( Read more... )

Yes, I'm doing a meme. The ones requiring thougtful or creative responses can be interesting. Here's how this one works:You comment to this post, and I list five things I associate with you. They might make sense or they might be totally random - then you post that list, with your commentary, to your lj. I and other people get our lists from you, ( Read more... )

On Thursday afternoon I met Sylvie for a weekend of birding at Point Pelee, using Dad's place as a base.

Friday at noon we caught the MV Jiimaan ferry for Pelee Island (the photo shows Sylvie on deck nearing arrival). It was my first visit, though I grew up practically within sight of it. What a revelation! It had the lush, flat landscape of Lake ( Read more... )

I went to the covered bridge to take some scenic pictures of the Speed River, but as usual wound up ecstatically distracted by tiny beasts. The Bombus requires no introduction. The other is a moth, Alypia octomaculata, otherwise known as Eight-spotted Forester. It is a strong and agile flyer.

The field guides say adults appear in late spring; a ( Read more... )

Some weird things turned up at our cottage this weekend. First of all, marian_w and Brenna spotted two catfish beside our dock, herding what appeared to be a school of little black tadpoles. We had never seen catfish in Lake Fletcher, let alone two of them engaged in this weird behaviour. I finally waded in and got close enough to bend down and discern ( Read more... )

Every morning the river offers gifts. I never see things like this unless I put myself in the path of light, and minute lives flying about their business. This creature is a female ebony jewelwing, Calopteryx maculata. Males lack the white stigmata. These damselflies are common along Ontario rivers and streams. Jewelwings are our largest ( Read more... )

I got up early and went for a long-overdue walk up the Eramosa River, along Lilac Way, this morning. Things have changed. Apparently someone has cleaned the mud nests out from beneath Victoria Road bridge, and the bank swallows are gone.

The Turfgrass Institute has turned one of the adjacent corn fields into an expansive cottonwood plantation. ( Read more... )

Last night the new computer went into cardiac arrest, an endless loop of rebooting. Windows would only start in safe mode, and still reboot when I tried to do anything. This is the same problem Bruce had before, and had thought to fix by rebuilding it. It worked like a charm for 24 hours, then zzzt!

So I'm back on my old machine. Now that I've ( Read more... )

Two more images from the Bruce Peninsula didn't fit into the other posts, but are too lovely not to share. Parnassia glauca, grass-of-Parnassus, the only species from this genus native to eastern North America, is abundant around Dorcas Bay. A Phyciodes selenis, northern pearl crescent, fluttering around our campsite at Cyprus Lake, landed co- ( Read more... )

One of my favourite things about late summer is the sound of insects everywhere. Walk through a meadow on a warm night and it's almost deafening. They seem to be singing at every opportunity now, as if sensing the warmth won't last long this year. That thought saddens me. I don't care for the unusual heat we had in July, but do love golden days ( Read more... )