Andy Birkey
@andybirkey
Queer. He/him. Once an award-winning journalist. Part time field biologist: focus Coccinellidae/Lepidoptera. Nature-inspired artist/graphic designer. Aurora CO-based. Roots in Minnesota.
Wilderness camping in Colorado means sometimes a moose comes lumbering through your camp. There were two of these guys. I grabbed my phone in time to catch the second one. Scary and amazing and wonderful all at the same time. Rawah Wilderness Area.
A lot of lady beetle species diversity on a scale-infested Russian crabapple tree down the street. Twice-stabbed lady beetle is a lifer for me, and the lateral sigil lady beetle was a repeat on the same tree from last year. It's actually the only place I've ever seen that species. #invertebrates
Yesterday, I wondered when I'd break an 8-minute mile and today was the day! 7:49! And I'm almost under 25 minutes for the 5K. I blame much better weather today and a very good night's sleep. Now, to get that 5K under 25 mins, and that mile under 7:30.
I hit a new PR for my mile. 8:03! Cracking into the 7-minutes should happen here pretty quickly. It was windy and 80 degrees by 7am, and the extreme dry air was hell on my throat and nose. No PR for the 5k, but considering the weather, I'm happy with that mile time!
A lady beetle, possibly Hyperaspis gemma, at Palmer Park in El Paso County on Saturday. The heart-shaped elytra spots on the rear seem to match with H. gemma, but tiny lady beetles are a mess to ID. It's a new species for me, no matter what it turns out to be! If H. gemma, new for CO too. #inverts
Lots of moths at the moth light this week. None of these are new species to me but they are some of my favorites. Ids in alt text.
Today's run: best mile since high school! 8:13. And 5k is now under 26 minutes. I was struggling to get below 10 minute mile in January, so things are picking up quickly. losing 17 lbs of beer belly didn't hurt!
An awesome day getting tattooed for charity at the Tats for Tails fundraiser for the Denver Animal Shelter. So many cute dogs!
This year has been my year of running. And today I had a good one! My 5K is at 27 minutes, and for the first time in a long time (30 years), my mile is under 9 minutes. This is largely due to training daily and giving up nicotine and alcohol.
Some critters from the moth light this weekend so far. The Indomitable Graphic Moth (Melipotis indomita) is a new one for me. Id's in the alt text. #moths #invertebrates
Some moths at the moth light this morning. Excited for warmer weather to see what new species pop up. The Linden Bark Borer is a new one for me, and also an introduced species in this area. IDs in alt text. #moths #invertebrates
Another Bolder Boulder weekend is finished. I beat my 2025 time by 16 minutes (!) and almost did a 10k in under an hour. Very, very surprised and happy with these results! And it's always a treat to spend a weekend in Boulder.
Some moths from the moth light this week (despite the much-needed rain!). Bird dropping moths (the third image) are a neat genus having evolved to look like bird poop so they don't become bird poop. IDs in the alt text!
A great hike up Flaggstaff Mountain near Boulder this week. Always a great place to see Julie Orangetips which are difficult to photograph. Very flighty little things.
It’s Miller (Moth) Time! This morning, I had the first miller moth of the season at the moth light. The annual migration is here. I recently wrote about the cultural aspects of the annual swarms across Colorado’s Front Range. #invertebrates #moths andybirkey.substack.com/p/the-annual...
Some moths at the light last night. Probably the last for a few days as 6 inches of snow is about do blanket the yard. IDs in alt text. #invertebrates #mothmonday #moths
Moths have been less frequent over the last week as the weather here in Aurora, Colo., has become cool and damp (this is a very, very good thing). Tentative IDs in the alt text. #invertebrates.
Moths have slowed at the moth light with cooler nights than we had during the heat wave, but these are two new species for the yard in Aurora.
I'm watching a bunch of bug horror movies for a project I'm working on, and I HAVE to share this no-budget gem. Proboscis (2000) was filmed in Minnesota about a giant mosquito. There's an evil corporation called Scrote-tech. Some guy eats poisonous mushrooms and proceeds to fart much of the movie.
More moths at the moth light yesterday, including this female and male Half-wing Moth (Phigalia titea). I didn't know it got its common name because the female is flightless (?) and has greatly reduced wings. I wasn't even sure it was a moth when it appeared at the light. #invertebrates #moths
This is probably my most sold nature photo: The endangered Rusty-patched Bumble Bee (Bombus affinis). This one was at Crosby Farm Park in St. Paul, MN. I've seen this species in St. Paul and in Peoria, IL. SE Minnesota and N Illinois are the two places this species still occurs in good numbers.
I think the Mississippi River bluffs from Minneapolis to Dubuque are an underappreciated landscape. This is right where Iowa and Minnesota meet near New Albin. Taken in May 2019 during the 2019 Mississippi River flood.
First tiger beetles of the year at Pronghorn Natural Area, Arapahoe County, Colorado. It's not uncommon for these to emerge in early March, so this isn't unusual despite the extreme temperatures we're having lately. #invertebrates
Moths at the moth light! First moths of the season last night. My best guesses in the alt text. 3/20/26, Aurora. Colo. #invertebrates #moths
I set up the moth light for the first time this year because of the warm weather, and while there were no moths, there were plenty of arthropods. My best guesses in the comments on each photo. All from my yard in Aurora (Arapahoe County). #invertebrates
Tawny Emperor (Asterocampa clyton) along US Highway 61 in Houston County, Minnesota. I'd gotten a call that morning that my dad was dying; I was making the drive home to Peoria. I'd pulled over to phone mom, and it landed on this rock in front of me. Strong memories in this photo.