This morning I searched for two endangered Pink Sand-verbena (Abronia umbellata) plants reported last week at Florencia Bay. Despite a lack of success, I enjoyed poking around, looking at plants, and examining the flotsam and jetsam brought in with the tide. The beach at Florencia Bay is over 5 km long and even though I had a rough idea of where …
Invertebrates
Dune Tansy Revisited
Dune Tansy (Tanacetum bipinnatum ssp. huronense) can be found along the edge of the beach at Schooner Cove in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. While out at Schooner Cove last week I decided to check out the small sand dunes for a number of dune plants. It was here at the top of the beach that I found two species …
Sand Dunes at Wickaninnish Beach
One of the places that I love to return to again and again are the sand dunes at Wickaninnish Beach. For the botanist, many very interesting plants live in the shifting sand of the dune ecosystem. However, animals, birds and insects also make their home in the dunes. Once you look for signs of these creatures you notice them everywhere! …
Book Review – Field Guide to Insects and Spiders of North America
Win a copy of Field Guide to Insects and Spiders of North America – see contest details below. National Wildlife FederationField Guide to Insects and Spiders of North AmericaArthur V. EvansSterling Publishing CompanyPaperback497 pages2007 I’ve been waiting for a rainy evening to review a copy of Field Guide to Insects and Spiders of North America by Arthur V. Evans that I …
Marvelous Millipedes
I love turning over pieces of wood, bark, leaves, boards and rocks and discovering things lurking underneath. I found this millipede under an old rotting board at my mother-in-law’s house up at Miracle Beach. I’m unsure what species it is but have fairly confidently narrowed down the Order to Julida and Family to Julidae. Being no millipede expert, I’m humble …
Banded Woolly Bear Predicts Mild Winter
Is it going to be a mild winter this year in British Columbia? You be the judge. According to some, if the orange band in the middle of a banded woolly bear (Pyrrharctia isabella) is wider than the black bands on the ends of the caterpillar it will be a mild winter. The opposite is the case if the orange …
Termites!
I’ve always enjoyed gently turning over rocks and pieces of wood and bark to discover what is living underneath. Today I was out poking around for snails, inspired by my finds on International Rock Flipping Day back in September. While I did find one new snail (I’ll post on that later this week) I was thrilled to discover a small …
Flight of the Woolly Aphids
Woolly Aphid, possibly the Woolly Apple Aphid | Eriosoma lanigerum Over the last couple of evenings I’ve noticed a massive flight of woolly aphids both in Courtenay and today up at my mother-in-law’s house in Black Creek. I’ve managed to get a few decent images of these white furred aphids (though they are quite small). I initially thought that they …
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, …
Why Did the Yellow Bear Cross the Road?
It’s the time of year when things are on the move and if you’re looking at the ground or the sky you’re sure to see something interesting. Some types of caterpillars in the tiger moth family (Arctiidae) like the woolly bears and yellow bears are active in the fall as they move from food plants to a suitable place to …