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Ambrellite

@ambrellite.bsky.social

273 followers 296 following 201 posts

Anxiety-ridden nerd, moss-grower, nature enthusiast, tabletop gamer, anime watcher, aspiring human.

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Ambrellite @ambrellite.bsky.social · 04/08/2024

Knights of the round table meme format, with each knight pointing their sword at "Ways TERFS determine binary sex". From top left going clockwise, the knights represent sex determination by hormones, genitals, chromosomes, genitals (but at birth), sexuality, official documents, clothes, bone structure, childhood socialization, being good at a sport, gametes, and "You just know..." (a common assertion that it's always possible to tell someone's sex by their appearance alone).

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Ambrellite @ambrellite.bsky.social · 07/03/2024

American goldfinch munching on thistle, which also provides plenty of nesting material. It's just magical to watch a group of them singing and darting around among the flowers. 😍 #birds

Photo of an American goldfinch with its face obscured by the downy seeds of the spring thistle bloom it's eating. Its body is covered with vibrant yellow feathers, and its wings are black.

American goldfinch standing on a mature thistle blossom. It pulled out a clump of the fluffy seeds in its quest for food. A vibrant purple thistle blossom contrasts beautifully with the bright yellow plumage of the goldfinch.

A close-up photo of the American goldfinch with its head buried in a thistle blossom. I imagine it feels quite pleasant to bury their little faces in the floofy seeds!

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Ambrellite @ambrellite.bsky.social · 01/03/2024

Acorn weevils are fascinating insects. They usually lay their eggs in the bottom of acorns since squirrels often eat only the less-bitter top part of the nut. 🪲#inverts

The acorn weevil, with antennae and proboscis jutting out from the head like a tiny trident! They have muscular legs to give them leverage for drilling into the hard shells of acorns. Their feet resemble the large, padded toes of a camel.

A magnified image (about 50x magnification) of the acorn weevil's feet shows the combination of claws and large sticky pads for gripping smooth acorn shells.

Another magnified image, also about 50x magnification, showing the acorn weevil's feet from the side. Its claws are bifurcated like rock-climbing hooks!

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Ambrellite @ambrellite.bsky.social · 24/02/2024

Spotted last summer: this (harmless!) locust borer munching on goldenrod pollen. Batesian mimicry at work! #inverts

The locust borer, eating goldenrod pollen with enthusiasm. Its body is crossed by black and yellow stripes, and it has long antennae curving away from its head. Its larvae bore into black locust trees, weakening the trees to fungi.

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Ambrellite @ambrellite.bsky.social · 17/02/2024

It curves upwards largely because CO2 emissions have increased immensely over the decades. If we bring our CO2 emissions to zero then the atmospheric CO2 would level out and the temperature anomaly could stabilize (hopefully at a level the biosphere can adapt to).

Atmospheric CO2 measured at Mauna Loa Observatory. The data show a rising trend from 315 parts per million in 1960 to 420 parts per million in 2024. The average slope curves upwards, and also shows yearly oscillations of plus or minus 4 ppm.

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Ambrellite @ambrellite.bsky.social · 14/02/2024

Happy Valentine's Day! Enjoy this pair of mourning doves who definitely love each other very much. ❤️

Mourning doves are always a lovely sight. Mating pairs usually maintain a lifelong partnership! Perhaps they're afraid of being single again. If you're a single mourning dove, remember that you're OK. You don't need anyone else to be a complete bird and to enjoy life. Partnered mourning doves, don't let yourself stay trapped in unhappy relationships! There are other doves out there who will love you for you.

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Ambrellite @ambrellite.bsky.social · 14/02/2024

Another lucky find from last summer: swamp cicada! They're usually quite hard to spot. #cicadas

Swamp cicada. Fortunately for us, this one was bad at hiding.

Close up of the same cicada. Their cameoflage is impeccable! Fun fact: cicadas need to protect their ears or else they'd be deafened by their own song.

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Ambrellite @ambrellite.bsky.social · 14/02/2024

We gave it plenty of space! Given the season it could have been a female looking for a place to lay a clutch of eggs.

Taken from behind! Snappers are speed walkers when they have somewhere to go, or the sidewalk is too hot!

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Ambrellite @ambrellite.bsky.social · 13/02/2024

My wife and I encountered chanced by snapping turtles along a nearby trail last year. Amazing creatures! #turtles

Common snapping turtle close up. Perhaps a female looking for a place to lay her clutch of eggs.

Common snapping turtle from further away. Perhaps a female looking for a place to lay her clutch of eggs.

Young snapping turtle swimming in a stream, it's long neck extended. This one was about the size of my hand.

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