Travis McEnery
@travismcenery.bsky.social
What, are Australian families a different size than average Canadian ones? Does it take more, or less, beef to feed an Australian family?
October 31, 2025 at 5:08 PM
What, are Australian families a different size than average Canadian ones? Does it take more, or less, beef to feed an Australian family?
Somebody please tell me I am not the only nerd to ever bring hot sauce to work in a specimen vial.
October 29, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Somebody please tell me I am not the only nerd to ever bring hot sauce to work in a specimen vial.
Here's where I found myself this morning. On spider-related business. Obviously.
If you're a spider nerd, you've probably seen the shorts about this. Turns out they're not WRONG, really, but they could be a bit... less wronger.
Work is in progress.
If you're a spider nerd, you've probably seen the shorts about this. Turns out they're not WRONG, really, but they could be a bit... less wronger.
Work is in progress.
October 22, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Here's where I found myself this morning. On spider-related business. Obviously.
If you're a spider nerd, you've probably seen the shorts about this. Turns out they're not WRONG, really, but they could be a bit... less wronger.
Work is in progress.
If you're a spider nerd, you've probably seen the shorts about this. Turns out they're not WRONG, really, but they could be a bit... less wronger.
Work is in progress.
Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canadians! Hope you enjoy your turkey with cranberries the way this wolfie is enjoying her... wolfie, apparently, ON a cranberry, while skimming the surface of a cranberry bog.
October 12, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canadians! Hope you enjoy your turkey with cranberries the way this wolfie is enjoying her... wolfie, apparently, ON a cranberry, while skimming the surface of a cranberry bog.
Trying to draw a diagram of a salticid retina for a video and accidentally drew a speedo.
October 7, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Trying to draw a diagram of a salticid retina for a video and accidentally drew a speedo.
Working on a video and came across this photo of this very thoughtful-looking Western Lynx spider and thought it was adorable. So I thought I'd share.
#Pentax K-5ii
#Pentax K-5ii
October 7, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Working on a video and came across this photo of this very thoughtful-looking Western Lynx spider and thought it was adorable. So I thought I'd share.
#Pentax K-5ii
#Pentax K-5ii
Tried to film Dana grabbing her dinner tonight and vastly underestimated the distance and speed at which she can sense - and strike - prey. This genus of spiders absolutely astounds me.
September 23, 2025 at 1:07 AM
Tried to film Dana grabbing her dinner tonight and vastly underestimated the distance and speed at which she can sense - and strike - prey. This genus of spiders absolutely astounds me.
A species I don't often get to see, I came across this lovely little Dolomedes triton yesterday, the Six-spotted fishing spider. I didn't realize how comfortable they are when fully submerged, with a layer of air sticking to them. And they're instantly dry when they resurface. Love these spoods.
September 21, 2025 at 2:01 PM
A species I don't often get to see, I came across this lovely little Dolomedes triton yesterday, the Six-spotted fishing spider. I didn't realize how comfortable they are when fully submerged, with a layer of air sticking to them. And they're instantly dry when they resurface. Love these spoods.
Today was a bit rough but this lovely picture of my little Larinioides made it a bit brighter.
September 16, 2025 at 1:52 AM
Today was a bit rough but this lovely picture of my little Larinioides made it a bit brighter.
Trying to photograph a spider:
ME: You'll hate the plastic tub, here's a nice rock to sit on like where you came from
SPIDER: No I don't think I will
ME: Please just get on the rock for a nice picture
SPIDER: No we hates it
ME: Could you just
SPIDER: We hates you too
ME: You'll hate the plastic tub, here's a nice rock to sit on like where you came from
SPIDER: No I don't think I will
ME: Please just get on the rock for a nice picture
SPIDER: No we hates it
ME: Could you just
SPIDER: We hates you too
September 6, 2025 at 10:59 PM
Trying to photograph a spider:
ME: You'll hate the plastic tub, here's a nice rock to sit on like where you came from
SPIDER: No I don't think I will
ME: Please just get on the rock for a nice picture
SPIDER: No we hates it
ME: Could you just
SPIDER: We hates you too
ME: You'll hate the plastic tub, here's a nice rock to sit on like where you came from
SPIDER: No I don't think I will
ME: Please just get on the rock for a nice picture
SPIDER: No we hates it
ME: Could you just
SPIDER: We hates you too
Some of Temu's AI-generated product images are something else. I just... don't know what to say about this one.
August 24, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Some of Temu's AI-generated product images are something else. I just... don't know what to say about this one.
Trying to record music in my office and a major challenge is moving instruments around without putting them right through the webs of my orb weavers.
August 17, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Trying to record music in my office and a major challenge is moving instruments around without putting them right through the webs of my orb weavers.
So with the size of the wildfires here in Nova Scotia being expressed in hectares, helpful people put this graphic on the internet and the math is right but WHY ARE THEY NOT SQUARES???
August 15, 2025 at 3:56 PM
So with the size of the wildfires here in Nova Scotia being expressed in hectares, helpful people put this graphic on the internet and the math is right but WHY ARE THEY NOT SQUARES???
When you need a picture of a spider's claw tuft and the only instrument you have that gets close enough is your kids' old toy microscope. Kinda blurry but it's visible!
August 7, 2025 at 7:04 PM
When you need a picture of a spider's claw tuft and the only instrument you have that gets close enough is your kids' old toy microscope. Kinda blurry but it's visible!
This little tiny Larinioides tho...
(Whole spider is maybe the size of a lentil)
(Whole spider is maybe the size of a lentil)
August 6, 2025 at 11:48 PM
This little tiny Larinioides tho...
(Whole spider is maybe the size of a lentil)
(Whole spider is maybe the size of a lentil)
iNaturalist is normally pretty good at figuring out whatever I throw at it, but it seems to be having a real bad day today.
Still don't know what spider this is, but I'm pretty sure it's not a bat.
Still don't know what spider this is, but I'm pretty sure it's not a bat.
August 3, 2025 at 8:03 PM
iNaturalist is normally pretty good at figuring out whatever I throw at it, but it seems to be having a real bad day today.
Still don't know what spider this is, but I'm pretty sure it's not a bat.
Still don't know what spider this is, but I'm pretty sure it's not a bat.
Ok, bug nerds. I just got myself the Pentax Papilio II 8.5x binoculars and they ARE AWESOME. The selling point? They can focus on objects as little as 50cm/1.6ft away. They're basically a low-power stereoscope that you can just pick up and point at stuff.
us.ricoh-imaging.com/product/papi...
us.ricoh-imaging.com/product/papi...
July 4, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Ok, bug nerds. I just got myself the Pentax Papilio II 8.5x binoculars and they ARE AWESOME. The selling point? They can focus on objects as little as 50cm/1.6ft away. They're basically a low-power stereoscope that you can just pick up and point at stuff.
us.ricoh-imaging.com/product/papi...
us.ricoh-imaging.com/product/papi...
A featherlegged orbweaver in a pollen-dusted web. These fascinating venom-less spiders so often go unnoticed, as they're pretty tiny. I like them a lot.
#Pentax K-5ii, 100mm Macro WR, flash
#Pentax K-5ii, 100mm Macro WR, flash
June 18, 2025 at 1:54 AM
A featherlegged orbweaver in a pollen-dusted web. These fascinating venom-less spiders so often go unnoticed, as they're pretty tiny. I like them a lot.
#Pentax K-5ii, 100mm Macro WR, flash
#Pentax K-5ii, 100mm Macro WR, flash
It's that time of year here when the cross orb weavers are emerging, both spiderlings just hatching to begin their lives and older juveniles from last fall who have overwintered at least once. Love these spiders.
#Pentax K-5ii, 100mm Macro WR, flash
#Pentax K-5ii, 100mm Macro WR, flash
June 13, 2025 at 11:37 PM
It's that time of year here when the cross orb weavers are emerging, both spiderlings just hatching to begin their lives and older juveniles from last fall who have overwintered at least once. Love these spiders.
#Pentax K-5ii, 100mm Macro WR, flash
#Pentax K-5ii, 100mm Macro WR, flash
This jumper was a new one on me. Sittisax ranieri, Ranier's Patterned Jumping Spider. Thanks to @cataranea.bsky.social and @ibycter.bsky.social for getting me there, and for helping me figure out how to get the most out of my equipment.
Cape Spear, Newfoundland
#Pentax K-5ii, see alt for more
Cape Spear, Newfoundland
#Pentax K-5ii, see alt for more
June 1, 2025 at 8:24 PM
This jumper was a new one on me. Sittisax ranieri, Ranier's Patterned Jumping Spider. Thanks to @cataranea.bsky.social and @ibycter.bsky.social for getting me there, and for helping me figure out how to get the most out of my equipment.
Cape Spear, Newfoundland
#Pentax K-5ii, see alt for more
Cape Spear, Newfoundland
#Pentax K-5ii, see alt for more
Grabbed a stick from outside to use for some spider photography, then noticed some tiny life on it and threw it under the digital microscope. Caught this adorable moment. Little guy just hitched a ride and snail didn't seem to mind.
May 28, 2025 at 1:35 AM
Grabbed a stick from outside to use for some spider photography, then noticed some tiny life on it and threw it under the digital microscope. Caught this adorable moment. Little guy just hitched a ride and snail didn't seem to mind.
Found this guy on my shed today, with his lunch still in his mouth, and he was kind enough to stay in one place long enough for me to run inside and grab the big camera after snapping a bit of video with the phone.
Dolomedes tenebrosus
#Pentax K-5ii, 100mm WR #macro, flash
#photography
Dolomedes tenebrosus
#Pentax K-5ii, 100mm WR #macro, flash
#photography
May 15, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Found this guy on my shed today, with his lunch still in his mouth, and he was kind enough to stay in one place long enough for me to run inside and grab the big camera after snapping a bit of video with the phone.
Dolomedes tenebrosus
#Pentax K-5ii, 100mm WR #macro, flash
#photography
Dolomedes tenebrosus
#Pentax K-5ii, 100mm WR #macro, flash
#photography
Just a couple of the lesser-known ones that frequent my front yard. Platnickina tincta, the false pirate spider, is an easily-overlooked cobweb weaver, while Castianeira cingulata, the two-banded antmimic, is a fast-running ground dweller. Neither was cooperative.
#Pentax K-5ii, 100mm Macro WR
#Pentax K-5ii, 100mm Macro WR
May 8, 2025 at 2:09 AM
Just a couple of the lesser-known ones that frequent my front yard. Platnickina tincta, the false pirate spider, is an easily-overlooked cobweb weaver, while Castianeira cingulata, the two-banded antmimic, is a fast-running ground dweller. Neither was cooperative.
#Pentax K-5ii, 100mm Macro WR
#Pentax K-5ii, 100mm Macro WR
AI in the wild, folks. This was an ad on my FB feed for Temu, advertising a 1.25" to 2" trailer hitch adapter. I'm fairly certain that those don't look in real life like this one in Temu's product image.
May 6, 2025 at 7:09 PM
AI in the wild, folks. This was an ad on my FB feed for Temu, advertising a 1.25" to 2" trailer hitch adapter. I'm fairly certain that those don't look in real life like this one in Temu's product image.