Author Archives: Kim Smith

Insects as Art

Posted on July 11, 2018

It’s obvious that I’ve developed quite the obsession with insects, right? I was talking to a friend the other day about how often people respond to my insect posts on social media with comments like, “Gross!” or “Bugs are disgusting!”  … Continue reading →

Posted in Birds, Insects, Photography | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Please Stop Killing Snakes!

Posted on July 9, 2018

Sigh. I was in the process of writing a very pleasant post about some lovely dragonflies, but something more important has come up, prompting this brief subject detour. Three times recently I’ve seen posts by friends on Facebook proudly proclaiming … Continue reading →

Posted in Humans vs All Other Animals, Ohio | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

Elves and Sprites: More Dragon-Hunting Gems

Posted on June 28, 2018

As I said in my last post, my friend Ryan and I finished out the weekend after the dragonfly conference by spending Sunday visiting several spots in search of some more species of dragon- and damselflies. We went to Cedar … Continue reading →

Posted in Insects | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Hooked on Odes

Posted on June 26, 2018

This past weekend was the long-awaited Odo-Con, the dragonfly conference of the Ohio Odonata Society. This was my second year to attend, and I was glad that this time I would know more people and not feel like such a … Continue reading →

Posted in Insects | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

I Went to Hell and Back for This — Twice

Posted on June 16, 2018

This is a story about expectations. In the beginning of the story you may think I’m quite thick-headed. But I think I redeemed myself in the end, so I’m willing to suffer some embarrassment in the interest of making a … Continue reading →

Posted in Birds, Ecotherapy, Happiness and Gratitude, Insects, Ohio, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

The Circle of Life, Insect Edition

Posted on June 2, 2018

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, this is the time of year when the focus of my nature explorations turns away from birds and toward dragonflies and other insects. And just like the birds this year, the dragonflies seemed … Continue reading →

Posted in Insects | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

The Wings That Lifted Me Up

Posted on May 23, 2018

I just had the most extraordinary experience thanks to the kindness of a friend. I’d been feeling down for a few days and was keeping to myself, refusing to socialize with anyone. I knew I just needed some time away … Continue reading →

Posted in Happiness and Gratitude, Insects | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Adjusting the Focus

Posted on May 12, 2018

I’ve been doing so much birding this year that, to my surprise, I found myself quickly climbing the rankings in my county’s eBird list. I hadn’t set out to compete with everyone else, but when I saw my name hit … Continue reading →

Posted in Birds | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Wordless Wednesday: YELLOW!!

Posted on May 9, 2018
Posted in Birds | 1 Comment

I’m Exhausted and We’re Just Getting Started

Posted on May 6, 2018

Where to begin? Spring migration has been in progress for a while, but it got a slow start because we had persistent north winds that kept large numbers of birds stuck south of us. That finally changed early last week … Continue reading →

Posted in Birds, Ecotherapy, Migration | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments