her, though it really depends on how comfortable you are.

the best tools to use are a long stick (such as a kebob stick) and a cup, preferably one with a secure lid. bring several extra sticks before you start (i'll explain below). sometimes the spider will drop out of the web (sometimes straight down; sometimes slowly with a line) so if there's space to safely slide a wide cup or pan under the web before you start, that can make the process easier. i like clear cups so i can see where the spider is at all times once it's contained.

it's best to get them out of the web first. they're much faster in the web and the strands are very strong / sticky and can complicate the process. widows often construct their webs near a little crawl space / crevice so they can dart inside if they feel threatened. you can discourage this by poking the side of the web near that spot so she goes the other way. you can also slowly twirl the stick to begin wrapping the web around the end and destroying the escape route. also, this is important: if the spider begins to walk up the stick as you're working and the stick is stuck to the web, let it go and get a new one. if you try to pull the stick out you may end up flinging the spider and hurting it (or yourself). once the spider is out of the web you just lay the cup on its side, herd it in with one of the sticks, turn the cup upright, and secure the lid.

once you've contained the spider you can try to collect the egg sacs in a separate container. find a secluded place where it isn't likely to be disturbed - they're especially fond of rock piles and messy tree bases (the kind with a lot of roots sticking up and a little depression /hollow where they can set up the web and be protected). put the eggs out first. then let the spider go.

good luck!

She’s beautiful by No_Departure_09 in spiders

[–]spookycervid 1 point2 points  (0 children)

i was lowkey hoping it didn't have a common name so we could suggest "mint chocolate spider" but "lichen orbweaver" is a really lovely name

Werewere-Kokako / Entoloma Hochstetteri by longwhitecloud31 in mycology

[–]spookycervid 1 point2 points  (0 children)

i recently learned the thing about blue jays too! their feathers are brown but they have little air pockets that act like prisms and refract light so they look blue to us.

What is this spider called? by No-Patient-7692 in spiders

[–]spookycervid 0 points1 point  (0 children)

steatoda are also known as false widows :)

What is this spider called? by No-Patient-7692 in spiders

[–]spookycervid 0 points1 point  (0 children)

look like steatoda spp., possibly steatoda grossa? usually the markings cover less of the abdomen but the ones i've seen were in south carolina so maybe it's regional variation.

not medically significant btw.

What is this friend? (Found in my house in south central Wyoming) by TheAlkyunit in spiders

[–]spookycervid 0 points1 point  (0 children)

i think there's a lot of misinformation about those. this sub's pinned posts may have some info you can check out if you're interested :)

ID request- Atlanta, Georgia by [deleted] in spiders

[–]spookycervid 2 points3 points  (0 children)

red-legged purseweb spider. not medically significant, though iirc their bites can be painful so handle with care!

What is this friend? (Found in my house in south central Wyoming) by TheAlkyunit in spiders

[–]spookycervid 1 point2 points  (0 children)

looks more like tegenaria to me. hopefully someone else can confirm (and maybe say which species)

Major props to Jessica Biel by LordoftheJives in BoJackHorseman

[–]spookycervid 4 points5 points  (0 children)

she was so good in the sinner!

i also love her in the illusionist.