Category Archives: bugs

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

Sipping minerals

Posted on July 28, 2020 by Alistair

  When encountered in the alpine, Bombus melanopygus was sipping nectar from an Alpine Milk-vetch(?). Farther down the mountain it was seen on the ground, apparently sipping minerals from rocks. This was unusual. The first observation of melanopygus was mundane: … Continue reading →

Posted in bugs | 7 Comments

Baby arthropods

Posted on July 3, 2020 by Alistair

  Babies are cute. We seem to be hard wired to protect those adorable infants with their rounded, over-sized heads, large eyes, and chubby cheeks, whether they be human or animal. We just adore them.  Well, maybe not all of … Continue reading →

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June goulash

Posted on June 30, 2020 by Alistair

  This is a collection of images from June, none of which has had a posting of its own. Curiously, there are no mammals. Although I saw mammals, none of them produced interesting pictures. The first shore bird to arrive … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, bugs | 3 Comments

Tiger Swallowtail

Posted on June 2, 2020 by Alistair

  This is the time of year for visits from swallowtail butterflies — so I watch for them. We have a number of different swallowtail species, and I thought that, on subsequent days, I had spotted two different ones. However, … Continue reading →

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Hummingbird moth

Posted on May 29, 2020 by Alistair

  The hummingbird moth has been billed by Nature Canada as one of Canada’s coolest creatures. Although a moth, it is out during the daytime when it sips nectar by hovering over flowers like a tiny hummingbird. Somewhat uncommon, I … Continue reading →

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Beauteous deceit

Posted on May 14, 2020 by Alistair

  So far, I have photographed six species of wild orchids in Kokanee Creek Park. Always the first to bloom is the beautiful fairy slipper. It has two varieties, eastern and western; the Park gets each. As with all flowers, … Continue reading →

Posted in bugs, wildflowers | 4 Comments

Spring Azure

Posted on May 1, 2020 by Alistair

  How delightful: May began with an azure speck darting under azure skies. The speck was the Spring Azure, a tiny (2 cm wingspan) butterfly whose local flight period corresponds closely with this month.  The thing about the the Spring … Continue reading →

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April goulash

Posted on April 30, 2020 by Alistair

  This is a collection of images from April, each of which lacked a posting of its own. If a robin is swallowing worms, it must be spring. This is a female. The Varied Thrush is a close relative of … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, bugs, fish, herptiles | 10 Comments

Mountain Bluebird and grub

Posted on April 24, 2020 by Alistair

  The Mountain Bluebird is an insectivore that particularly favours eating caterpillars. Yet, in the many pictures I have taken of this bird foraging, it is only rarely that I have captured an image of its successful insect capture. The … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, bugs | 5 Comments