Heidi Eaton
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heidi-eaton.bsky.social
Heidi Eaton
@heidi-eaton.bsky.social
330 followers 320 following 130 posts
Artist, birder, nature lover, KW4KH, elementary aide, former great ape keeper
"Once a Zookeeper, Always a Zookeeper" she/her
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heidi-eaton.bsky.social
The first scratchboard I've finished in over a year, and I got two finished up this week. This is an 8x10 scratchboard of a gorilla, titled "Asha". #art #scratchboard #scratchart #gorilla
Black and white artwork of a gorilla looking toward the left. Art is done by scratching away a black surface to expose the white underneath.
November 28, 2025 at 10:37 PM
heidi-eaton.bsky.social
Two lifers in one week! Whooping Cranes last weekend at Quivira NWR (Stafford Co, KS) and a hen King Eider at Perry Lake (Jefferson Co, KS). #birds #birding
Ten Whooping Cranes, large long-necked and long-legged white birds, are spaced out in a wetland. Some have their heads up and some are preening. Two are juveniles and have rusty plumage. A large brown King Eider duck with a large bill, pale facial markings and scaly markings on her body is swimming next to an American Coot, which is a black bird with a white bill.
November 16, 2025 at 3:52 AM
heidi-eaton.bsky.social
For this last day of Arachtober, here are 4 different spiders from a variety of locations. Thanks for enjoying the 8-legged critters with me this month! Happy Arachtober! More info on each spider, including ID, in ALT text. #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️
A dapper Rabid Wolf Spider, Rabidosa rabida, at Ottawa State Fishing Lake, Ottawa County, KS. July 2025 A female Colonus sp jumping spider crossing the path in Morris County, KS in early fall of 2025. Females like this one are pale, looking like an entire different species than the dark, more colorful male. This Goldenrod Crab Spider, Misumena vatia, was waiting for prey on a Cinquefoil in Teller County, CO this past summer. A beautiful male Colonus sp. jumping spider spotted at VA Park in Leavenworth, KS in late spring
October 31, 2025 at 3:14 AM
heidi-eaton.bsky.social
Four different species of spiders, all photographed in Shannon County, MO over Labor Day weekend. IDs on individual photos in ALT text. #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️
Pityohyphantes sp. - a type of sheetweb weaver spider, found on the underside of a leaf. A tan spider with a pale yellow abdomen marked with light brown triangles. Eustala sp. - An orbweaver with a somewhat pointed abdomen that appears to have face-like markings on it. She is oriented head-down in her web in front of a leaf. male Neoscona sp. - Male spiders are much smaller and often shaped differently than the females. In this case, they have much longer legs and smaller abdomens. They don't usually have webs of their own, wandering in search of females. Verrucosa arenata - Triangle orbweaver - a reddish brown spider that has a triangle-shaped abdomen, which is white to yellow on the dorsal surface.
October 30, 2025 at 4:42 AM
heidi-eaton.bsky.social
Two arachnids found on the same tree, a gorgeous Lacebark Elm at a local arboretum. I'm not sure what the velvet mite (Trombidiidae) is doing with what are eggs sacs of something else. The spider is a really pretty species, Neoscona domiciliorum. #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️
A red, wrinkled velvet mite is investigating a pair of cottony egg sacs on the bark of a tree. An orbweaver with a strongly patterned abdomen (shades of brown with white lines and patterns) is sitting on the flaky bark of a lacebark elm tree.
October 29, 2025 at 2:11 AM
heidi-eaton.bsky.social
Two different species of fishing spiders, both seen along the same trail in Southern Illinois. The first, on the rock, is Dolomedes scriptus. The second, on the metal bridge, is Dolomedes tenebrosus. #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️
A large, dark spider is perched on a whitish rock and a stream can be seen behind the rock. A large, brown patterned spider is facing right on a rusty metal surface.
October 28, 2025 at 4:21 AM
heidi-eaton.bsky.social
This lovely jumper was spotted on a dry reed along the bank of Ottawa State Fishing Lake in Ottawa County, KS. #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️
A jumping spider with dark front legs and a rust and gray racing stripe down its abdomen is perched on a brown reed facing the camera. A top view of a jumping spider with dark front legs and the rest of the legs are tan. It's body is tan with a dark rust color on either side of a light gray racing stripe.
October 27, 2025 at 4:14 AM
heidi-eaton.bsky.social
The female White-banded Crab Spider (Misumenoides formosipes) can be either white or yellow and can adjust its color to the flower that it is on. This one was in Carter County, Missouri. #Arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️
A yellow crab spider sits on a yellow flower, well camouflaged to wait for a visiting insect to come along.
October 26, 2025 at 3:51 AM
heidi-eaton.bsky.social
Not one of the usual "flower crab spiders", but a ground crab spider in the genus Xysticus taking advantage of a flower to catch lunch. This one was spotted on a prairie bioblitz in Missouri. #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️
A crab spider with a white abdomen with black spots is perched on a white fleabane flower and has caught a syrphid fly.
October 26, 2025 at 3:49 AM
heidi-eaton.bsky.social
Another unique spider, the Toadlike Bolas Spider (Mastophora phrynosoma) looks like a lump of gross bird poop, but is able to catch prey using a sticky glob on the end of a line of silk. #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️
What looks like a glob of bird poop is actually a spider, its abdomon bulbous and white on the bottom and poop brown on top. It sits with its legs pulled in tight around its head, so it doesn't look like the spider it is.
October 25, 2025 at 4:20 AM
heidi-eaton.bsky.social
I posted a couple of these (Spintharus flavidus) earlier in the month, both on the undersides of leaves. This one was spotted in its web. Shannon County, MO #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️
A spider with a yellow tear-drop shaped abdomen and long yellow legs is suspended in a nearly invisible web.
October 25, 2025 at 4:18 AM
heidi-eaton.bsky.social
We found a few mature Banded Argiope (Argiope trifasciata) in a prairie in central Kansas. Two of them had captured cicadas, as seen in the first photo. #Arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️
Large spider with a yellow body and yellow and black striped legs has captured a cicada that is larger than the spider and wrapped it in silk. A large spider with a yellow body with narrow black and white stripes and yellow and black banded legs is in the center of its web.
October 24, 2025 at 3:05 AM
heidi-eaton.bsky.social
These photos aren't as sharp as I'd like, but this species (Phidippus putnami) is so gorgeous, I couldn't leave it out. This beauty was photographed at nature hike in rural Lincoln County, Kansas last July. #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️
A fuzzy jumping spider with white legs and a greenish face is looking at the camera with its big eyes while perched on a leaf. A jumping spider with a black body and carapace and fuzzy white legs is perched on a leaf.
October 23, 2025 at 3:29 AM
heidi-eaton.bsky.social
Two angles of the same spider, Neoscona crucifera. This is the most common large orbweaver in our area. This one was found on a night hike in Shannon County, MO. #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️
A brown orbweaver with short hairs on its body and legs is spread out in its web front lit by a flash in front of a dark background. A side angle shot of a brown orbweaving spider with short hairs on its body and legs in the center of its web.
October 22, 2025 at 4:45 AM
heidi-eaton.bsky.social
We found two of these really pretty and interesting spiders in far southern Illinois this past July. The Basilica Spider (Mecynogea lemniscata) is so named for the dome shaped web seen in the first photo. Those are her egg sacs above the dome. #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️
A spider is left of center in her dome shaped web. Above the web are suspended a line of 4 egg sacs. A spider with an oblong-shaped abdomen with greenish, orange and white markings is hanging upside-down in her web.
October 21, 2025 at 3:03 AM
heidi-eaton.bsky.social
This lovely White-banded Crab Spider (Misumenoides formosipes) was spotted on a night walk in Shannon County, Missouri. #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️
October 20, 2025 at 3:48 AM
heidi-eaton.bsky.social
This beautiful large wolf spider (Gladicosa pulcra) was living under the edge of the siding on my friend's house in Shannon County, MO. She would venture out at night, enjoying the spoils of a nearby blacklight setup. #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️
A large dark brown wolf spider with gray banded legs and gray markings has a couple of dead caddisflies near it. A beautiful dark grayish-brown wolf spider, with gray bands on the legs and pretty gray markings on its abdomen is perched on metal flashing.
October 19, 2025 at 4:39 AM
heidi-eaton.bsky.social
Another new species for me this year, was Spintharus flavidus, a small orbweaver more often found on the underside of leaves than in a web. Here are two of them I found in the same area Labor Day weekend. Shannon County, Missouri #Arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️
A spindly-legged spider with a triangular body with a red and green pattern is sprawled on the underside of a green leaf. A spindly-legged spider with a triangular body with a red and green pattern is sprawled on the underside of a green leaf.
October 18, 2025 at 4:17 AM
heidi-eaton.bsky.social
This beautifully marked Nursery Web Spider (Pisaurina mira) was a visitor to our blacklights in Shannon County, Missouri over Labor Day weekend. #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️
October 17, 2025 at 3:03 AM
heidi-eaton.bsky.social
We watched this wasp find and sting this orbweaver. It then dragged up the trunk of the tree and out to the tip of a branch where it could fly with it to its nest. We didn't actually see it fly with it, but it took awhile to do the dragging. Kansas July 2025 #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️
A black wasp is grasping a spider in its jaws and backing up the trunk of a tree.
October 16, 2025 at 4:40 AM
heidi-eaton.bsky.social
Quite a bit smaller than the Spined Micrathena, the White Micrathena (Micrathena mitrata) likes similar forest habitats, frequently making its webs across trails (or so it seems). #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️
October 15, 2025 at 2:34 AM
heidi-eaton.bsky.social
This Gnaphosid, which I believe is in the genus Sergiolus, was spotted on a railing around a pond at Mueller State Park in Teller County, CO last June. #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️
A compact spider with gray, black and white markings and brown legs has a small midge in its jaws.
October 14, 2025 at 1:49 AM
heidi-eaton.bsky.social
I've found that these Marbled Orbweavers (Araneus marmoreus) are rather skittish and easily startled back to their hide from the web. I was excited to get a photo of this one out in its web in Shannon County, Missouri in late August. #Arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️
A plump female orbweaver with a marbled brown and yellow abdomen, brownish-red thorax, and red, white, and black striped legs is perched in the center of her web.
October 13, 2025 at 2:31 AM
heidi-eaton.bsky.social
This handsome Dark Fishing Spider (Dolomedes tenebrosus) seemed to be living in a kettle grill outside our VRBO in western Kentucky, as it was perched on top of it at night, retreating into the vent holes. #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️
A large, leggy spider with a brown and tan body and brown and tan banded legs is perched on a black kettle grill, next to the silver vent.
October 12, 2025 at 1:05 AM
heidi-eaton.bsky.social
This unique looking jumper, with really long chelicerae, is Bagheera prosper. Mostly known from more tropical climes, this one was spotted at a state park in western Kentucky. #arachtober #arachtober2025 #spider 🕷️
This brown and white jumping spider with long black chelicerae is Bagheera prosper. This species is considered a more tropical species, but this one was found at Kenline State Resort Park in western Kentucky.
October 11, 2025 at 3:17 AM