swells's Journal

Since joining iNaturalist in 2016, I've tried to document of all the wild organisms that I could find on our little quarter-acre lot. So far I've found 492 taxa with at least one iNaturalist observation.

This year I thought I'd try a big year. But instead of doing like the birders do, traveling all over the continent or world looking for birds, I will stay here - on our little lot and try to find as many wild living things as I can.

So that's what I plan to do tomorrow morning - January 1, 2023.

#1 Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus)

I went out this morning to see what I could find. It was cold and foggy, and I didn't see or hear any birds. But I thought I'd at least see a squirrel that I could take a photo of for my first taxon of the year.

When I got to the backyard, I startled a hawk on the ground and it flew off to a nearby oak tree. I was only able to get one photo before it left the yard.

I wasn't sure whether it was a Cooper's or Sharp-shinned hawk, but it was quickly IDed on iNat as a sharp-shinned.

This was not only the first taxon on my big year yard list - it was also a lifer for the yard! #493

#2 Fox squirrel (Sciurus niger)

We have several of these squirrels in our yard. They are native to the eastern US, but are quite happy to live here in northern Idaho.

# 3 Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)

# 4 Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)

# 5 American Robin (Turdus migratorius)

I've never been very successful IDing moss and lichen, but I thought I'd try to include them in the big year project. If anyone can help with these I'd appreciate it.

#6 Shield Lichen (Parmelia sp.

#7 Orthotrichaceae

I found this little guy on our kitchen counter. I often see them on our puzzle table, too. I wonder if they are living in the soil (maybe eating the roots) of our house plants.

Length ~ 3mm

Dark-winged Fungus Gnat (Sciardiae)

I found a small spider (6.5 mm) on the bedroom wall. It looks to me like it's a ground spider (Gnaphosidae) in the genus Sergiolus. Unfortunately, it lost a leg when I captured it.

Sergiolus sp.

We have a woodpile that is several years old. We seldom burn wood anymore, so our wood (Western Larch mostly) is starting to rot.

This afternoon I spotted some small fungi growing on one of the split logs - a Common Bird's Nest Fugus (Crucibulum laevae), I believe.

Common Bird's Nest Fugus (Crucibulum laevae)

House Finch and House Finch

House Finch

Black-capped Chickadee

It's been cold and rainy (of course - this is Idaho in January) so there hasn't been much to see outside.

But I managed to find a some earthworms and pill woodlice under a garbage can in the yard. I've tentatively ID them to family, waiting for some help from iNat experts.

Earthworm (Lumbricidae)

Pill woodlouse (Armadillidiidae)