Diario de galactic_bug_man

I am so happy to have participated on a lot of stuff in 2017 but now that 2017 is now passed I need to look toward the future and see what this year holds in store for this young naturalist. I defiantly have a few bug hunts lined up and a few other events lined up for the next year. I also have that City Nature Challenge to look forward too as well. I participated in last year's City Nature Challenge and that was just small potatoes compared to the one coming up this year. I am looking forward to try and triple my life list; so far I have 769 on my life list now which is good but I am like a lot of people who like even numbers. I am looking forward to the smaller BioBlitzes that go on around at Elmer W. Oliver Nature Park and other places. I am so looking forward to all the fun and adventure that await in 2018. INaturalist has become a big part of my life and I have grown very attached to it. I hope to continue to double my efforts as a citizen scientist and do my part by spreading iNaturalist news, ideas, and just facts about iNaturalist in general. It is a very unique site that I love to use and I think that more people need to get involved with it. I for one am going to tell even more people about it this year. I hope to find more birds and stuff around my home area. I have a feeling that I will be in contest with my brother since he is a gamer and goes to events around Texas. I frankly don't do a lot of gaming so I have to work around my brother's events to find time and go get some outdoor adventure fun. I wouldn't have it any other way. Who knows what lies in wait for me; I hope to double my insect list since I am aspiring to be an entomologist I want to get to know even more insects this year. I am hoping to get to more Mothing events and get to see some more unique moths and night insects. I am going to use a lot of my new tactics that I have learned this year from my naturalist friends so that way I can really up my game and my list of species. I for one am ready to embark on my 2018 journey. I have no idea where I will go, don't know what kind of new people I will meet, and I don't know where the road goes from here but where ever the river of life will take me; it will be extraordinary. It is going to be another wild year full of discovery; that you can be certain of. Until next time fellow naturalists this is Galactic_bug_man signing off. I will see you guys on the trail. See you very soon.

Well it is a new year and I have been doing a little bit of birding and stuff but the insect drought that winter brings always drives me crazy. The insects are my life blood mainly and I have encountered only a handful of insect observations this winter. However I have been thinking toward the future and I am going to get a mothing light setup soon. I have been wanting to get a mothing light set up for a while and have talked it over with my family and I have been given a green light. I did have a design in mind but after review I still want to save a little bit of money since my family is searching for a new house in Arlington. I have thought it over and the mothing light will just be a white sheet suspended in the air by a few strings. It will be lit up by a clamp light and a good bulb (@kimberlietx @sambiology @brentano any ideas on what kind of bulb to buy?). I thought about getting a Tripod too; my small red camera may be tough but like most of us mothing folks our cameras don't work in bad light. I figured that I could use a tripod and tape multiple flash lights on it or something and get the shots I need. This setup will come in handy as I will use it during the 2018 City Nature Challenge. I will try and use it every night of the event so that way I can get even more observations than last year; I will also use it on nights when we come home late and I am just sitting around doing nothing. I would also like to use it on nights when we have work days in the backyard and to relax and watch the insects in the summer. I am so ready to get that set up and start mothing when the time comes. I have been very eager to learn more about moths and to get more moth observations for National Moth Week. The Moths are one thing that I am looking forward to return to my backyard.

The Dragonflies are another insect I am looking forward to coming back. I have been birding at a few areas that I think will be great to look for dragonflies this coming spring and summer. I am looking forward to netting them for further observation. I have my eye set on catching a Common Green Darner Male. That is one I have been wanting to catch. I attempted it last year but the silly sucker used evasive action every time I would swing. I have grown very fond of Moths and Dragonflies during the course of my life. Last year was the time I observed the most of the two groups. In the meantime I have been studying up on the two groups of insects I have also been planning on planting more native plants for the other insects including the Monarch Butterfly. I have been wanting to get a lot of Native Seeds and plant them at the new house if we get one. I could start with this house and get it looking good. I have been wanting to plant more native flowers for the birds and the bugs that frequent my yard. I also want to attract new species. I did have some Turkscap and I am hoping it survived the winter. It was starting to spread but who knows if it is dead or not. I also have some Cherry Laurel and some Yarrow and other plants that grow here. I am trying my best not to get anything that is not a native since I am trying to mend my ways of getting none native plants. I for one am wanting to get a nice native garden full of cool prairie plants and other things. I have a plan in mind and I am hoping it sticks. I am focusing my mind on a lot of things and a great precentage of that mind power this year will focus on my Math class of course but also the insects that I love. This year is going to be a great year for insects I hope. I am sure that I will find more this year than I did last year. Here's too a good insect full year.