Andy Birkey

@andybirkey.com

2405 Followers 1177 Following

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. Married to @worstmillennial.bsky.social‬

Lateral Sigil Lady Beetle Hyperaspis lateralis. A black beetle with a red bar and two red spots
A handsome man running down the sidewalk. He's wearing glasses and a backwards hat
A handsome man with glasses and backwards hat and a shirt that reads "The Goonies"
The underside of a lady beetle perched on a pine needle.
A large brown moth with sharp cream colored lines. White-lined Sphinx Hyles lineata
A handsome man smiling cheesily with the sunrise in the background.
An arm with a tattoo of a jar with fireflies
Handsome man in a hat running
Indomitable Graphic Moth (Melipotis indomita) a striking moth with bold black and white band halfway down the brownish gray wings,
Civil Rustic Moth - Caradrina montana. Light brown moth with grey specks
A screenshot of running stats: Splits: 1. 9:27, 2. 10:03, 3. 10:01, 4: 9:32, 5: 9:24 6. 9:10.
Belted Grass-Veneer (Euchromius ocellea) is a tan moth with two light yellow lines and jewel spots at the rear of the wings.
A nerd in a hat with glasses and a beard. Two Lumix camera straps around this neck. Pine trees and rock formations in the background. The nerd is me.
An oblong brown mottled moth
Dusky Raisin Moth, Ephestiodes gilvescentella. A small, slim gray mottled moth.
Ruddy Quaker Moth Trichopolia oviduca. A reddish-brown moth with lighter brown squiggles on the wings.
Narrow-winged Midget Moth (Tarache augustipennis) a greay moth with white patches on the edges of the wings.
Film poster with a giant mosquito and a frightened woman that reads "When Ranger Bob talks, the animals listen... Except one! Non-stop action and hilarity"
A book with the title Moths of Western North America, by Seabrooke Leckie.
A gray mottled moth which has very tiny wings and a robust body.
A bumblebee with a reddish patch on the upper abdomen feeding on monarda.
A stormy sky above green forested bluffs and layers of green islands and trees, with flood water in the foreground.
A dark brown beetle with cream colored markings on bare soil. Twelve-spotted Tiger Beetle - Cicindela duodecimguttata
Half-wing Moth (Phigalia titea): A grey butterfly with dark markings and wide wings.
North American Tarnished Plant Bug (Lygus lineolaris) is a type of seed-feeding bug with long legs and a mottled appearance.
A bold orange and black butterfly perched on a moss-covered rock.
A spiderweb with dew drops enhancing the silk. Rocks with bright yellow lichen in the background.
A wood duck is swimming on the water.
A bright green Coppery-headed Emerald (Microchera cupreiceps) sitting on a branch facing right.
The sun shining through clouds above a short grass prairie.
Book cover with a giant grasshopper. Text states: Jeffrey A Lockwood. The Infested Mind: Why humans fear, loathe, and love insects.
A black and orange lady beetle on a plant stem
A red and black lady beetle on a willow leaf
A cryptic walking stick that is camouflaged to look like moss
A mourning cloak butterfly perched in a sea of grass and twigs.
Genus Rhachicreagra possibly. A grasshopper perched on a stem with bright red eyes, green legs (sadly missing the left leg) and black body.
A screen shot of movie seating. Left side says Melania (2026) 8:15p and 10:55pm. The seating chart shows that all seats in the theatre are available and not sold
A purple hummingbird at a feeder. A small green one is right beside it also at the feeder.
Asturodes fimbriauralis, a species of pearl moths, based on the Subterminal fascia dark marks merging. (two other Asturodes don't have that feature)
Statement from Chief Todd Chamberlain: Tonight, a resolution was passed by Aurora City Council. I understand there are strong political views on aspects of federal partnerships and collaboration in the law enforcement profession. I respect the autonomy of the city council. However, I believe it will come at a cost. As a public safety and law enforcement professional, I have a duty to prioritize the safety and wellbeing of those I serve above all else. Federal partnerships are nothing new. Unfortunately, they have been exploited for political purposes. Keeping these partnerships out of the equation of public safety will leave the community more vulnerable to crime and victimization. It is imperative for the community to understand the Aurora Police Department does not enforce federal immigration laws and has no authority to detain people on civil immigration detainers. The department has stated many times in the past that a person’s legal status in this country is immaterial to our mission of public safety and serving all members of the city of Aurora community. However, we have and will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners at the local, state and federal levels to hold those who victimize members of our community accountable for their criminal actions. These continued partnerships have enhanced our crime-fighting strategies, contributed to measurable reductions in crime and demonstrated their value in advancing our collective mission to make Aurora a safer city to live, work and raise a family.
Resolution 2026-03 passes with a 6-4 vote Document Text 11.a.3 Federal Immigration Enforcement Activities R2026-03 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AURORA, COLORADO, OPPOSING UNLAWFUL AND OVERREACHING FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS AND AFFIRMING DUE PROCESS PROTECTIONS Sponsor: Alison Coombs, Council Member Jason Batchelor, City Manager / Peter Schulte, City Attorney RESOLUTION NO. R2026-___ A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AURORA, COLORADO, OPPOSING UNLAWFUL AND OVERREACHING FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS AND AFFIRMING CONSTITUTIONAL DUE PROCESS PROTECTIONS. WHEREAS, in Minnesota, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) extrajudicially killed Renee Nicole Good, a US citizen from Colorado; and WHEREAS, in Aurora, advocates and detainees are reporting an unmanaged illness outbreak at the GEO I.C.E. Detention Facility. This facility is a stain on our city where 20% of residents are born outside the U.S.; and WHEREAS, a father and child were taken by I.C.E. this week from our city on the way to school and daycare; and WHEREAS, US citizens and immigrants alike face violations of their constitutional and due process rights due to I.C.E. overreach. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AURORA, COLORADO, THAT: Section 1. The Aurora City Council stands in solidarity with the Twin Cities in their call for I.C.E. to leave their community immediately. Section 2. The Aurora City Council opposes lawlessness and overreach by I.C.E. agents. Section 3. The Aurora City Council will provide direction to city management regarding limiting cooperation with I.C.E. and their affiliates, to begin at the PSCCS Policy Committee meeting in February. Section 4. All resolutions or part of resolutions of the City in conflict herewith are hereby rescinded. RESOLVED AND PASSED this ___ day of ____________________, 2026. MIKE COFFMAN, Mayor ATTEST: KADEE RODRIGUEZ, City Clerk
A long worm shaped planarian with a bright yellow stripe moving from a log to a leaf.
A very large brown weevil on a green leaf. Probably Lixus apterus.
Heliconius sapho leuce, a longwing butterfly perched on a leaf in the rainforest
List of 4 species and dates next to a small thumbnail of my photograph. Text says: Western Whitelip Neohelix alleni First observed: 2017-08-10 View observation Eastern Scaly Miner Bee Andrena quintilis First observed: 2020-06-09 View observation Pardalosus serval First observed: 2021-04-16 View observation Brachiacantha illustris First observed: 2025-06-14 View observation
A black lady beetle with bright red spots on tree bark
Grapes in a bowl together with sour cream, brown sugar and pecans.
A gulf fritillary perched on a white flower with it's long wings spread
Two men using a metal tumbler machine with large mesh to sort oysters in their shell
Roseate Spoonbill flying against a blue sky
It's that time of year again: ladybugs and lady beetles are swarming Wisconsin, looking for spots to hibernate for the winter. Wisconsin sees dozens of species of small beetles in the fall, but the most prevalent is the multicolored Asian lady beetle. Though easily confused with ladybugs, lady beetles differ in a few key ways and are especially active in the late fall.
Facebook thread conversation Andi Bürki I noticed that your campaign signs, as well as your fellow campaigners Berzins, Elkins, and Kassaw, are placed illegally all over 6th, Havana, and Peoria. Considering 3 or the 4 of you are or were city council members, you should be aware that placing those signs in the public right of way is a violation of city ordinance. The sheer volume of them makes me think all four of you are okay with violating the law in order to get more eyes on your signs, especially since I've contacted each of your campaigns about this. Remember it is the CAMPAIGNS responsibility to remove those, not the city. I have verified that with the city. 3h Reply Author Danielle Jurinsky, Aurora City Council At Large Andi Bürki as soon as my signs go up, they go missing. This is the game that is played every election cycle. I've noticed my opponents have signs in very strang places. I'll be sure to check and see if you're commenting on their posts as well. 2h Reply Andi Bürki Danielle Jurinsky, Aurora City Council At Large I don't need you checking in on me. I'm not the one running for office. But I do alert ANY campaign that has signs illegally placed. 17m Reply Andi Bürki Also, the adult reaction to this is to say: "As a public servant I will address this issue! Thank you for alerting me to it, and we'll get it taken care of." Not, " Somebody may have stolen my signs, and I'm going to check on my constituent's social media habits to see if he's being fair to me." You are a city council member representing Colorado's 3rd largest city. Let's try and act like it.
A family of extraterrestrials sitting happily together from the 80s cult classic alien nation
A black and orange lady beetle on a blade of grass. Sinuate lady beetle (Hippodamia sinuata)
An assortment of vegetables on a wooden table. Potatoes are in a wicker basket, tomatoes are in a white bowl. There is a large pumpkin at the top of the image, and white squash to the right. Tomatillos, cucumbers, and beets fill in the empty space.