I wander around taking in my surroundings. Sometimes no theme presents itself for a posting. All I have is a series of unlinked scenes. Such is the case here with these half–dozen images from this last week: Painted Turtles, American Robin chick, House Finch couple, Hoverfly, Grey Catbird, Cedar Hairstreak.
The Painted Turtle is known across southern B.C where it is the Province’s only native freshwater turtle. Around Kootenay Lake, I have seen it at the south end of the Main Lake (Creston Wildlife Management Area) and at the west end of the West Arm (Grohman Narrows Provincial Park).
Birds fly into windows because they cannot distinguish the reflection presented with reality. Many birds are killed by doing so. This American Robin chick appears to have been one of the lucky ones to have survived. I heard the clunk, went outside to investigate, took a picture, and the chick promptly flew away. This is no guarantee that it was fine, but it certainly did not die on impact.
This House Finch couple is visiting a feeder. The male is on the left, the female on the right.
The hoverfly is a delightful little insect often confused with a bee—which it mimics for its own protection. It is a good pollinator, and being a fly, it does not sting. There are many different species of hoverfly, but I don’t know what is this one visiting the forget–me–nots.
The Grey Catbird is so named for the sound of its call. This one is negotiating a series of branches and has spread its tail and deployed its alulae to maintain control.
The Cedar Hairstreak is a small butterfly whose larva feed on the western red cedar tree. It flies from mid May to late June.
