Gray
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grays.art
Gray
@grays.art
Chicago nature photographer:
“the native beauty that lives despite us.”
Hope U ♥️ spiders, bugs, birds & flowers!

📸 Daily original photo(s)
📸 Live critters
📸 In-the-field, manual, hand-held
📸 No tripod, studio, stacking, nor AI
📸 Canon, Olympus & Apple eq
Pinned
Gray @grays.art · Aug 2
Intro

Felicitations.
Thanks for visiting my nature photos.
Yes, my given name is Gray.
Further info is divided into sections comprised of comments, and sub-comments below this pinned post.

⚠️ This is an arthropod safe zone: we treat other Earthlings with respect, as conscious beings, and guides.
Female regal jumping spider
(Phidippus regius)

nesting on a trail marker
at Crew Flint Pen Strand hiking trail
Lee County, Florida

#MacroMonday #BlueSkyMonday #MinimalMonday #ColorADay #PinkMon #EastCoastKin #bugSky #arachnids #spiders #jumpingspiders #macro #photography #macrophotography #art 🕷️
November 10, 2025 at 5:00 AM
Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #StandingOnThings except the Floor, and the Alternative is #Gulls

I've gone with an Anhinga on a fence, though he looks fairly certain to me.

Olympus 180mm

#birds #photography #EastCoastKin #birdphotography #florida #waterbirds #naturephotography #birding
November 9, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Scarlet Skimmer in natural light
(Crocothemis servilia)

with fly parts on grass blade.

Non-native, Asian dragonfly
at Crew Flint Pen Strand trail
Lee County, Florida

7th & final #dragonflyweek photo

#stunDay #eastcoastkin #nature #insects #macro #photography #macrophotography #art #dragonfly
November 9, 2025 at 5:53 AM
Portrait of a female Band-winged Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax umbrata)

on evening walk down sandy river path, a blue heron glides down, around the bend, to find a dinner spot.

#ColorADay #GreenSat #BlueSkyArtShow #evening #NightmareNov #red #eastcoastkin #florida #native #insects #macro #photography
November 8, 2025 at 5:01 AM
Today's #BirdOfTheDay is all about #Fighting — for which present a couple of territorial Snowy egrets, which also qualify for #FlyDay

Delors Wiggins Pass 3-9-21
Bonita Springs, Florida
Canon 100mm

#birds #photography #EastCoastKin #birding #florida #delnorwiggins #egrets
November 7, 2025 at 9:51 AM
Happy Fly-day. We made it!

Male Eastern amberwing
(Perithemis tenera)

on red mangrove leaf
a dragonfly under an inch (~2cm)
10-8-25 in Bonita Springs, FL

#FlyDay #eastCoastKin #bugSky #macro #photography #macroPhotography #florida #native #insects #bugs #dragonflies #nature #art #dragonflyweek 🐉🪰
November 7, 2025 at 5:30 AM
Thank goodness tomorrow’s Flyday!

Post original photos & art of live, self-propelled, flying creatures. 1 or more submissions welcome tagged:

#FlyDay #EastCoastKin

Welcome no matter location, nor skill level.

#photography #painting #Art #ArtChallenges #ArtPrompts

Questions/comments? @grays.art
November 6, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Good morning. Today’s #BirdOfTheDay alternative theme is #fluffy , birds with feathers fluffed up.

This male cardinal displayed itself fluffed, and in the comment, unfluffed,

in Cleveland, Ohio 6-21-21
Canon 5D Mark IV ISO1250 f6.3 1/500

#birds #photography #EastCoastKin #ptiloerection #birding
November 6, 2025 at 8:00 AM
Male Seaside Dragonlet
(Erythrodiplax berenice)

on mangrove leaf
Cape Coral, Florida 10-10-25

Unique native dragonfly that can breed in seawater.

#eastCoastKin #bugSky #insectThursday #macro #photography #macroPhotography #native #insects #bugs #dragonflies #nature #art #dragonflyweek
November 6, 2025 at 6:44 AM
Female Seaside Dragonlet
(Erythrodiplax berenice)

Cape Coral, Florida

Unique native dragonfly, can breed in brackish, & even seawater.

#ColorADay #RedWed #NightmareNov #legs #eastCoastKin #bugSky #macro #photography #macroPhotography #native #insects #bugs #dragonflies #nature #art #dragonflyweek
November 5, 2025 at 6:23 AM
Male Mallards 🦆
Lincoln Park, Chicago
Summer, 2021

#BirdOfTheDay theme today is #rock meaning any bird perched on a rock.

#birds #photography #EastCoastKin #birding #chicago #ducks
November 4, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Male Green darner dragonfly
(Anax junius)

on palmetto 10-26-25
Barefoot beach preserve
Collier county, Florida

#AnimalArtTuesday #ColorADay #BlueTue #eastCoastKin #blue #bugSky #macro #photography #macroPhotography #native #insects #bugs #dragonflies #nature #art #wildlife #dragonflyweek
November 4, 2025 at 5:00 AM
Eastern Amberwing dragonfly
(Perithemis tenera)

Bonita Springs, Florida
10-17-25

📸 Olympus 180mm ISO200 f11 1/250

#MacroMonday #eastcoastkin #ColorADay #PinkMon #MinimalMonday #minimalism #bugSky #macro #photography #macroPhotography #native #insects #bugs #dragonflies #nature #art #wildlife
November 3, 2025 at 5:00 AM
Perplexing Rotund-resin Bee
(Anthidiellum perplexum)

Bonita Springs, Florida
10-19-25

#StunDay #ColorADay #OrangeSun #eastcoastkin #native #bees #insects #macro #photography #macrophotography #pollinators #florida #Hymenoptera #art #wildflowers #flowers 🐝
November 2, 2025 at 9:26 AM
S-banded Tiger Beetle
(Cicindelidia trifasciata)

on the beach on the northern edge
of Lover’s Key State Park
Fort Meyers Beach, Florida

My very first tiger beetle.🪲

#NightmareNov #dark #eastcoastkin #native #insects #Coleoptera #beetles #tigerbeetles #nature #macro #photography #macroPhotography
November 1, 2025 at 10:10 AM
Happy Halloween FlyDay
We made it 🎃

Jamaican Digger Wasp 🇯🇲
(Sphex jamaicensis)

on Latherleaf
(Colubrina asiatica)

10-19-25 Barefoot Beach
Bonita Springs, Florida

#flyDay #Spooktober #Halloween #eastcoastkin #wasps #insects #orange #nature #macro #photography #macrophotography #art #pollinators
October 31, 2025 at 4:01 AM
Three-banded Scoliid Wasp
(Dielis trifasciata)

on Feay's palafox
(Palafoxia feayi)

Koreshan historic site trail
Estero, Florida 10-26-25

#ColorADay #YellowThu #eastcoastkin #insectThursday #bugsky #florida #native #wasps #insects #flowers #macro #Halloween #photography #macroPhotography #spooky
October 30, 2025 at 4:21 AM
Thank goodness tomorrow’s Flyday!

Post original photos & art of live, self-propelled, flying creatures. 1 or more submissions welcome tagged:

#FlyDay #EastCoastKin

Welcome no matter location, nor skill level.

#photography #painting #Art #ArtChallenges #ArtPrompts

Questions/comments? @grays.art
October 29, 2025 at 9:04 PM
October 29, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Halloween orb weaver spider
on Tithonia

September 19, 2024
Andersonville neighborhood
Chicago, Illinois

#eastcoastkin #ColorADay #RedWed
#Spooktober #CreepyCrawly
#macro #photography #macroPhotography #arachnids #nature #natives #spiders #red #art
October 29, 2025 at 6:38 AM
Brown pelicans

For Rob & Alan

#BirdOfTheDay is all about 'Pairs Of The Same Birds' which makes it a #DailyDouble with #TwosDay

#birds #EastCoastKin #birding
October 28, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Right eye web
(had one of these this morning too)

Made yesterday walking
near barefoot beach, Bonita springs

#Spooktober #trees #31daysofhalloween #eastcoastkin #photography #nature #halloween #spiderweb #webs #spooky
October 28, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Gopher Tortoise 🐢
(Gopherus polyphemus)

Koreshan State Historic Site Trail
Collier County, Estero, Florida
10-26-25

Threatened by predation & habitat destruction, keystone species because its burrows shelter 360+ other animal species.

#native #herps #photography #nature #tortoises #turtles #art
October 28, 2025 at 8:58 AM
Great Blue Heron
(Ardea herodias)

This week at Bowditch regional park
Fort Meyers Beach, Florida

📷Olympus 180mm ISO320 f11 1/320

#Heron #Birds #Wildlife #Florida #Nature #BirdOfTheDay #EastCoastKin #Photography
October 27, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Sunshine Mimosa flower
(Mimosa strigillosa)

Sensitive leaves fold on touch.

Gordon river greenway, Naples, Florida
Collier County, 10-21-25

#ColorADay #PinkMon #macroMonday #eastcoastkin #native #flowers #plants #flora #flores #fiore #bloomscrolling #pink #pinktober #breastcancerawareness #art 🩷
October 27, 2025 at 5:21 AM