Today is International Rock Flipping Day and in celebration I went out into our garden and turned over a few bricks to see what I could find. Despite living in a fairly urban environment our garden has attracted a number of interesting insects, reptiles, amphibians, arthropods, gastropods, arachnids, and birds. We’ve found Clouded Salamander (Aneides ferreus) under rotting wood beside …
Author: Dave Ingram
American Dipper
I was out scouting locations for International Rock Flipping Day (September 20) and spotted an expert invertebrate hunter hard at work on the Puntledge River in Courtenay, British Columbia. There’s a lot going on in the Puntledge River right now. This American Dipper (Cinclus mexicanus) was working the river along with a whole host of gulls and other scavengers. The …
Arizona Skywatch #1
Saguaro Cactus | Carnegiea gigantea Thought that this image of a saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea) that I captured in Saguaro National Park would be suitable for Skywatch Friday. Enjoy!
Deer Cabbage
Deer Cabbage (Fauria crista-galli) leaves are spectaular in the fall. These plants were photographed at Paradise Meadows in Strathcona Provincial Park on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
Fern-leaved Goldthread
Fern-leaved Goldthread | Coptis aspleniifolia One of the easily missed plants in the sub-alpine is the fern-leaved goldthread (Coptis aspleniifolia). This plant can be found in moist forests and bogs in low to middle elevations. It is an interesting plant to keep and eye out for and might make a good addition to a shady spot in a native plant …
Sandhill Cranes Migrating
Watch the skies and listen for the sound of sandhill cranes migrating in the fall! Sandhill Cranes | Grus canadensis It is a distinctive sound and it’s a safe bet that once you’ve heard it you’ll be able to identify it again the next time around. I liken the rattling call of the Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis) to that of …
Cedar Bark Abstract
Yellow Cedar (Callitropsis nootkatensis) Bark Abstract Photograph of cedar bark was taken in Strathcona Provincial Park on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
Puddling in Paradise
Zephyr anglewings (Polygonia zephyrus) have been fairly regular in the parking lot at Paradise Meadows, Strathcona Provincial Park this week. Zephyr Anglewing | Polygonia zephyrus Common Characteristics of Zephyr Anglewings Anglewings belong to Nymphalinae which is a subfamily of the family Nymphalidae. The genus name Polygonia (Greek – many-angled) refers to the shape of the wings of this butterfly. The …
Bramble Ramble
Five-leaved Bramble (Rubus pedatus) On a guided photography hike today I found myself (the leader) at the back of the pack. Usually, this is because I was walking slowly and admiring the fall colours and keeping an eye out for the small and interesting. Five-leaved bramble (Rubus pedatus) is one such plant. A member of the Rubus, or raspberry clan, …
Landscapes of Strathcona Park
Mt. George V from Ruth Masters Lake An image request from the Friends of Strathcona Park got me going through some of my archival images of multi-day hikes that my wife and I had done in the last couple of years and I thought that I’d share a few of the photographs of landscapes of Strathcona Park in this blog …