Category Archives: bugs

September goulash

  My usual claim for my monthly goulash is that it presents a collection of images that lacked postings of their own. Again true this month, it was also the case that previous postings this September were remarkably few — … Continue reading

Posted in birds, bugs, herptiles, mammals, weather | 8 Comments

Four flyers

  Following the posting about three mammals, it is appropriate to treat birds — well, things that fly. And this includes insects. A damselfly is a common feature of lakeside living in the summer. But, not this one. When damselflies … Continue reading

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June goulash

  This is a selection of June images none of which had a posting of its own. While not exclusively birds, there is certainly a preponderance of them. Two Bald Eagle chicks still in the nest are scrapping over a … Continue reading

Posted in birds, bugs, herptiles | 7 Comments

Two dragonflies

  It seemed a bit early to see the first dragonflies of the season, but there they were. And a welcome sight they were. These acrobatic aerial predators are especially partial to mosquitoes, flies, mayflies, midges, and gnats. If the … Continue reading

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Crabbing season

  The crabbing season has begun, so I went crabbing.  Mind you, I am not talking about the crabs found in oceans, but the crab spiders found here (and elsewhere). A crab spider is an ambush predator that waits patiently … Continue reading

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Local tigers

  Almost simultaneously, the tigers have arrived. They are: a tiger beetle, a tiger butterfly, and a tiger lily. I have commented previously, somewhat whimsically, on our rather odd naming conventions for species: butter sipping (on butterflies and buttercups); horned … Continue reading

Posted in bugs, wildflowers | 7 Comments

Butter sipping

  I am sure the participants did not appreciate the etymological niceties of their situation as a butterfly sipped nutrients from a buttercup. The names of each species seem to have been of imitative origin, and resulted from their yellowish … Continue reading

Posted in bugs, wildflowers | 2 Comments

May goulash

  This is a collection of images from this May, none of which has had a posting of its own. As spring is upon us, this collection is diverse, but hardly exhaustive. Of our three regular hummingbirds, the Calliope is … Continue reading

Posted in birds, bugs, mammals | 8 Comments

Mating moths

  Nature Canada bills the hummingbird moth as one of Canada’s coolest creatures. But, who could have guessed just how cool it would be on this occasion? With spring, I often look for this moth. I rarely find it. Our … Continue reading

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Bombylius, Not Bombus

  With the advent of sunny spring, I noticed my first lawn flower of the year, a chionodoxa, a tiny bluish flower with a whitish centre. It is sometimes known as the glory of the snow. Abruptly, the flower was … Continue reading

Posted in bugs, wildflowers | 4 Comments