BobTarte
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bobtarte.bsky.social
BobTarte
@bobtarte.bsky.social
650 followers 430 following 850 posts
Author of books Enslaved by Ducks, Fowl Weather, Kitty Cornered, and Feather Brained. I mostly post photos of birds and insects found in my corner of West Michigan.
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bobtarte.bsky.social
I discovered two female Black-and-Yellow Garden Spiders in a flower bed where none had been all summer. Then I found the first male Black-and-Yellow Garden Spider I'd ever seen. He is much smaller than the females, with a body length of just over 1/4" compared to around an inch for the females.
Large female spider hanging on its web with blurred flowers in the background. Spider has whitish head, black and yellow abdomen, and red and black legs. Small male spider on his web looks like a skinny, drab, shrunken version of his female counterpart. Colors are pale reddish brown, off-white, and black.
September 1, 2025 at 2:09 PM
bobtarte.bsky.social
Dog-Day Cicada, which conveniently landed on my porch step and remained in place for photos.
Large, striking green and black flying insect with beautiful transparent wings twice as long as its body. Overhead shot, more or less. Large, striking green and black flying insect with beautiful transparent wings twice as long as its body. Profile view.
September 1, 2025 at 2:01 PM
bobtarte.bsky.social
Tiny Cuckoo Wasp on Black-eyed Susan petal looks like it's covered in jewels.
Close-up of metallic green wasp perched on a yellow flower petal. The wasp is covered in 'pinpoints' of very bright green coloration.
September 1, 2025 at 1:56 PM
bobtarte.bsky.social
I can nearly never not take a shot of a Scorpionfly. Small and harmless. The male's abdomen curls up to resemble a scorpion tail.
Profile shot of tan fly with very long 'nose' like a cartoon horse. Wings have black stripes that aren't too visible from this angle.
July 13, 2025 at 1:56 PM
bobtarte.bsky.social
@apstrange.bsky.social Here's a grackle we raised and released several years ago, which my wife named Jabba, due to his voracious appetite. He showed up one morning begging for food standing on one leg. Next time I saw him, he was fine. No idea what was going on. Maybe it was a 'feed me' trick.
July 13, 2025 at 11:49 AM
bobtarte.bsky.social
Gorgeous little ichneumon wasp looks like a piece of fine jewelry. West Michigan.
#insects #wasps #photography #wildlife #nature
Small wasp with red body and legs, black thorax with two white spots 'on top,' black antennae with two white segments, black head with white around the eyes. Delicate looking creature.
July 13, 2025 at 11:43 AM
bobtarte.bsky.social
Here's my nominee for the most beautiful North American grasshopper. This is the 'Graceful Grasshopper,' aka one of the 'spur-throated' grasshoppers. The side of my barn makes a splendid backdrop. #insects #grasshopper #nature #wildlife #photography
Profile shot of small grasshopper with light gray body, yellow face, red eye (with black 'racing stripe'), green forelegs, and pattered green hind legs. Perched on the side of my red barn.
July 13, 2025 at 11:35 AM
bobtarte.bsky.social
Fun early-morning find: 4"-long Goldenrod Hooded Owlet (or Asteroid Moth) caterpillar blending into plant stems behind my barn. The beast was nowhere to be seen 30 minutes later. West Michigan.
#nature #insects #caterpillars #photography #macro #wildlife
Profile shot of green caterpillar with white stripe down its side, clinging to the stem of a plant.
July 13, 2025 at 11:29 AM
bobtarte.bsky.social
My wonderful and much beloved wife, Linda, passed away last Wednesday after a long struggle with a rare neurological disease that is similar in many ways to ALS. She was the kindest, bravest, and most inspirational person I ever met. I miss her terribly, but I am grateful her suffering has ended.
Smiling, red-haired woman with hair in braids.
May 19, 2025 at 6:29 PM
bobtarte.bsky.social
I ran this through Topaz Photo AI to knock out the motion blur. It did a pretty decent job. Let me know what you think.
May 11, 2025 at 7:11 PM
bobtarte.bsky.social
Here's one with mouth parts extended, which I had never seen before.
Close-up profile of an orange-brown fly with elongated body. With mouth-parts extended for eating, this little fellow almost has a cartoon horse's head.
May 9, 2025 at 5:21 PM
bobtarte.bsky.social
That is so good to hear. Thanks for the update. Dusty says hi.
May 9, 2025 at 5:16 PM
bobtarte.bsky.social
The bird that got me obsessed with birds. This guy, another male, and a female visited yesterday.

#Rose-breastedGrosbeak #birds #photography #wildlife #nature
Bird on rounded bar of 'shepherd's hook' facing the camera with head turned to our right. Black head, back, and wings. White patches on wings, white underside of black tail feathers, white underparts in general. Notable feature is a scarlet red triangular bib.
May 4, 2025 at 4:08 PM
bobtarte.bsky.social
Mr. Handsome dropped by today for a snack.
#birds #orioles #photography #nature #wildlife #Michigan
Striking black-on-top, brilliant-orange-underneath bird perched on the curve of a shepherd's hook contemplating nibbling on a half-orange placed just so for oriole feeding.
May 3, 2025 at 11:01 PM
bobtarte.bsky.social
I thought mice were eating my Dracaena, so I put it on top of a tall dresser in my bedroom. Next time I entered the room, my cat Eddie was standing on the dresser munching away. Yes, I know the leaves are poisonous, but I didn't think it was ever in reach of a cat. He's fine.
May 3, 2025 at 10:40 PM
bobtarte.bsky.social
Hide-and-seek with a Yellow Warbler this morning. I'm always the one who's "it."
#birds #warblers #photography #nature #wildlife #Michigan
Fluffed-up small yellow bird hiding in the bushes. Most of the bird is visible. The bird's back and wings are slightly greenish and the underparts are streaked in dull red, which helps to identify it as a male.
May 3, 2025 at 2:42 PM
bobtarte.bsky.social
Red-headed Woodpecker today at North Grand Riverfront Park in Lowell, Michigan.

#birds #woodpeckers #photography #nature #wildlife
Woodpecker pauses while climbing up tree. Bird has a bright red head and throat, snow white underparts, black wings and tail, and a large white patch on the wing-ends (if that's a term).
May 2, 2025 at 10:45 PM
bobtarte.bsky.social
Red-headed Woodpecker photobombed by a Red-winged Blackbird.
Woodpecker with bright red head and snow white breast perched on the trunk of a dead tree plus flyby showing underside silhouette-view of a Red-winged Blackbird, identified by the lighter colored beak. A grackle would have had a black beak and a less compact form factor.
May 2, 2025 at 4:13 PM
bobtarte.bsky.social
I got one and only one shot of the big guy when he dropped in this morning.
#bird #woodpeckers #nature #wildlife #photography
Large, dinosaur-like Pileated Woodpecker clinging to the side of a hanging suet feeder. The bird has a black body and wings, white face, red crest, red 'mustache,' yellow eye, and LONG beak.
April 30, 2025 at 5:54 PM
bobtarte.bsky.social
Most colorful Palm Warbler I've seen so far this year.

#birds #warblers #photography #nature #wildlife #michigan
Buff-colored bird with rusty-brown cap, yellow above the eye, yellow throat, yellow on tail feathers, wings streaked with light brown. Facing the camera, slightly in profile, perched on a slanted branch.
April 30, 2025 at 2:52 PM
bobtarte.bsky.social
I'll see your grackle on a stick and raise you a bluebird on a stick.
April 29, 2025 at 5:01 PM
bobtarte.bsky.social
Mama Mallard and her dozen ducklings.
Brown female duck with buff scalloping on wing feathers floats behind a dozen small ducklings with yellow faces, brown crown, and a brown line through the eyes.
April 29, 2025 at 4:57 PM
bobtarte.bsky.social
White-throated Sparrow hides in the bushes until snoopy individual finally walks away.

#birds #sparrows #nature #photography #wildlife #birding #Michigan
Bird facing the camera is framed by branches inside a bush. Light gray breast, white throat, brown nape, gray lower face, white upper face, black crown topped with white stripe, black bar from back of head to eye, yellow patch between eye and beak.
April 28, 2025 at 4:04 PM
bobtarte.bsky.social
Red-headed Woodpecker popping up its head yesterday under sunny skies.

#birds #woodpeckers #photography #nature #birds #Michigan
Perched near the top of a dead tree with a blue sky in the background. Woodpecker with white breast, bright red head and throat, and (in this photo a hint of) black wings and back.
April 28, 2025 at 11:54 AM
bobtarte.bsky.social
Male Blue-winged Teal yesterday at North Grand River Riverfront Park in Lowell, MI.

#birds #ducks #wildlife #nature #photography #Michigan
Proud-looking duck with brown, black-speckled body, purple-gray neck and head, and large white vertical crescent between the eye and the bill.
April 27, 2025 at 11:55 AM