I want to add a “critter counter” or “creature counts” to the site this season, but in the meantime I have been meeting lots of new animals, bugs, birds, etc. since we arrived to upstate new york, (more on that in an upcoming post).
Recently though I encountered a Masked Hunter Nymph (Reduvius Personatus) a type fo assassin bug according to the google lens search. [image coming shortly].
They earned their nickname “dustbug” because they cover themselves in dust, lint & debris. It looked like a crawling dust spider when I first saw it.
Anyway — i will be sharing the bugs & things we meet here with info, photos, etc. Additionally there will be an entire section for flowers. Historically these categories were referred to as Flora & Fauna.
Heading into October in the Catskill Mountains we are seeing all the bears, we have a returning deer family of 3 that come to visit twice a day. The house we moved into in August was previously inhabited by chipmunks.
November 2025
The update was triggered by reviewing and updating a to do list when I noticed this post still talked about the house we were moving out of — LOL. We are in the process of moving again, and hopefully for the last time. The house we had moved into in August was not “previously inhabited by chipmunks as I mentioned above, it was INHABITED by chipmunks, mice, maybe a rat or two, barn swallows, and a lot of bugs. [read the full story in parts starting here].
This house has crow visitors, cardinals, and lots of neighbors with dogs and cats from what I can see. It sits on 24 acres, and as winter comes I look forward to seeing it bare, and having the glorious opportunity to watch it come to life this Spring.
Ready, Set, Go: share your initial reaction!