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jencross.bsky.social
Jen Cross
@jencross.bsky.social
53K followers 860 following 10K posts
Engineer by day | Nature & landscape photographer | Birds, bugs, spiders | Friend of animals that scare people | Be decent & kind | she / her | IG heyjencross 📸www.jencrossphoto.com
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jencross.bsky.social
Jen Cross @jencross.bsky.social · Oct 17
Hello new followers! I drag around a camera and take lots of photos. I love learning new techniques and tend to post lots of bugs and birds, but nothing is off limits.

Eastern Bluebird, Hummingbird Clearwing Moth, Glacier National Park landscape, Puffins floating on the ocean
Female Eastern Bluebird sitting on a skinny bare branch with snow flurries flying around. A hummingbird clearwing moth visiting a pink bee balm flower. Big bend overlook at Glacier National Park. Colorful mountain scenery fills the foreground with two huge peeks filling the middle ground. The skies are cloud and the scene is dramatic. Puffins floating in the Bay of Fundy.
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jencross.bsky.social
Jen Cross @jencross.bsky.social · 1d
My cousin Deb was a great guiding light. From inspiring my love of science and nature, to encouraging me to apply to grad school, to helping me navigate life. I can wholeheartedly say, if not for her I wouldn’t be who I am today. I’m going to miss her so much. www.pepplerfh.com/obituary/deb...
Obituary for Deborah A. Cole at Peppler - Bordentown
Deborah Cole, 63, of Trenton NJ passed away peacefully at home on October 4, 2025, while surrounded by family and friends. Deborah was born in Trenton, NJ and lived in Bordentown, NJ before moving to ...
www.pepplerfh.com
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jencross.bsky.social
Jen Cross @jencross.bsky.social · 1d
Yeah, I wouldn’t bother posting there at all if not for some family being there.
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jencross.bsky.social
Jen Cross @jencross.bsky.social · 1d
I haven’t been on Facebook in a while, but since I’m planning a funeral I’ve been posting over there and my god, it is filled to the digital rafters with AI slop.
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jencross.bsky.social
Jen Cross @jencross.bsky.social · 3d
Lost one of my best friends last night, my cousin Deb. She passed away after a tough battle with pancreatic cancer. I’m on the right, Deb in the middle, with our friend Cherry at a street festival back during my college days. She was an amazing person and wonderful mentor. I’m going to miss her.
Three friends sharing a happy moment during better times.
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Reposted by Jen Cross
karenattiah.bsky.social
Karen Attiah @karenattiah.bsky.social · 4d
Columbia canceled my class on race and media, but I'm teaching the people anyway.

Oct. 5 is the *last day* to register for my online live + recorded classes on Race, Media & International Affairs!

We have more than 500 students enrolled. Let's gooo!

www.resistancesummerschool.com/fall-2025-re...
Fall Registration for Race, Media & International Affairs with Karen Attiah — Resistance Study Series
A virtual, seven week beginner and intermediate course on the history of race, mass media, and the modern world order.
www.resistancesummerschool.com
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jencross.bsky.social
Jen Cross @jencross.bsky.social · 5d
Bugguide has some tips. You also may be able to use range to narrow down the less common species. bugguide.net/node/view/15...
Genus Oxyopes
An online resource devoted to North American insects, spiders and their kin, offering identification, images, and information.
bugguide.net
jencross.bsky.social
Jen Cross @jencross.bsky.social · 5d
Common names are somewhat misleading… 😏
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jencross.bsky.social
Jen Cross @jencross.bsky.social · 5d
It sounds silly, but if you watch hunters like jumping spiders or lynx spiders you can see them trailing a strand of silk to catch them if they miss a jump. 👷
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jencross.bsky.social
Jen Cross @jencross.bsky.social · 5d
That spider has lots of common names, like Yellow Garden Spider. This is a female and her goal is hanging out in a web to snare prey. (Argiope aurantia)
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jencross.bsky.social
Jen Cross @jencross.bsky.social · 5d
Given that they’re called western lynx spiders I didn’t realize they lived near the east coast until a few years ago.
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jencross.bsky.social
Jen Cross @jencross.bsky.social · 5d
Lynx spiders are active hunters that don’t use webs. They use silk for other purposes including safety lines and to make egg sacks. #arachtober
Western Lynx Spider
(Oxyopes scalaris)
A brown spider with with a pear shaped head that has what vertical stripes. It is standing on a white fuzzy leaf.
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jencross.bsky.social
Jen Cross @jencross.bsky.social · 5d
I need some Cleveland Spiders swag. 🙂

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clevela...
Cleveland Spiders - Wikipedia
en.m.wikipedia.org
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jencross.bsky.social
Jen Cross @jencross.bsky.social · 6d
Wow, these are great.
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jencross.bsky.social
Jen Cross @jencross.bsky.social · 6d
There is so much variety in spider eye arrangement. Yes, in some species the bottom eyes are larger. Lycosid is the family name for wolf spiders and that’s on the bottom right.
Image source unknown
A chart showing different patterns of spider eyes by taxonomic family.
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jencross.bsky.social
Jen Cross @jencross.bsky.social · 6d
Awesome!
jencross.bsky.social
Jen Cross @jencross.bsky.social · 6d
Everyone else was busy looking for tarantulas so I had her all to myself.
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jencross.bsky.social
Jen Cross @jencross.bsky.social · 6d
She’s so pretty. It’s one of my favorite spider photos.
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jencross.bsky.social
Jen Cross @jencross.bsky.social · 6d
Carolina Wolf Spiders are found throughout North America. They typically live in burrows and hunt by stalking their prey. This is gorgeous female was found on a desert night hike near Portal, AZ. #arachtober
(Hogna carolinensis)
A gray spider with two large forward facing eyes outlined in yellow and yellow on the mouthparts. She is standing on a rock a s facing the camera.
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jencross.bsky.social
Jen Cross @jencross.bsky.social · 6d
Would you like a spider? It’s #Arachtober after all.
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Reposted by Jen Cross
arachtober.bsky.social
Arachtober @arachtober.bsky.social · 7d
Join us in celebrating Arachtober by sharing your #spider and other #arachnid photos all month. #Arachtober has spread around the web. We’ve created a basic site at Arachtober.com to explain what this is all about. Banner by @ashleymbradford.bsky.social, inspired by my recent linocut artwork.
Black and white line art of a jumping spider surrounded by morning glory flowers with text Arachtober 2025.
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Reposted by Jen Cross
birderk.bsky.social
Birder K @birderk.bsky.social · 7d
The Winter Finch Forecast was published a couple days ago. Irruptions are likely this winter for a number of species. We’ve already seen mass movements of Red-breasted Nuthatches this fall.
#birds #fall #irruption
finchnetwork.org/winter-finch...
Winter Finch Forecast 2025-2026 - FINCH RESEARCH NETWORK
By Tyler Hoar Featured Post Photo: ©David Turgeon GENERAL FORECAST It looks to be a flight year for many species in Eastern Canada. With mostly very poor crops in the boreal forest from central Quebec...
finchnetwork.org
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Reposted by Jen Cross
bertonemyia.bsky.social
Matt Bertone @bertonemyia.bsky.social · 9d
🚨 Spicy gummy worm alert! 🚨 🐛

Though it may look delicious, the bright colors warn of its ability to sting. Kinda looks like it's wearing pajamas...

Thanks to @dradriansmith.bsky.social for hosting the specimen.

stinging rose #caterpillar
#Limacodidae: #Parasa indetermina
NC, USA
A squishy-looking caterpillar sits on a leaf. It has four thin black lines alternating with white running down its back, with alternating orangish-red and yellow stripes down the sides. Along its body are a few tentacle-like protuberances covered in stinging spines. There are smaller round, evenly spaced warts covered in spines along the body as well. A squishy-looking caterpillar sits on a leaf. It has four thin black lines alternating with white running down its back, with alternating orangish-red and yellow stripes down the sides. Along its body are a few tentacle-like protuberances covered in stinging spines. There are smaller round, evenly spaced warts covered in spines along the body as well. A squishy-looking caterpillar sits on a leaf. It has four thin black lines alternating with white running down its back, with alternating orangish-red and yellow stripes down the sides. Along its body are a few tentacle-like protuberances covered in stinging spines. There are smaller round, evenly spaced warts covered in spines along the body as well. The squishy head region of a caterpillar can be seen curling around the edge of the leaf, its spiky protuberances can also be seen cresting the edge of the leaf.
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Reposted by Jen Cross
logicaphotography.bsky.social
Stephanie Graham @logicaphotography.bsky.social · 10d
Get away from my ladies! #ukwildlife #reddeer #deerrut
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Reposted by Jen Cross
theplanetaryguy.bsky.social
Paul Byrne @theplanetaryguy.bsky.social · 10d
Some stones, pebbles, and sand.

Photographed Thursday.

On Mars.
An otherwise boring view of some stones and sand with a yellowish hue, except these stones and sand are on Mars and were photographed only a few days ago.
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Reposted by Jen Cross
dptbirder.bsky.social
Peter Nguyen @dptbirder.bsky.social · 11d
Now that was thrilling!

I never panicked. Made myself low and small to the side of the trail

3 youngsters. Healthy. And not agressive

We shared a quite a moment 🐕🐶
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