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Back In The Yard @backintheyard.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Here's a skyward shot of a striped saddlebags dragonfly (Tramea darwini) in our front yard garden! #dragonflies #Odonata #Illinois #nature #macro #photography #wildlifephotography #photographylovers

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Back In The Yard @backintheyard.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Today I released another male monarch that I raised. After spending a couple of hours in the neighbor's tree, he flew down and landed on our tomato plant to bask in the sun. #butterfly #butterflies #Lepidoptera #Illinois #nature #photography #wildlifephotography #SaveTheMonarch

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Back In The Yard @backintheyard.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Here's another male monarch butterfly on a New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) this afternoon. #butterflies #Lepidoptera #nativeplants #Illinois #nature #photography #wildlifephotography #SaveTheMonarch

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Back In The Yard @backintheyard.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Here's a late-season sighting of a red-spotted purple butterfly (Limenitis arthemis) in the backyard. #butterflies #Lepidoptera #Illinois #nature #photography #photographylovers #wildlifephotography

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Back In The Yard @backintheyard.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

This is the last shot of the male carpenter bee before he flew off to feed on African blue basil flowers. #bees #pollinators #insects #Illinois #nature #macro #photography

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Back In The Yard @backintheyard.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

I found this poor ole cold, wet male carpenter bee in the shade, so I warmed him up on my warm finger in the sun, and he was soon buzzing around our flowers again. #bees #pollinators #insects #Illinois #nature #macro #photography

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Back In The Yard @backintheyard.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Today I saw one of my favorites, a shadow darner dragonfly (Aeshna umbrosa)! #dragonflies #Odonata #Illinois #nature #photography #wildlifephotography

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Back In The Yard @backintheyard.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Here's a male monarch butterfly on a New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) this afternoon. #butterflies #Lepidoptera #nativeplants #Illinois #nature #photography #wildlifephotography #SaveTheMonarch

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Back In The Yard @backintheyard.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

A painted lady butterfly welcomed the warmth of my hand on this chilly September morning. #butterflies #Lepidoptera #Illinois #nature #macro #photography #wildlifephotography

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Back In The Yard @backintheyard.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

We had a beautiful painted lady butterfly visit our Mexican sunflower in the front yard today! #butterfly #butterflies #Lepidoptera #sunflower #Illinois #nature #photography

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Back In The Yard @backintheyard.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

This yellow garden spider (Argiope aurantia) first appeared 3 weeks ago. I hadn't seen her in 2 weeks, and now I've found her nice and plump next to the house. #spiders #arachnid #Illinois #nature #photography

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Back In The Yard @backintheyard.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Here's a skyward shot of a male monarch on our Mexican sunflower in the front yard today! #butterfly #butterflies #Lepidoptera #sunflower #Illinois #nature #photography #SaveTheMonarch

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Back In The Yard @backintheyard.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

The sawtooth sunflowers (Helianthus grosseserratus) are looking spectacular in the backyard! #nativeplants #wildflowers #sunflower #Illinois #nature #photography

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Back In The Yard @backintheyard.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Here's a juvenile male common green darner dragonfly (Anax junius) that landed nearby when I was walking in the backyard. #dragonfly #dragonflies #Odonata #Illinois #nature #photography

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Back In The Yard @backintheyard.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

For a third day in a row this male monarch has been visiting our Mexican sunflowers in the front yard! #butterfly #butterflies #Lepidoptera #sunflower #Illinois #nature #photography #SaveTheMonarch

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Back In The Yard @backintheyard.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

A closeup of the head of a common green darner dragonfly (Anax junius). I've always loved the marking that looks like an extra eye spot. #dragonfly #dragonflies #Odonata #Illinois #nature #macro #photography

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Back In The Yard @backintheyard.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

This newly emerged male monarch has spent all morning feasting on our Mexican sunflowers! #butterfly #butterflies #Lepidoptera #sunflowers #Illinois #nature #photography #SaveTheMonarch

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Back In The Yard @backintheyard.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

This male monarch is ready to be released, waiting in his mesh enclosure. This is the fifth monarch I have raised this year. #butterfly #butterflies #Lepidoptera #Illinois #nature #photography #SaveTheMonarch

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Back In The Yard @backintheyard.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Here's a male carpenter bee on our African blue basil, which is an absolute pollinator powerhouse and does a great job filling the void when other flowers are winding down. #flower #flowers #herbs #pollinators #bees #nature #photography

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Back In The Yard @backintheyard.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

I don't normally recommend non-native plants, but African blue basil is a phenomenal pollinator plant. I've had around 25 bumblebees on my potted plant at once. It doesn't produce seed, so you don't have to worry about becoming invasive. #flower #flowers #herbs #pollinators #bees #nature

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Back In The Yard @backintheyard.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Here's a wandering glider (Pantala flavescens) that landed right in front of me in the front yard. They are the most widespread dragonfly species in the world and have the longest known insect migrations. #dragonflies #Odonata #Illinois #nature #photography #wildlifephotography

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Back In The Yard @backintheyard.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

The Mexican sunflowers are one of the main attractions for the monarchs in the front yard today! #monarch #butterfly #butterflies #Lepidoptera #sunflower #Illinois #nature #photography #SaveTheMonarch

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Back In The Yard @backintheyard.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

This black saddlebags dragonfly (Tramea lacerata) landed right in front of me on a meadow blazing star in the garden this morning! #dragonflies #Odonata #Illinois #nature #macro #photography #wildlifephotography #photographylovers

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Back In The Yard @backintheyard.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Here's a closeup of the only common buckeye (Junonia coenia) I've seen this year on a sweet black-eyed Susan in the garden. #butterfly #butterflies #Lepidoptera #nativeplants #Illinois #nature #photography #wildlifephotography

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Back In The Yard @backintheyard.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

One of my favorite spiders has shown up in the yard for the first time in over 20 years! Here's a yellow garden spider (Argiope aurantia) that I found in the backyard garden. #spiders #arachnid #Illinois #nature #photography

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Back In The Yard @backintheyard.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

After laying eggs on some common milkweed, this beauty landed on one of our pots of meadow blazing star in the back yard. #monarch #butterfly #butterflies #Lepidoptera #nativeplants #wildflowers #Illinois #nature #photography #SaveTheMonarch

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Back In The Yard @backintheyard.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Here's an up-close and detailed look at a Mexican sunflower, which is a great annual for monarchs, swallowtails, hummingbirds and bumblebees. #flower #flowers #sunflower #sunflowers

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Back In The Yard @backintheyard.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Here is the male monarch I released four days ago, just before the severe thunderstorms roared through this morning. I'm happy to report that I saw him again soon after the storms were over. #butterfly #butterflies #Lepidoptera #Illinois #nature #photography #SaveTheMonarch

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Back In The Yard @backintheyard.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Our first Mexican sunflower has opened and the monarch butterflies have already found it. #butterfly #Lepidoptera #Illinois #nature #photography #SaveTheMonarch

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Back In The Yard @backintheyard.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

This is no ordinary monarch butterfly. This is a male monarch that I raised and released three days ago. Seeing him thriving and holding his own against other monarchs is so satisfying. #butterflies #Lepidoptera #Illinois #nature #photography #SaveTheMonarch

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Back In The Yard @backintheyard.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

I had to break up a fight today. These two male monarchs were having a prolonged, intense wrestling match on a meadow blazing star, so I thought I had better intervene. The fighting continued on my hand for a bit. #butterfly #butterflies #nature #photography #SaveTheMonarch

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Back In The Yard @backintheyard.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

The male monarchs are usually waiting on the meadow blazing stars at first morning light. They wear their battle scars with pride. #butterfly #butterflies #Lepidoptera #nativeplants #wildflowers #Illinois #nature #photography #SaveTheMonarch

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Back In The Yard @backintheyard.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

There's been a lot of eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) activity in the yard lately. Here's a side by side comparison of two females, one the typical yellow form and one a dark morph. #butterfly #butterflies #Lepidoptera #Illinois #nature #photography

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