Category Archives: bugs

October odonata

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Alistair

One might have thought that with dropping temperatures and turning leaves, dragonflies and damselflies (insects of the order Odonata) would have vanished. Yet, while October is their last stand of the year, some remain. Admittedly, they seem to spend a … Continue reading →

Posted in bugs | Comments Off on October odonata

A show and tell

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Alistair

I take pictures to better understand things seen. I post discussions to website and blog as a personal memory aid. That my notes are available publicly is incidental. Yet, the public is not incidental when one gives an illustrated talk; … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, bugs, mammals, weather, wildflowers | 9 Comments

Beach walk

Posted on October 16, 2011 by Alistair

On a beautiful sunny day, a walk along the beach at Kokanee Creek Park revealed old friends and a new delight. Three are illustrated below in the order seen. The view over the waters of Kootenay Lake often shows rather … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, bugs, weather | 1 Comment

Bug catchup

Posted on September 15, 2011 by Alistair

The previous posting caught up on miscellaneous recent pictures of birds; this one does the same for bugs—bugs being used as a rather informal term for any arthropod. Bluets copulate in the wheel position; the male is bluish, the female … Continue reading →

Posted in bugs | Comments Off on Bug catchup

Four–footed three

Posted on September 8, 2011 by Alistair

I take my camera for a walk along the lakeshore just as others might take their dogs for a walk. My guess is that camera walkers and dog walkers will often see different things. On yesterday’s walk, I saw three … Continue reading →

Posted in bugs | 3 Comments

Grohman extras

Posted on September 5, 2011 by Alistair

In an earlier posting, Sex in the park, I said there would be a followup offering of other pictures from Grohman Narrows Provincial Park. This is it. Painted Turtles are a staple of the pond in the summer. Some of … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, bugs, herptiles | Comments Off on Grohman extras

Sex in the park

Posted on September 3, 2011 by Alistair

Warning. As they say in the movies: mature theme, graphic scenes. Dragonflies abound in the marsh at Grohman Narrows Provincial Park: many species, many individuals. All seem to have one thing on their minds: procreation. Out of all that activity, … Continue reading →

Posted in bugs | 1 Comment

Pale Snaketail

Posted on August 29, 2011 by Alistair

Males hanging out in the August sunshine at the water’s edge, eating, and waiting for females—it sounds like the script for a 1960s beach–party movie. Yet, that pretty well describes the life of the adult Pale Snaketail. This dragonfly is … Continue reading →

Posted in bugs | Comments Off on Pale Snaketail

Buprestis lyrata

Posted on August 27, 2011 by Alistair

The Pink-faced Jewel Beetle (Buprestis lyrata) is one of the metallic wood-boring beetles. It is usually found doing its thing on Douglasfir or pine snags. It generally attacks severely stressed or recently killed trees rather than the living, vigorous trees. … Continue reading →

Posted in bugs | 1 Comment

Cabbage White

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Alistair

There is nothing rare about this butterfly. The Cabbage White is common across the southern half of the Province and, although it is an introduced species, it has been here for about two centuries. Last week, I watched a dozen or more … Continue reading →

Posted in bugs | Comments Off on Cabbage White