iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Continuing with terrestrials: a whole mess of ants 🐜 Ants have become one of my go-to patterns when fishing for trout and panfish the last few years. Even when I’m bombing them out to the center of alpine lakes, they always draw bites. Especially #1! #flyfishing #flytying #tying #fishing #onthefly

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Late night mousin’! Mice are a blast to tie and fish. I tied these up after seeing a modified mini Master Splinter that caught my eye. Big guide fly energy! Super easy. Hoping to put them to good use next month in Yosemite! #flyfishing #flytying #fishing #onthefly

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

A pattern you’ll find in more flyboxes in North America than perhaps any other - the caddis. I’m never quite satisfied with the DHC I tie, but these are getting there. Foam is significantly (!) easier to manage, but deer hair is just unmatched! #flyfishing #flytying #onthefly #fishing

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Bees! Like other terrestrials, bees perform well in the High Sierra during the fall transition. While often discussed, I rarely see them on the vise! I enjoyed reading up on the history of bee patterns and experimenting with some different materials. #flyfishing #fishing #flytying #onthefly

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Year 2 of hiking the Shingle Mill Pathway through the Pigeon River SFA! Pics are from mid-July. One of my favorite areas in the state, especially south of the bridge. Logged a few new lifers, and I was prepared with my fishing rod this time. #hiking #backpacking #fishing #birding #nature #michigan

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Bond Falls 🧤 A smoky, hazy drive to an incredible set of falls back in July amidst the fires. Summers in Michigan are such an intense sensory experience — the heat, humidity, smells, water, and of course, the bugs. Wouldn’t trade this for anything. #nature #photography #michigan #yooper #nineohsix

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Dinks on the Kern! I love smallies. It was so much fun getting up into the canyon for the first time to check out the bass bite today. Fly rod is out for repair so I was just on spinning gear! Prettiest fish of the day! Caught on a 1/8th oz rainbow trout rooster tail. #fishing #fish #kernriver

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Eggs are a popular choice this time of year for targeting species like salmon and trout! This is my first go at the Nuke Egg; I love how the added casing looks when wet 👌🏽 In the future I’ll try reversing the casing to hide my thread wraps. #flyfishing #fishing #fishfood #flytying #onthefly

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

The picturesque Keweenaw coastline at Eagle Harbor, MI, on the day the July smoke first started to roll in. Lake Superior truly is superior and incredible in all aspects. The shapes, colors, smells, and sounds are irreplicable. #photography #nature #greatlakes #yooper #nineohsix

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

More backlog from July in the UP! Canyon Falls, just south of L’Anse. Breathtaking and a bit eerie under a blanket of heavy smoke from the fires. #photography #nature #waterfall #hiking #yooper #nineohsix

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Hopper season! Hoppers are a lot of fun to tie, and can do a solid job imitating a variety of insects. I like to tie and fish these on the smaller side. Foam helps them sit high on the water, though the Madsen’s Skunk can fish lower (like a Stimulator). #fishing #flyfishing #flytying #onthefly

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Photos from the old Ore Dock in Marquette, MI, the morning after the smoke from the July fires rolled in. Completely disorienting, haunting, beautiful. AQI was 600+. #photography #nature #wildlife #michigan #MQT #yooper

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Putting the labor in Labor Day 🤙🏽 First time hiking and summiting Josephine Peak! Arrived at the top just in time to catch a beautiful sunset. ~1,900’ of elevation in just under 3 hours! Crazy to a flatlander born and raised in Michigan. #hiking #socalhiking #nature

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

With the heat wave here in LA I’ve been tying flies like crazy! Here are a few I’ve tied for trout and bass here in CA and back in MI, both on the fly and with L/UL gear — I love throwing flies on light tackle. I’ve included the recipe in their descriptions! #flyfishing #flytying #tying #outdoors

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Absolute pig of a rock bass (ambloplites rupestris) caught last month back home in Northern MI. After measuring my rod, this fish would have met the 12” minimum for a Master Angler patch in MI provided I had an official measurement. Next time! #fish #fishing #nature #michigan #lifelist

Slabs! This guy smashed a square bill bluegill crankbait.

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

• Vireo solitarius • • Blue-headed vireo • • Pigeon River SFA • #birds #birding #nature #lifelist

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

• Pheucticus ludovicianus • • Rose-breasted grosbeak • • Northern MI • This grosbeak spent the better part of a morning foraging in the branches of this tree for berries. At certain points I was able to see the stained red underwing, such an attractive bird.

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

• Sphyrapicus varius • • Yellow-bellied sapsucker • • Northern MI • Finally getting around to posting from my backlog of fish and birds. This YBSA was seen snacking on serviceberries and drying his feathers in the morning sun.

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

• Reddish-brown stag beetle • • Lucanus capreolus • Coolest bug I’ve ever found in my home state.

Reddish-brown stag beetle, approx. 1-1.2” in length. I believe this is an adult female. So amazing!

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

• Song sparrow • • Melospiza melodia • • Towsley Canyon • This sparrow found a mid-morning snack 🦗 #birds #birding #birdwatching #SCV

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

• Pico Canyon • Great conditions at Pico Canyon on Saturday, especially before the temps got too high. I stopped here for some gushers and a great view of the Santa Susana.

8.3 miles, 1,250’ elevation, 2h28m. Really trying to get my back and legs in shape for the Eastern Sierra and the UP this year! Planning to hit Cottonwood Lakes and Kearsarge Pass again this season.

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

• East Walker Ranch, Placerita Canyon • Growing up in the Rust Belt, sights like this dilapidated old rig were common - farm equipment, cars, factories. I love interacting with history through our artifacts, and there are so many throughout the SCV. #hiking #SCV #SoCalHiking #nature #photography

The oil and ranching history of the SCV has become a special interest of mine as of late. So many great sites to hike out to.

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

• Golden-crowned Sparrow • • Zonotrichia atricapilla • • Walker Ranch • First time seeing GCSP in good detail, the eye-ring and little flash of gold on her forehead really stood out in the morning light. #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #naturephotography #nature #wildlife #hiking

Nice angle of the plumage + key ID markers.

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 01/03/2026

• Antonovich Open Preserve • First time hiking the Weldon Canyon Trail yesterday. Conditions were beautiful, as were these poppies. #hiking #nature #photography #naturephotography #wildlife #SoCal #SCV

California poppies and some nice lupines all along the ridgeline. 6.1 mi, 1,125’ elevation, 1h58m. No one else on the trail aside from a few bikers.

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

• Towsley Canyon Loop • Perfect day to be in the canyons yesterday. This was my first time on the Towsley loop, I loved the diversity in the environment. Everyone was so friendly on the trail, too 😌 #hiking #nature #wildlife #SCV #SantaClarita #canyon #photography #naturephotography

I dreamed of this stuff as a kid in Michigan.

Utterly beautiful. 6.6 miles, 1,447’ of elevation, finished in 2h22 mins. I was solo, so I was hoofing it!

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

• Davy Brown Trail • Lost count of the number of waterfalls along this trail. Some fun creek crossings, too.

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

Spent the weekend at Davy Brown Campground and exploring the surrounding valleys and ridges. From Figueroa Mtn Road on Sunday morning. #camping #hiking #photography #nature

I moved to Southern California in August 2024; this is the first time I’ve seen California in these colors. Poppies and lupines all around us, what a breathtaking place.

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 01/02/2026

• Ruby-crowned Kinglet • • Corthylio calendula • • Sepulveda Basin • Kinglets have been plentiful the last few months - GCKI in Michigan, RCKI in LA. I enjoy watching how methodically they work their way through cover in search of food. #birds #birding #birdwatching #wildlife #SFV #lifelist

Often heard, always tough to get on camera.

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 31/01/2026

• Northern Mockingbird • • Mimus polyglottos • • Sepulveda Basin • Mockingbirds and thrashers have such bright and intelligent eyes, one of the many reasons that I love them. #birds #birding #birdwatching #nature #wildlife #SFV #lifelist

Fluffed up northern mockingbird in morning light.

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 31/01/2026

• Cooper’s Hawk • • Accipiter cooperii • • Sepulveda Basin • Nice cool morning that heated up fast. This COHA made a low pass about 12 feet in front of me before settling in a nearby tree. #birds #birding #birdwatching #wildlife #SFV #lifelist

The light really caught the orange in the eye today.

Every side is their “good side” for a Cooper’s Hawk.

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

• White-breasted nuthatch • • Sitta carolinensis • • Sepulveda Basin • #birds #birding #birdwatching #wildlife #SFV #lifelist

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 25/01/2026

• Allen’s Hummingbird • • Selasphorus sasin • • Sepulveda Basin • Hummingbirds are everywhere at the basin right now, chittering away. #birds #birding #birdwatching #wildlife #SFV #lifelist

The orange gorgette on this Allen’s hummingbird looked superb in the morning light.

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 25/01/2026

• Pie-billed Grebe • • Podilymbus podiceps • • Sepulveda Basin • I was lucky to catch this grebe in the act this morning at the basin! Unlucky bluegill. #birds #birding #birdwatching #wildlife #SFV #lifelist

Eyes bigger than the stomach, as my Nani used to say. This grebe was repeatedly dropping its catch into the water and picking it back up, really interesting to watch.

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

• California Towhee • • Melozone crissalis • • LA River • Two towhees, both rather unbothered by my presence. #birds #SFV #lifelist

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

• Northern Cardinal • • Cardinalis cardinalis • • Mullett Lake • #birds #nature #GreatLakes #lifelist

Northern Cardinal (male) perched in a cedar tree.

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

• Say’s Phoebe • • Sayornis saya • • Sepulveda Basin • #birds #SFV #lifelist

Say’s Phoebe perched on a branch. Medium flycatcher with tan upper breast and orange lower, with gray wings and head.

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

• Great Blue Heron • • Ardea herodias • • Sepulveda Basin • A small dog wandering around off leash caught the eye of this heron 👀 #birds #birding #birdwatching #nature #wildlife #SFV #lifelist

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

• Bufflehead • • Bucephala albeola • • LA River - Glendale Narrows • Back in town, back to the river! First lifer of 2026, and bird #231. #birds #birding #birdwatching #nature #wildlife #SoCal #SFV

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 03/01/2026

• Dark-eyed Junco • • Junco hyemalis • • West Bloomfield Woods Nature Preserve • Dark-eyed juncos have been out all over Oakland County, snacking to stave off the cold. Really neat how different the subspecies of junco can look. #birds #birding #birdwatching #nature #wildlife #GreatLakes #lifelist

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 30/12/2025

• Black-capped Chickadee • • Poecile atricapillus • • Mullett Lake • The chickadees were active towards the tail end of the blizzard this morning, clumping up together in the low branches of the trees around the point. ~1 ft of snowfall! #birds #birding #birdwatching #nature #wildlife #GreatLakes

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 28/12/2025

• Rough-legged Hawk • • Buteo lagopus • • Eastern UP • Conditions were beautiful today! Tallied 6 rough-legged hawks, 3 bald eagles, 1 pileated woodpecker, 1 northern shrike, and 15+ ravens! Last shot is looking out to Drummond Island. #birds #birding #birdwatching #nature #wildlife #GreatLakes

View from the DeTour ferry out to Drummond Island. Harbor was chilly, and there was a bald eagle patrolling over the open water.

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 24/12/2025

• Red-bellied Woodpecker • • Melanerpes carolinus • • Wolcott Mill Historic Center • Beautiful river gorge along the north branch of the Clinton River. Yesterday was warm, so the chickadees, nuthatches, and woodpeckers were very active. #birds #birding #birdwatching #nature #wildlife #GreatLakes

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

• Bald Mountain North Unit • Windchill of 1 yesterday! Braving the cold produced great birds - a beautiful Pileated Woodpecker, and my first Red-headed Woodpecker. Bonus pics were taken in the exact same spot, 4 months apart. #birds #birding #birdwatching #nature #wildlife #GreatLakes #lifelist

Barely managed to get this picture off before this one bounded to another tree. Visible red malar + red crown running down to the bill makes this an adult male. They have one of the most mesmerizing flight patterns I’ve yet seen - similar to Acorn Woodpeckers, but so much bigger and more powerful in appearance.

A juvenile Red-headed woodpecker on an exposed snag out in the middle of an iced-over pond. This area is incredibly swampy, and I got eaten alive by the bugs here in the summer - not an issue this time of year.

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

• American Kestrel • • Falco sparverius • • Sepulveda Basin • Always a favorite. #birds #birding #birdwatching #nature #wildlife #SFV

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 21/11/2025

• Swamp Sparrow • • Melospiza georgiana • • Seven Ponds Nature Center • Another sparrow from earlier in the year! Obsessed with the rusty wash on the wings, it makes for good camouflage. #birds #birding #birdwatching #nature #wildlife #MI

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 19/11/2025

• Black Phoebe • • Sayornis nigricans • • Sepulveda Basin • Flycatchers look like they’re having so much fun all the time - doing flips, catching bugs, skimming the surface of the water. #birds #birding #birdwatching #nature #wildlife #SFV

The phoebes have been everywhere with the recent weather and temp shifts - more humidity, more bugs, more birds.

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 19/11/2025

• White-crowned Sparrow • • Zonotrichia leucophrys • • Sepulveda Basin • Happy to see these little ones around with regularity again! #birds #birding #birdwatching #nature #wildlife #SFV

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

• Townsend’s Warbler • • Setophaga townsendi • • Glendale Narrows • Some new lifers along the very full LA river today! This Townsend’s warbler was gleaning for insects, and I was excited to spot 2-3 Bonaparte’s Gull (juvenile/nonbreeding) in the river. #birds #birding #birdwatching

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joey @dirtybogwater.bsky.social · 15/11/2025

• Red-tailed Hawk • • Buteo jamaicensis • • Sepulveda Basin • This Red-tailed hawk was looking at me with such disdain! What an intense glare. #birds #birding #birdwatching #nature #wildlife #SFV

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