Now is the time of year to think about adding seaweed to your garden. Pre-winter storms this week have brought a lot of seaweed to the shore, piling it up along the high-tide line. Not only is gathering seaweed good for your garden, it also gives you an opportunity to see some of the sub-tidal seaweeds. Usually, these are not …
Botany
2010 West Coast Wildflower Calendar
Identify this British Columbian flower correctly and send me an email to be entered into a draw for a 2010 West Coast Wildflower Calendar. Contest closes November 30, 2009.And the winner is – Harri Harmaja of Finland who correctly identified the flower as Chamerion (Epilobium) latifolium or River Beauty. I’ve selected 12 of my wildflower images from Vancouver Island, British …
Copperbush
Copperbush | Elliottia pyroliflora showing new buds Yesterday was a brilliantly sunny day so I decided that a quick trip up to Paradise Meadows was in order. I don’t usually go up to the Meadows at this time of year – it’s the transition time between summer and fall hiking, botanizing, and birding and winter cross-country skiing. At Paradise Meadows …
Organ Pipe Cactus NM – Arizona Skywatch #5
Brittlebush, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona For this Skywatch Friday post I’m returning once again to the brilliant blue skies of Arizona. In March of 2008, my wife and I and our 8 month old son spent 10 days visiting a number of natural history destinations in this fascinating (and warm) state. One of our must see destinations was …
Fragile Oaks
It’s that time of year when leaves are falling to the ground and trees are doing their best to set their progeny up for the spring. I was poking around some Garry Oaks (Quercus garryana) looking for invertebrates and discovered several acorns in the leaf litter. Garry Oak | Quercus garryana Garry oak are the only native oak trees west …
Black Spots on Bigleaf Maple Leaves
Bigleaf Maple | Acer macrophyllum It’s that time of year when the Bigleaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum) leaves are changing colour and falling to the ground. I’ve always noticed the small, circular imperfections on maple leaves at this time of year and have wondered what they were. On the weekend I took a walk in Miracle Beach Provincial Park with my …
Fabulous Finches
American Goldfinch | Carduelis tristis The sunflowers are done in our back lane but the seeds are now attracting birds – primarily American goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) but also house finch (Carpodacus mexicanus), chestnut-backed chickadee (Poecile rufescens) and house sparrow (Passer domesticus). That’s one of the many benefits of growing sunflowers. Not only do you (and insects) get to enjoy the …
Madera Canyon – Arizona Skywatch #3
Santa Rita Mountains There are several reasons to visit Arizona during spring break. The primary reason is getting a break from the winter weather up here in BC. Arizona also has excellent opportunities for bird watching and botanizing. It has superb sky watching as well. Last March I joined two fellow naturalists and spent a week traveling around southeastern Arizona. …
Tansy Ragwort
Tansy Rawort (Senecio jacobaea) Early in September I wrote about two tansies that occur in British Columbia. Last weekend while at East Sooke Regional Park looking for turkey vultures I found a species of Senecio growing in an old farm field. Tansy ragwort (Senecio jacobaea), like the common tansy, is an introduced plant from Eurasia. It does well in fields, …
Shootingstars
Delicate colour of shootingstar leaves. I was fascinated by the colour of the leaves of Jeffrey’s shootingstar (Dodecatheon jeffreyi) alongside a cold sub-alpine stream this week in Paradise Meadows, Strathcona Provincial Park. The leaves were a stark contrast to the dark water and grey day and a beautiful sign that winter is not far off. Fall leaves of Jeffrey’s Shootingstar …