Harsh environments like shorelines and dunes are good places to look for beetles. While on a hike at Radar Hill Beach in late May, I noticed an isolated log in the dunes above the beach. In a hot environment like sand dunes, wood and plants provide shade for small insects. I wasn’t really expecting anything, but thought that it would …
British Columbia
Hiking the Campbell River Lookout Trail
Looking back towards the Beaufort Range from a lower view point As an alternative to the very popular Ripple Rock trail consider the Campbell River Lookout trail. While the Ripple Rock trail might have a full parking lot, the lookout trail can be less busy. The views are just as good and perhaps better than Ripple Rock because the elevation …
Late Spring Flowers at Harewood Plains
Harewood Plains is a fabulous and sensitive wildflower ecosystem in Nanaimo, British Columbia. The late spring flower bloom occurs in early May and rolls into June. Water seeps down a gentle, mostly east facing slope that is covered by a shallow layer of soil over non-permeable rock. As a result, conditions are ideal for wildflowers and the open meadows are …
Vancouver Groundcone
Vancouver groundcone (Boschniakia hookeri) is an unusual saprophyte that grows in coastal British Columbia. It is found in association with salal (Gaultheria shallon) and kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) which it is parasitic on. Like the common name suggests, this parasitic herb looks like a weird cone growing out of the ground. Vancouver groundcone comes in a range of colours from pale …
Euxoa wilsoni in the Sand Dunes at Wickaninnish Beach
Cutworm moth, dart moth—Euxoa wilsoni doesn’t really have a common name. It took a little detective work to narrow down the options, eliminate possibilities, and come to a tentative identification of this beautiful moth I found in the sand dunes at Wickaninnish Beach in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. Moths are a challenge to observe and identify. They don’t stay …
Rising Tide at Point Holmes
Point Holmes #1 A large boulder is slowly surrounded by the rising tide. Point Holmes in Comox, British Columbia is a fabulous place for landscape photography. The dynamic nature of the rising or falling tide can create very different compositions at the same location. Therefore, the challenge is to quickly adapt to changing water levels and find interesting combinations of …
Re-visting Comox Lake Bluffs Ecological Reserve
It has been a while since I’ve visited the Comox Lake Bluffs Ecological Reserve but this spring I had a chance to return to catch and photograph the early April bloom. It was truly spectacular and well worth the short hike. Wildflowers on the steep mossy slopes above Comox Lake. Approaching the steep slopes of the bluffs of the ecological …
Satinflower Search
Satinflower (Olsynium douglasii) blooms for a very short time in early spring on Vancouver Island. I finally experienced the delicate beauty of these wildflowers this March and the bloom was awe inspiring! The southern part of Vancouver Island is one of the few locations in British Columbia where there are reliable views of this beautiful member of the iris family. …
Exploring the Nanaimo Marina
I love wandering around the Nanaimo marina and photographing the boats moored there – so many stories to tell. Often, the details say more than the overall scene. I looked for images that I could create using part of a larger object, focusing in on simple shapes, lines and colours. Simple lines, shapes and colours. By including less, more is …
Eight Bolts – 1/365 Day Project
1/365Eight Bolts Think it’s time for another 365 Day Project—expect an eclectic mix of urban abstracts, back alleys, and epic landscapes as well as some off the wall feral shopping carts! I did one of these in 2015 (should really bundle those images into a book) and loved the creative challenge. I’ll be looking to create and post at least one …