Category Archives: bugs

May goulash

Posted on May 31, 2021 by Alistair

  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

Posted on May 22, 2021 by Alistair

  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 →

Posted in bugs | 7 Comments

Bombylius, Not Bombus

Posted on April 16, 2021 by Alistair

  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

Posted on March 31, 2021 by Alistair

  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

Posted on September 6, 2020 by Alistair

  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 →

Posted in bugs | 4 Comments

Dragonfly migrant

Posted on September 3, 2020 by Alistair

  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 →

Posted in bugs | 4 Comments

August goulash

Posted on August 31, 2020 by Alistair

This is collection of images taken this August that lacked a posting of their own, primarily because they were all taken within the last few days. I would have liked to include some mammals. Alas, while I saw some, there … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, bugs | 5 Comments

Robber fly mating

Posted on August 13, 2020 by Alistair

  Here are two more pictures of mating insects — well, it is that time of year. These are robber flies.  A Robber fly, also known as an assassin fly, is large and a powerful flyer. Its name reflects the … Continue reading →

Posted in bugs | 3 Comments

Bluet disaster

Posted on August 12, 2020 by Alistair

  Things were now looking good in the world of bluet damselflies. The previous posting, thwarted bluets, had reported on the problems of bluet couples: harassment and inaccessible aquatic weed for egg laying. However, now the aquatic weed had reached … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, bugs | 3 Comments

Thwarted bluets

Posted on August 5, 2020 by Alistair

  The sex was good, but quickly things went downhill. Tule bluets are damselflies, the smallish cousins of dragonflies. While we have a number of species of damselflies, the tule bluet is the one I see most frequently along the … Continue reading →

Posted in bugs | 2 Comments