Category Archives: bugs

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

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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

March goulash

  This is a collection of interesting creatures taken this March that lacked a posting of their own.  Many are seeing Evening Grosbeaks this year. Why have they become relatively common? In the spring, we see two species of bluebirds: … Continue reading

Posted in birds, bugs | 6 Comments

Aestivation’s over

  Now that September is here, daytime temperatures are somewhat more temperate and the mourning cloak butterfly is back in abundance.  The mourning cloak likes to avoid temperature extremes, otherwise it closes down. Over winter, it hibernates (becomes dormant to … Continue reading

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Dragonfly migrant

  When we think of local migrants, we usually think of birds. Indeed, many of the birds we watch most assiduously, migrate in and out our region. But…, migrating insects? Most local insects spend their whole lives within kilometres of … Continue reading

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