Peaceful Soulful 'Yfaring Life

Birding at school on a Sunday

2012-01-29T20:28:00.003-08:00

Before working another long day in the lab, I decided to go to the feeders again and see what I can photograph.

Unknown tracks.

American red squirrel near the feeders.

While focusing on something else, I lost the squirrel and one showed up on the tree looking rather cold.

Again, only chickadees and one goldfinch were found near the feeders. This chickadee, however, was industrious and working hard at the grubs underneath the ice and bark.

Something white and full of protein.

Another chickadee on a branch covered with ice.

Cold goldfinch.

Goldfinch with seed.

Then I left the feeders and took photos of the drumlin on the other side of the river.

Snowy photo

One lone Common Goldeneye male in the river.

Lonely snowman.

Panoramic view of the beautiful weather. Pretty nice, no?

PS - I am taking a break from school tomorrow and going to Amherst Island with the bird club to look for owls!

An assortment of photos and topics - flies, spiders, wasp, outdoor, and others

2012-01-29T07:47:00.003-08:00

Many photos to share, so I thought I organize them chronologically.

Jan 25 - (Possibly) figured out where the bristles on the meron (the plate just above and behind the mid coxa) are.

Look near where the lower calypter is.

Close-up. I think those are the bristles on the meron.

Jan 26 - Paid my monthly rent and walked along the Otonabee River to my work building.

Frozen shallow parts - two Canada Geese sleeping on the lower right of the photo and a Crow flying on the left edge.

Cloudy day.

Male midge (Family Chironomidae) with the plumose antennae.

Unknown Wasp (I think).

Jan 27 - Found the first blow fly of my collection (Family Calliphoridae).

Jan 28 - Found some spiders in my pan traps and thought it would be cool to take some close-up photos of the eyes, like this photographer's.

Crab spider eyes. Almost skull like, with the ringed-lighting from the stereoscope.

Jumping Spider (Family Salticidae).

Jan 29 - The ID of this fly has been bothering me for awhile - because it is so small and usually so damaged, but also so abundant. I thought I asked for help at BugGuide but the only response so far is Family Milichiidae.

Glued to a point.

Wing venation.

Another view.

Dipterans - Families Phoridae and Dolichopodidae

2012-01-24T23:29:00.001-08:00

This fly belongs in Family Phoridae, also known as scuttle flies or humpback flies. One of the key features would be the enlarged hind femur (shown above).

This fly I wasn't sure of until I asked at BugGuide. Just as I thought, it was a Long-legged Fly (Family Dolichopodidae).

Head without the scar-like suture and antennae not clubbed.

No anal cell in the wings and no division in the long middle cell.

I may be posting a lot of these posts in the future, since this is what I am working on most of my days.

Quick glimpse of my work

2012-01-23T23:24:00.001-08:00

So this is what I have been working on lately.

Washing, drying, and pinning my insects.

And identifying them to the family level.

I found that I can line up my Nikon S4100 camera with the above microscope and take some pretty decent photos through the microscope.

I am currently at the stage of identifying my non-Syrphid and non-bee insects to the family level. However, they are more challenging than I thought especially when the keys rely on wing venation and some of the wings are very crumpled and fragile.

Head of a fly. Just arching over the antennal base is a scar-like suture, which is one of the first initial keys of identifying flies.

Meron (the plate just above and beyond the mid coxa) with or without bristles is another important key. I am having trouble locating the meron but my colleague just directed me to this helpful site.

A Globular Springtails - Family Sminthuridae

Many of the unknown Dipteras that I am having trouble identifying because they are so small, especially when seeing some of the key features.

Wordless Sunday Sunset

2012-01-22T23:22:00.000-08:00

Jumping Plant Lice, Cuckoo wasps, and Dance flies

2012-01-22T13:34:00.004-08:00

Sharing some of the photos of insects that I did not know and/or thought was cool-looking.

This critter was captured on June 11, 2011 in a yellow pan trap in my "1" study site. I didn't know what it was until I asked for help at BugGuide. Jumping Plant Lice (Family Psyllidae) can be identified by their hard and shining thorax and has 5 to 10 antennal segments.

These cuckoo wasps (Family Chrysididae) were caught on June 26, 2011 inside a yellow pan trap along the "air strip". They are pretty easy to identify based on their brilliantly metallic colours.

Hybotid Dance Flies (Family Hybotidae) were found in many of my pan traps. I didn't realize Dance Flies could get this small, otherwise I'd recognize it considering I took a live similar one (Family Empididae) before.

Dance Fly (Subfamily Empidinae)

Hybotidae and Empididae do not have a scar-like suture on their heads, their feet has two pads, antennae not clubbed, and then something about the wing venation that I am trying to get grasp.

Photos from last few days

2012-01-21T18:41:00.003-08:00

Jan 19 - Blizzard-like conditions in the afternoon, but the sky cleared by nighttime.

From my insect traps, this is one of the smallest bumblebees I have ever seen. Barely the size of my thumb-nail.

My supervisor has a sweet Nikon SMZ-800 stereoscope that can be attached to his Nikon D5000 DSLR and allowed us to take some pretty close-up photos. Can you guess what this is?

Jan 20 - Icicles outside the apartment.

Jan 21 - Close-up on one of the branching icicles.

I got my new passport this morning (really fast processing, I must say, despite the long waits). While waiting for the bus, snowflakes were falling and they were so easy to see individually. I took this photo when I came to school again this afternoon and laid my glove on a box and hoped for a snowflake to land on it. This is a close-up photo done with my Olympus E-620 with the macro ability on my telephoto lens.

My life nowadays...

2012-01-17T22:08:00.001-08:00

...involves washing, drying, and pinning the many many vials of insect samples I collected over the summer.

A potentially Andrenidae bee on a pinning block.

Sunny Sunday at school

2012-01-15T10:10:00.004-08:00

I came to school again today to look for the insect samples I collected over the summer, since it is time to start analyzing that part of the project (before starting the second field season).

After a while, I took a break and went to the hills behind the building.

Mine were the only footprint clearly visible.

Dead log with cavities.

View over the hill.

Resilient plants

Since there wasn't any wildlife around, I didn't stay for too long. On the way back, I saw these tracks (sorry I didn't put a reference size next to the tracks, but they were about 2 cm in length).

Bird feet.

That's all for today.

Snowy but sunny Saturday in Ptbo

2012-01-14T23:00:00.002-08:00

The internet connection in my residence is so crappy lately that I decided to come to my office (in school) on a Saturday to do some work. Plus, the weather is too nice to be inside all day.

It's pretty much a wintery wonderland here in Peterborough. This is exactly what winter should be in Canada!

Before going to my office, I decided to go check out the feeders behind to Environmental Sciences building to see if I can see any birds.

Some of the last maple leaves on a tree.

Cute American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)

Footprints in and out of the hole. Hare?

There were other tracks near the feeders, perhaps deer?

The only birds I saw going to the feeders were chickadees and a goldfinch.

Clever birds using their feet to hold the seeds still.

The only other bird going to the feeders - a non-breeding American Goldfinch.

This is a poor shot of the colorful lights shimmering from the snow, you can sort of see it from the bluish and yellowish bokehs.

Icicles!

Sunset

It feels good to be out taking photos and blogging about it.

Days prior to leaving BC

2012-01-13T22:49:00.004-08:00

Hello all! I came back to Peterborough last night to start another semester of school.

On Jan 6 (Friday), I went to get my passport photos taken and my mother bought me a birthday cake to celebrate my birthday (51 days in advance).

Delicious cake but a bit "smushed" when bringing it home.

On Monday (9th), I went to pick-up the photos and went to apply the passport. I waited almost an hour just to submit my application. Ridiculous!

On Tuesday (10th), my mother and I went to Ling Yen Mountain Temple to pray for another year of good health and safety.

Beautiful weather that day. I can't believe the good weathers just a few days before I am leaving!

Precious photos of Porcupine caribous

2012-01-06T23:19:00.006-08:00

On June 19, 2011, a small group of caribou appeared on the other side of the Sheep Creek and they appeared hesitant in coming down the bank and crossing the creek (the side we were on).

In the end, they stayed on the other side and disappeared behind the trees.

On June 22, 2011, while traveling across the landscape to get back to the campground, we found a caribou calf lying on the ground. There did not seem to be anything wrong with it, except it was not moving very much, especially as we approached closer. Thinking it may be just tired (it was very hot that day), we took some photos and leave it be.

Precious looking animal

In the same afternoon, we saw a grizzly in the same area and feared that the grizzly may be there for the unprotected calf. We went back the day after but saw no signs of kill. Hopefully, the calf survived the day.

These are the last of my mammal photos from Ivvavik National Park and will post some insect photos next. Also, I recently came across this blog post by these photographers who also spent some time in Ivvavik National Park photographing wildlife and landscapes. Beautiful! The photographers also published a book called "Yukon - A Wilder Place" which I currently borrowed from the local library and the photographs are stunning, especially since I traveled parts of the landscape myself. Pages 34 and 35 in the book is a spectacular shot of Sheep Slot, one of my field sites. I wish my photos were as good as those so that I can make a poster out of it and put it in my office.

Halfway to Heaven of Ivvavik National Park - Part 2

2012-01-04T16:57:00.003-08:00

June 21, 2011

July 1, 2011

Halfway to Heaven of Ivvavik National Park - Part 1

2012-01-04T16:17:00.005-08:00

Happy 2012, everybody! Life is still busy regarding school work, and with the BC weather being so normal and so crappy, I have been spending a lot of time indoors.

So I thought I'd share the last of my landscape photos from Ivvavik National Park. In addition to the hikes to popular destinations Inspiration Point and Sheep Slot, the best named and most beautiful destination is Halfway to Heaven. It is about two to three hours from the Sheep Creek campsite and a pretty good hiking-workout. From what I gathered, it was named because the hikers who gave its name experienced a bad storm on that day and thought they'd perish on that day.

I went to this spot twice last year - the first time was on June 21 and it was cloudy and windy. The second time was on Canada Day and it was sunny and hot and humid. Such is the (unpredictable) weather in the north in the summer.

As you can see, there are very few vegetation that survive up here, except some Dryas spp. and Phlox.

Through weathering, the mountain tops and valley side slopes form these amazing looking pinnacles called tors. And given the shape, there are many interesting names. For example, this is called Castle Tor.

Unnamed tors.

Looking down at lower elevations.

Beautiful landscape.

I wonder how this looks right now (in the winter).

Castle Tor from a distance.

Probably the last post of 2011...

2011-12-30T23:46:00.001-08:00

The sky cleared a bit in the afternoon, so I decided to go a bike ride when the weather is decent. Plus, I wanted to test out my new camera outdoors.

The new camera is small and easy to carry. But the image quality suffers when compared with the Olympus DSLR - due to the smaller image sensor. The lens on the point and shoot is not very good either - look at the landscape to the left of the photo, blurry and not sharp at all.

Panoramic shot of the cloudy weather.

A female Red-breasted Merganser, I believe.

Can't believe 2011 came and went already.

Not a very bright day.

Resting Mallards.

Handsome male.

The small camera doesn't have much "reach" at all.

Happy couple?

The female Mallard.

It started to drizzle while photographing the Mallards so I decided to head back home.

Half cloudy, half sunny.

False alarm

2011-12-30T12:25:00.004-08:00

When I was woken up the emergency fire alarm early in the morning and realize there was a power outage, the first thought that went into my mind was the world was coming to an end (ahead by 357 days).

I snapped a photo of the dark and yet beautiful starry night in case that was true. Unfortunately, it was only a temporary power outage and was restored back to order shortly.

I don't think I have yet gotten a good night sleep since coming back to BC (especially with our terrible, noisy, and rude neighbors upstairs).

Arctic ground squirrel in Ivvavik National Park

2011-12-28T22:56:00.003-08:00

Here's another post about the animals of Ivvavik National Park - the Arctic ground squirrel (Spermophilus parryii) or as the northerns like to call it "Sik-sik" (because of the chattering sound it makes).

They are found in all the places I was at this summer and quite entertaining to watch sometimes.

We found this baby on our second hike to Inspiration Point. It was hiding underneath a rock and making threatening noises.

One that made a burrow near our outhouse and carrying grasses to its burrow to get ready for the winter.

Standing upright when being alert.

Closer shot of its beautiful face.

There are many interesting information noted in this website, for example:
- The arctic ground squirrel's generic name, Spermophilus, means "lover of seeds", and its specific name, parryii, is derived from that of the famous arctic explorer, Sir William Parry.
- Arctic ground squirrels are the only mammals known to allow their body temperatures to drop below freezing.
- Closely related females bring their young together in one burrow within a few days of emergence from the natal burrows.

Test shot of Nikon Coolpix S4100

2011-12-27T21:00:00.003-08:00

Got myself a little point and shoot camera yesterday so that I don't have to bring my DSLR to events not worthy of bringing it, e.g. socializing with friends, biking to get groceries, etc. It is a Nikon Coolpix S4100. Not exactly the type of camera I was hoping to get, but it is small and portable enough for my to use everyday. For example, while I was working this afternoon (yes, I am working on my research from home during the holiday season) and I heard geese calling from a field nearby, I quickly grabbed the camera, lifted the curtains, and snapped the shot. As simple as that.

Really wish the weather would get better at least once before I leave BC next month.

Abstracts from conferences

2011-12-25T23:39:00.003-08:00

I am currently putting together a scholarship application and need to include abstracts from my past conferences. It took me a while to find them. Not the most well-written abstracts, but here they are, just in case if I ever forgot about them.

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"Examining the roost selection of Formosan Tube-Nosed Bat, Murina puta, in the Taipei Zoo Forest," Taiwan Tech Trek 2008 Academic Conference, August 2008.

From June to August of 2008, we studied the roost characteristics of the Formosan Tube-Nosed Bat, Murina puta. Roost conservation is important for M. puta, because they are considered a threatened species and endemic to Taiwan. Our sampling area was the Taipei Zoo Forest, a temperate forest region spanning 14.4 hectares. To capture the bats, harp nets were left overnight in the forest. Radio transmitters were glued to the captured bats, which were released at dusk, their usual feeding time. Upon release, the bats were tracked for a maximum of twenty-one days in which the location, temperature, luminance, and moisture of their roost area were recorded. To prevent disruption of bat roosts, data such as roost length, area, and height were collected after the bats moved to other locations. Upon analyzing our data and past data, we found that tube-nosed bats prefer to roost in Alpinia speciosa K. schum second to dead tree ferns, Cyathea lepifera, and its primary roost selection. This is the first study in Taiwan to track bats in their specific roosts, and thus can be used as an example for future research on other bat species. Through this study, we can make more knowledgeable decisions for the preservation of M. puta and conservation of its natural habitats in Taiwan.

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“Primary investigation on the breeding biology of Taiwan Barbet (Megalaima nuchalis) in Taipei Botanical Garden,” Taiwan Tech Trek 2009 Academic Conference, Taiwan, August 2009.

The breeding biology of Muller’s Barbet (Megalaima nuchalis) was studied in Taipei Botanical Garden (TBG), Taipei City, Taiwan during the breeding season of 2009 (ongoing). The breeding activities of Muller's Barbet began in April and likely to end in September based on last year’s observation. Muller’s Barbet is a monogamous species, and both parents share duties in nest excavation, egg incubation, and chick rearing. The average clutch size was 3.07 eggs (n = 13), and it took an average of 15.8 incubation days (n = 5) for the eggs to hatch. Once hatched, the nestlings required an average of 28.0 brooding days (n = 4) for them to develop and fledge. On average, 56.7% of the eggs successfully hatched new nestlings (n = 10), and the mean fledgling success rates were 52.4% (n = 7) and 77.8% (n = 7) relative to the number of eggs laid and number of nestlings hatched, respectively. Overall, out of the 13 clutches with eggs, 6 clutches successfully produced one or more fledglings. In TBG, a total of ten nest trees were located, and the predominately tree species was Cinnamomum camphora (40%). Most of the nest cavities of Muller’s Barbets were located inside dead branches or trunks of either living or dead standing trees, with the exception of a nest cavity in a living branch of a Cordia dichotoma tree. Overall, this study provides a source of information for future researches on the ecology of Muller’s Barbet and the effect of green spaces on urban biodiversity.

Strolling in Terra Nova and seeing a lifer - Greater White-fronted Geese

2011-12-22T23:36:00.004-08:00

Today, I drove my father to work so my mother and I could use the car to run errands, e.g. buy groceries, etc. Afterwards, we went to Terra Nova for a stroll.

Reflection on the slough

A think film of ice on the water with no birds swimming in it.

My mother saw this dead vole. Guess the weather was too cold for this poor fellow to handle.

Terra Nova has changed a lot with the additional of new trails. Not sure if it's better (or worse) for the wildlife, that is. We saw two Brown Creepers hopping from tree to tree along the trail looking for insects.

Through the woods

We saw many starlings and robins in the woods. This American Robin was nice enough to pose a photo with the red berries to make a festive (but green) photo.

Skyscape

Large group of American Wigeons

Walking back to the car, we saw these four geese in front of us. At first I thought they were Canada Geese, but when we got closer I realized they looked different. I snapped these photos for identification later.

Once I compare the photos with my field guide, I believe they are Greater White-fronted Geese (Anser albifrons). The distinguishing feature is the whiteness at the base of the bill. Please let me know if I am wrong. Thanks.

Another bike ride to South Dyke

2011-12-21T23:43:00.002-08:00

Another bike ride to South Dyke before the sun sets. Along the way, I saw a female Hooded Merganser in the ditch and a Bald Eagle flying over me. In total, I saw at least three different Bald Eagles.

Bald Eagles chilling at Finn Slough

Burning bright

2011-12-18T23:37:00.003-08:00

I fixed my punctured bike tire this morning and tested it out in the afternoon. Not too bad for a first-timer (learning from watching YouTube videos).

Here were some photos from the South Dyke. Did I mention there are many feeders along the trail now - compared to before? I guess people like to watch the birds and dogs at the same time.

Back of a Downy

Chickadees are always around

Sunset burning bright

Sun setting around 16:00, I think.

Back to BC

2011-12-17T23:50:00.002-08:00

I am finally back to BC for a bit of break. Well actually, I still have a lot of work to do but it would be interesting to do them in a different (and more relaxing setting). I arrived on Wednesday (14th) but it wasn't until today that I decided to bike out to the dyke.

Everything looks so familiar and yet so intriguing.

"Dog-art"

Sunset glow with dark clouds

Sunset over Fraser River - definitely different from Otonabee River in Peterborough.

Some of the birds in Ivvavik National Park

2011-12-09T13:22:00.004-08:00

Life is still very busy right now - I have a final exam (on Statistics) on Sunday, a committee meeting on Monday, need to grade all the research reports for the Plant Ecology class, invigilate the Plant Ecology final exam on Wednesday, and fly back to BC on the same night. Phew!

I can't wait to go back to BC to relax (just a bit...still a lot of work to do back home) and do some birding - I have seen a lot of Snowy Owls photos by Lower Mainland photographers that I am feeling very jealous of. Birding is not particularly interesting here, or maybe I am just way too busy.

Here are some of the bird photos that I took this past summer in Ivvavik.

Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris) - they were found in alpine tundra areas - grassy or rocky with very little vegetation.

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata) - a species at its northern range.

Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata) - same as the UPSA, in terms of habitat preferences.

White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) - another common bird down south breeding all the way up north.

Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) - only saw this bird once along Sheep Creek. There was another incident when I found a SPSA chick running along the rocky creekside and up the muddy banks.

Gray Jay (Perisoreus canadensis) - first time seeing these birds. Not as curious as I thought they'd be.

Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda) - these birds were quite common last year in Carden Plains and apparently they are found in the Arctic as well! One of my co-workers was studying the habitat selection of these birds, as well as doing sound recording to compare them with UPSAs down south - to see if they are different species.

UPSA nest in the swampy lowlands with tall grasses and many times we were spooked by these well camouflaged birds, both adults and chicks alike. Cute, aren't they?

Porcupine caribous in Ivvavik National Park

2011-12-01T14:33:00.004-08:00

First, some things that I did on the days that I did not write a post. On Saturday (11/26), I went to a show where bands Bruce Peninsula and Snowblink were playing. It was awesome - very entertaining and great music! On Sunday, I went to one of my supervisor's end-of-year party. And then back to school once again.

Sometimes after working on my assignment about my thesis project, I take a break by watching the latest documentary by BBC called Frozen Planet. It's very relevant to me because it is about the polar regions and some of the scenery from the Arctic reminds me of my summer. The episode I am watching now is titled "Autumn" and one of the segments is about the fall caribou migration in north Canada (I watched this episode from this uploaded video because I am not in UK).

This reminded me of June 13, a day when an astonishing number of caribous moved on the hills on the other side of the Firth River. It was definitely one of the most memorable wildlife moments in my life.

People watching from a comfortable distance.

The white dots among the trees are individual caribous.

Zooming in.

Then there was a group that ended up on our side of the Firth River and the only thing between us humans and them was Sheep Creek!

They were probably less than 20-m away from us (on the other side of the creek).

Then one led them down to the creek.

Unsure of what to do.

One lone cow.

In the end, the group went back to where they came from and disappeared. It was an amazing day!

Note: For most parts of the Firth River, the flow is too powerful for the caribous to swim across.

Twilights

2011-11-25T22:54:00.003-08:00

Nothing to do with the movie/novel, just the twilight for the past two days. I usually work late in my office and when I look out the window around 4:30-PM, the sunset is already setting and so I go outside for a much needed break and take some photos of the sky while I am at it.

Yesterday's.

Today's.

Walking along Jackson Creek

2011-11-20T20:50:00.003-08:00

This semester ends in about three weeks, but there are still so many things need to be done!

An outing once a week will help me clear my mind a bit, I hope. This afternoon, I went to Jackson Park and walked next to the creek in the Red pine forest.

The forest was quiet and peaceful. The trail was not very clear and I only encountered some people (and almost no wildlife). The sound of running water was soothing as well.

Back to Jackson Park. The water level is really low right now.

Goldenrod Sunset

2011-11-13T14:01:00.002-08:00

For one of my classes tomorrow, I have to present my thesis project to other graduate students. I went to the field behind the DNA building to practice my presentation out loud. While there, I also took these photos.

Goldenrod Sunset

I will be heading back to BC for winter break in one more month. I have a feeling I will be very very busy until then.

Peterborough Lift Lock and Sunset watching from Ashburnham Memorial Park

2011-11-12T23:34:00.004-08:00

As titled...

Lift Lock

Sunset from one the highest points east of Otonabee River. As you can see, rest of the landscape is pretty flat.

Shrike behind building

2011-11-07T23:35:00.003-08:00

Just before lunch today, the fire alarm went off in the building and everybody was evacuated. I decided to go to the gravel hill behind building. I sat on the hill for a while thinking about stuff, and when I was about to leave, a bird flew from one of the trees and landed nearby. I only had my kit lens and I did the best I can with what I got, but the bird did not seem too typical. Looking closer, I realize it was a shrike - what species, I can't tell for sure. But from the bottom left photo, it looks like a juvenile.

Definitely the most exciting part of the day!

Murmuration

2011-11-07T14:17:00.002-08:00

Not something I usually post, but I recently came across this video that I thought was pretty spectacular. Nature never ceases to impress me.

Plus, murmuration is a cool word.

Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.

Early sunset

2011-11-06T20:14:00.003-08:00

Daylight-saving took effect today. The sun set around 6PM yesterday and 5PM today. It was a weird experience to watch the sunset for two consecutive days and they are one hour apart. I guess this is what happens when you live your life according to clocks.

Biked to Little Lake again before I went to do a quick grocery run for the week.

Ganaraska Forest & Biked to Lakefield sewage lagoon

2011-11-05T23:19:00.006-07:00

Another busy week gone by without any free time to take any photos or find anything interesting enough to blog about. Well, I tried Red Lobster for the first time yesterday, it was salty but I definitely had a good time.

This morning, I helped a lab-mate with her research project in Ganaraska Forest. It is a very nice forest - quiet and peaceful. I'd imagine it is livelier in the summer with all the birds and people, but I think I enjoy this time of the year more.

A small part of the forest.

While we were doing the tree and soil measurements, there were many moths flying around us. It was strange to see them still active, especially when the air temperature was only around 6 degrees Celsius. The work finished in an hour or so and we were back in Peterborough shortly.

In the afternoon, I decided to bike to Lakefield sewage lagoon, the place where I went bird-watching with the AAA members earlier in the school year. It took only about an hour to bike there, and the nice weather provided a pleasant bike ride.

Along the way. In the summer, there were dragonflies and turtle in this pond, but not anymore.

The sewage lagoon.

There were many waterfowls, most of them being Buffleheads, Common Goldeneyes, and Ring-necked Ducks.

One male Bufflehead with many females.

Landing

Taking off!

Five more days until full moon.

Above the trees.

Slowly biking back home.

Hope this nice weather stay for a bit longer.

Little Lake and nearby parks

2011-10-30T23:16:00.003-07:00

Here are some photos taken from the east side of the Otonabee River prior to my Sunday grocery-run.

Almost reminds me of Lost Lagoon. This is Little Lake and it was taken from Rogers Cove. Map here.

There are several small parks around the lake. This one is called Beavermead Park.

Autumn almost finished.

After this, I saw a Cooper's Hawk (I think) swooping close to the ground and scared the squirrels nearby. I tried to look for the hawk but couldn't find it afterwards. Such a shame because I was fairly certain it was just hiding.

Back to school tomorrow.

Trent's Blue Trail

2011-10-29T23:13:00.004-07:00

There are many trails around Trent University, most of which I had not yet explored. Today's weather was decent enough that I biked to the Wildlife Sanctuary and hiked the 3.7-km Blue Trail. I also brought my binoculars with me, but besides the sparrows, juncos, and chickadees, there weren't many birds to be found (although I think I saw a Northern Harrier flying over a field through some trees).

Below are some of the photos I took this afternoon.

House Centipede

2011-10-28T23:58:00.003-07:00

Today and yesterday, I saw and photographed nothing except the House Centipedes (Scutigera coleoptrata) that were running around in the living room and bathroom. They are pretty cool animals to look at.

Trapped in a cup. Love the bilateral symmetry of its body.

Close-up on the head, you can see the well-developed faceted eyes.

The one found today. Apparently, when they first hatch, the young House Centipede only has four pair of legs. Two new pairs are gained through each molting, and a full-grown adult can have an average of 17 pairs. Very interesting.

More information can be found here.

Successful Owl-Banding Last Night

2011-10-27T07:42:00.004-07:00

Let's see what I did so far this week. I went to a pumpkin carving party on Tuesday night. And then I went owl-banding last night. Originally there were several people coming, but in the end there was only the bander-in-charge and myself, which was nice because you really need two people for this task. We were afraid that it might rain but it was overcast but dry (and cool) the entire evening, and we had one of the most successful nights yet - 7 owls with 1 recapture (from the same night).

I left my 50 f2 lens at home and used the standard kit lens instead, the photos turned out well.

Inside the banding cabin - nice and homely.

Record of which net is most successful at catching owls.

Caught one!

Going to get you out as soon as I snap a photo.

After the standard procedure of banding and measuring...

You can go on your migration now, little fella!

One of the best nights so far. Apparently someone forgot there are 31 days in October.

Relaxing time is over, time to get some work done!

Rainy/Sunny Day

2011-10-24T23:23:00.005-07:00

The weather was pretty unstable today - it would be cloudy and rainy one moment, sunny the next, and then back and forth.

While this was going on, I was using the computer facing the window and I could see the small invasions of chickadees, sparrows, and juncos to the trees right outside my window. I also spotted a White-breasted Nuthatch, so overall, it was an interesting morning.

In the afternoon, while it was still sunny, I went out to get some grocery and took my camera with me. I took some photos of the birds feeding from the wet ground.

Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)

Dark-eyed Juncos (Junco hyemalis)

Couldn't get a good view of its head, maybe a Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)?

Handsome Chipping Sparrow posing for a nice photo.

Sunny afternoon

First time visitng Miller Creek Wildlife Area

2011-10-23T19:57:00.004-07:00

Today I decided to take my biking trip further and go to the Miller Creek Wildlife Area (MCWA) in Bridgenorth. I learned about this place from my friends who took their ornithology class there earlier this semester. Plus, the sun was out when I first woke up this morning so why waste a beautiful day inside.

However, biking to MCWA was tougher than I thought. It is probably because I haven't bike in awhile, or that there are many "hills" along the way, or that there are no bike trails and I had to bike along 70km-limit lanes. Nonetheless, I surprisingly found the place about an hour later without getting lost at all.

Along the way, I saw this snake in the middle of the road with some blood around it. At first I thought it was dead, but a closer look showed that it was still alive. I was unsure if I should leave it be and have other cars end its life sooner or bring it aside and hopefully it will still survive. I chose the latter.

Arriving at Miller Creek Wildlife Area.

It was here that I realized that I didn't put the kit lens back into the backpack, and so I only have my 50 f2 and telephoto lens at my disposal today.

Head of the trail.

This might be a great place to come frog-searching in the summer.

Milkweed seed pod.

Tower for bird-watching. Before walking up to this, I saw an unknown warbler and a non-robin thrush. Forest birds are so difficult!

The tower overlooks a wetland of cattails. On the side of the wetland was this building.

I didn't see any birds from the tower. This "furry" fly caught my attention though.

Trees from the field. I saw a sparrow around here. I thought it was a Chipping Sparrow, but I am not too certain at all.

I like this old-looking bridge.

While walking, there were many grasshoppers trying to get out of your way, as well as several small garter snakes slithering into the grasses.

The wetland.

The view all around it. It reminds me of Richmond again.

An interesting dead tree.

My only bird photo of the day. I was also investigated by three Black-capped Chickadees this afternoon where they perched right over my head and chatted about me before flying away.

A farm right next to the wildlife area.

Then I biked to the bridge and checked out the view of Chemong Lake. I really wished I had my wide-angle kit lens then.

Biking back home was even more difficult. Plus, I bought some things on the way home and found that they don't fit into my backpack. And so I had to leave my bike outside the mall (locked, of course) and took the bus home, and then walked back to the mall to retrieve the bike. Overall, it was an exhausting but interesting day.

Getting a bike and biking along Trans-Canada trail

2011-10-22T21:09:00.003-07:00

After almost two months here in Peterborough, I finally bought a (used) bike today. I know it's a bit late in the year, but hopefully I can get a few sunny days to go out for a bike ride. Plus, this coming week is reading week at Trent so there are no classes at all.

After getting my bike and air pumped into the tires, I went for a bike ride to Jackson Park and then the Trans-Canada trail.

Jackson Park. With my bike.

Great Blue Heron! They are a bit hard to find here in Peterborough than Richmond.

Preening.

A curious squirrel interested in what I was doing.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet.

Yellow-rumped Warbler.

The Trans-Canada trail. It goes all the way to Omemee but I didn't go that far today.

One of the few dragonflies still around, especially it has been cold and rainy the past week or two.

Lily Lake. It almost reminds me of Terra Nova slough in Richmond.

Male Mallard.

I went as far as Ackison Road - maybe only a quarter way to Omemee.

Then I turned around and biked back to Peterborough.

Back to Jackson Park.

One of the few maples still on the tree.

Most are on the ground now.

School stuff

2011-10-19T08:42:00.004-07:00

Life is pretty busy right now with school work.

I just handed in an assignment for a class - a "letter of intent" for my M.Sc thesis project. It gives people an idea of what I am working on.

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The interaction between dioecious plants and their associating pollinators is poorly known, especially in Arctic ecosystems where plants and insects are extremely sensitive to potential spatial and temporal mismatches. Dioecism in flowering plants is a sexual system where a plant bears either female or male flowers, which allows for the selection of the most favourable genetic combination. For many dioecious plants, the males and females in a population are observed to segregate from each other along an environmental gradient. One of the proposed selective mechanisms causing this spatial segregation of sexes consists of the differences in reproductive investments between males and females [1]. Females require and spend more resources and energy on the productions of ovaries, fruits, and seeds than males that invest primarily on pollen grains. This major difference in reproduction biology indicates that females are more likely to occupy resource-rich habitats than males, resulting in spatial segregation of sexes. The proposed project will select a dioecious plant species and study the biotic and abiotic variations within and between several populations. The variations include female to male ratios, phonological and morphological differences between females and males during the growing season, the resulting fruit set and seed set at the end of the growing season, and the surrounding abiotic environmental factors. The information will be tested for their associations with pollinator richness to determine the effects of pollinator abundance and diversity on the reproductive successes of dioecious females.

In addition to understanding the pollination ecology of dioecious plants, the proposed project will also aim to address the status of pollinators in natural ecosystems across northern Canada. Pollination is an extremely valuable ecosystem service carried out by managed and wild pollinators for many agricultural crops and wild plants. Without pollinators and the plants that depend on them, ecosystems will be reduced or lost, and food security for humans will become seriously jeopardized. Most insect pollinators worldwide are in a state of decline and, because of their importance, there is a growing concern in the ecological community to not only determine the potential drivers causing the declines, but to also develop mitigating solutions [2]. One of the main potential drivers of global pollinator declines is climate change [2]. However, studies pertaining to the effects that climate change has on pollinators in the Arctic, one of the world’s most important ecotones, remains scant. Therefore, the proposed project will also establish baseline knowledge on pollinator abundance and diversity in northern Canada by trapping and identifying pollinators that visit the dioecious plant species of interest.

To fully account for wild pollinator abundance and diversity Arctic ecosystems, the proposed project will be carried out in Ivvavik National Park of northern Yukon: a unique region in the Arctic ecosystem that was unglaciated during the Ice Ages and now has distinct landscapes and biodiversity. The plant species in study will be Shepherdia canadensis, one of the dioecious plant species in the Arctic whose berries are consumed by local First Nations people as well as by wildlife such as grizzly bears. Very little is known about the pollination biology of S. canadensis and the associating pollinators, however, especially given Arctic’s short growing season. Overall, I hypothesize that along an elevation gradient where harsher environmental conditions are found in higher elevations than lower elevations, female S. canadensis will be more dominant in lower elevations and vice versa for the males. Furthermore, I hypothesize that pollinator abundance and diversity will also differ along the elevational gradient and result in different reproductive success rates, such as fruit set and seed set, of the females.

My objectives are to: 1. Establish a baseline inventory of pollinator abundance and diversity in Ivvavik National Park; 2. Determine the sex ratio and sexual dimorphism of dioecious S. canadensis populations in Ivvavik National Park along an environmental gradient (e.g. elevation gradient); and 3. Examine the effects of pollinator abundance and diversity on the reproductive success rates (e.g. fruit set and seed set) of S. canadensis plants in different populations along the environmental gradient. This project is important and relevant in terms of its fundamental goals of understanding the effects of sexual selection by pollinators on the ecology and evolution of dioecious plants and the impacts of climate change on wild pollinators and plants in Arctic ecosystems.

[1] Bierzychudek, P, Eckhart, V. 1988. Am. Naturalist. 132: 34; [2] Potts, S. et al. 2011. TREE. 25: 345.

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And then today we had a lecture on how to communicate to the general public by one of Trent's professors.

Here are some points, quotes, and articles that I thought was pretty good:

- Scientific research is like putting a jig-saw puzzle together without the picture on the cover box, there will always be pieces of uncertainty.
-There is an ethical justification for conservation biology - can we knowingly allow a species to die off? Human survival depends on many species, and now other species' survival depend on us!
-"The bird and bees, however, beg to differ. Myriad wild species are showing polward shifts in their distribution and changes in the timing of breeding and flowering - an unmistakable biological footprint."
-Tracking long-distance songbird migration by using geolocators by Bridget Stutchbury and colleagues.
-Climate dominoes tumble slowly by James Schaefer.
-Ecological science and sustainability for the 21st century by MA Palmer and colleagues.
-Preparing for an interview - know the goals of the interview and the reporter, anticipate tough questions, identify other experts, know the headlines, be concise, conversational, and catchy, and don't repeat the reporters' words.
-Take control the direction of the interview by using phrases:
- "Yes...in addition..."
- "No...let me explain..."
- "I don't know that...but I do know..."
- "The real issues are ..."
- "What you are really asking is..."
- "Let me put it in a different perspective ..."

Algonquin Weekend

2011-10-17T14:52:00.003-07:00

I arrived back in Peterborough yesterday afternoon. The Algonquin trip was fun despite the rain and the absence of wildlife, such as moose, otters, etc.

The weather was actually nice on Saturday morning. Photo taken while waiting to get picked up.

Inside of a maple seed.

After driving for about 2.5 hours and stopping at Bancroft for lunch, we finally arrived at Algonquin. As soon as we dropped off our backpacks and food at the cabin, we first headed to Booth's Rock, one of the trails that I didn't do last year.

Entrance

Most of the leaves are now on the ground

Trip-mates

A fair amount of climbing involved for this particular trail.

Looking down at the Lookout.

View from (one of the several) Lookout(s).

Climbing down. This time with stairs.

A maple tree with most of its leaves are hard to find in the forest.

A yellow fly agaric mushroom?

After the hike, everyone was pretty much wet from the rain so we returned back to the cabin for some dinner (frozen pizza). After chatting and playing games, we went back out in the dark and did some wolf-howls and Barred Owl calls hoping to get some responses. Unfortunately, the animals and the weather (strong wind) were not participating and we came up with nothing.

The following morning.

Heading to the Wildlife Research Station.

Deer or Moose??

After paying for our stay, we went to an abandoned air strip in the park and tried our luck birding.

The sun appeared and gone throughout the day, but at least the rain finally ceased.

A Common Loon (in winter plumage) far far away.

Members of the Avian Appreciation Association club.

Giving wolf-howl one last try.

Then we went over to the Visitor Center to look at the views and I also bought a nice poster for my office space in school.

Driving back home.

I don't think I'll ever get tired of visiting this place. Hopefully I will have more opportunities in the near future.

Visiting Algonquin this weekend

2011-10-14T19:20:00.002-07:00

More than a year ago, I was in Algonquin. When the trip ended, I wished for another chance to come back again. Then grad school happened and now I am going there again. Life is full of surprises sometimes.

Have a nice weekend everyone.

Fall leaves

2011-10-10T22:15:00.002-07:00

Nothing in particular. Just taking some photos of the maple leaves near where I live before heading out for poutine with my roommate.

Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving weekend.

Northern Saw-whet Owl banding

2011-10-10T13:22:00.004-07:00

Last night I did something very exciting - helping out with the Saw-whet Owl-Banding!

The project focuses on Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus), the smallest owl in eastern North America, and bands them every October during their winter migration down south. We set up mist nets at Trent's James McLean Oliver Ecological Centre and used playbacks to attract these curious birds. We check the nets every 30 minutes and start from sunset until midnight.

Yesterday we caught four owls in total and below are some photos from last night.

This girl was fine (most of the owls we caught were females), but she certainly didn't act like it.

Putting bands on their skinny but feathery legs.

So cute!

Using UV light to see the bloods in the feathers to estimate age. Not an useful technique for a color-blind.

Besides banding them and aging them, we also sex them (by comparing wing length and weight of the individual) and take some basic measurements.

After measuring them (usually takes about 5 minutes). We bring them outside and let them perch on a nearby branch.

There were also deer hanging around outside the cabins.

Almost like a cam-trap photo.

Sorry for the terrible photos, my camera is not very good at taking poor-lighting conditions. But I certainly had a great time and hope to go back again sometime this month.

Autumn in Jackson Park

2011-10-09T17:42:00.003-07:00

Yesterday I spent my entire afternoon in a coffee shop trying to complete one of my assignments for school. I did pretty much the same thing this morning, but in the afternoon, I decided to go over to Jackson Park for a nice stroll.

This is a great time to be out and enjoy the trees changing colors.

Beautiful bokeh

Little creek running beside the park.

Beautiful view

Young chickadee gleaning for insects

I love Jackson Park!

Friday before the long weekend

2011-10-07T23:22:00.002-07:00

Yesterday, I found a shield bug outside a glass door on campus and since I didn't bring my macro/telephoto lens, I brought it home in a glass jar.

And today, I brought it back to school (along with the lens) and took photos of it on the dead yarrow.

Don't know what species this is, but it is still pretty cool-looking.

Side-view

In the afternoon, after a dead long seminar talk (it was an interesting talk but I think after-lunch-and-before-long-weekend is the worst time to sit through an hour of presentation on physiology of hummingbirds and their muscles), I practically ran out of the building and went to my office to grab my camera and headed outside for some down-time with nature. That was when I saw this brown mantis on the side of the road.

I brought it away from the pavement and put it on a dead yarrow and snapped some photos.

Cleaning its legs, just like a cat!

And then I spotted another mantis hiding in the grass. Hello!

After that, I went to the hill and tried to look for some birds. While sitting behind a mound of gravel, a deer ran in front of me followed by two humans with loud music playing from a phone.

Taking photos of small birds is so difficult, especially when they are well-aware of your presence. I think this is a young Yellow-rumped Warbler, but I could easily (and probably) be wrong.

This is one I know, Dark-eyed Junco!

Leaves changing colors.

While many students go back home or their cottages, I am staying put and working on the many assignments that I have. Plus, it is unreasonable to go back to BC for just a three-day break.

New place to bird-watch at Trent

2011-10-05T23:06:00.004-07:00

I just found a neat spot to relax just behind our DNA building. There's an abandoned barn, a garden, and a field with plenty of birds to see and photograph.

Unfortunately I didn't bring my telephoto lens today. So I will have to try to take bird photos next time. The top left photo was a Turkey Vulture flying over me, thinking I am dead or something. Nope, still alive.

Also, I signed up for owl banding on this (and the next) Monday but it was drizzling in the afternoon so it was cancelled. And now the weather forecast predicts good weather throughout the long weekend. Argh!

Walking along Otonabee River and checking out Head of the Trent

2011-10-01T23:41:00.009-07:00

One month has gone by and now we are into autumn now! How quickly time flies. I mentioned a few posts ago that October 1 is Trent's Head of the Trent regatta.

In the morning though, it was windy, cloudy, and cool outside. But the sky cleared in the afternoon and it was beautiful then. Since I am not a fan of large crowds anyways, I decided to take my time and slowly walk along the Otonabee River and towards Trent.

Clear sky

One of the main bridges in Peterborough.

There's no real path along the river, although many people had done it before that there's a well-worn trail.

Saw many Yellow-rumped Warblers today.

Eastern Grey Squirrel crossing the telephone wire.

Checking me out.

Saw many bumblebees doing this today - resting on a tree trunk or telephone pole and wiping the excess pollen off their body.

Some kind of flycatcher, I believe.

Ghost of a Cardinal, I think.

I startled this young robin when I was photographing something. Then it decided to stay very still and hope I couldn't see it. Oh, how wrong you are, you naive bird.

One of the most colorful plants on Trent drumlin - Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina)

Finally arriving at Trent, after about 5-km and 3 hours later.

Trent's University Novice Eight Men rowing team. They came 6th.

UoWO, 3rd.

Then I had dinner at the burger shack near campus, waited for about an hour for the bus (and was able to get this photo), and then came back home and just relax.

Treefrog and Porcupine

2011-09-28T23:13:00.005-07:00

I took the Plant Ecology class to the drumlin next to the campus again this afternoon to teach them about forest community sampling.

While doing the point-quarter sampling method, we saw a little Gray Treefrog on the tree the students were measuring.

Beautifully camouflaged.

Another exciting highlight of the day would probably be this small Porcupine sleeping on a tree in the middle of the campus courtyard.

Only in Trent, some people told me.

Presqu'ile Provincial Park - Part 2

2011-09-26T16:31:00.006-07:00

Besides searching for the warblers along the trails and in people's backyards, we also hiked along the beach to watch the shorebirds, as well as the gulls and ducks in the distance.

Owen Point Trail

The beach and the cloudless sky

One of the many Monarch butterflies

To the other side of the beach

A juvenile Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)

Many Sanderlings (Calidris alba)!

A photographer with big lens photographing the small birds. The birds didn't seem to be bothered by the photographer at all.

I had my fair share of opportunities of photographing these birds up-close.

But the cutest shorebird would probably be the Semipalmated Plovers (Charadrius semipalmatus), the focus of my supervisor's study for many many years.

Ahh, so cute!

Heading back to the picnic area for lunch...

That's all. I am definitely coming back to this place and explore it more thoroughly in the future. Such a great place to go birding and being outdoors.

Presqu'ile Provincial Park - Part 1

2011-09-25T18:33:00.006-07:00

As I mentioned on Friday, my supervisor asked me if I want to tag along with her class (and a few people from our lab) on Sunday to Presqu'ile Provincial Park to do some bird-watching. Of course I said yes!

I went a little bit overboard with photo taking today, so today will be split into two parts.

Walking to the bus stop to get picked up at 6:40am. Haven't woke up this early in a long time, but the morning sky is so pretty!

We drove around the park a lot, as well as walking around looking for birds, so I wasn't completely sure of the places we were at. But I believe this is Lake Ontario. I remember the last time I was along Lake Ontario....

Unidentified dragonfly

And then we were ushered to some people's backyards where we watched warblers and vireos flying back and forth near the treetop. So hard to see and identify them!

But then there were easy ones like chickadees...

And this Gray Catbird...

And this Blue Jay.

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

Afterwards, we went over to Owen Point Trail to check out some shorebirds. But because I saw and photographed too many things, they will have to wait another day.

Before we got to the trail though, we saw this crescent. My friend and I are currently trying to figure if it is a Pearl Crescent or not, and if it possible to find them here.

We also saw this sulphur getting caught in a spider web and this spider feasting on it. My labmate was considering whether to save the butterfly or not. In the end, we talked her out of it and let nature takes its course.

There were many other insects out today too, such as the Monarch,

Damselflies like this Great Spreadwing (Archilestes grandis)

And these red White-faced Meadowhawk (Sympetrum obtrusum), one of them bit my friend while she was trying to rescue it from a spider web (no spider around).

Going to another site to watch birds. There were almost nothing except many Mute Swans.

The next trail we hit was through the marsh in the afternoon. It was warm and sunny and almost no birds were around (except some ducks and teals).

I found this speedy orange caterpillar though. Perhaps it is a Yellow Bear Caterpillar?

I have a quiz and presentation tomorrow afternoon. Better review and practice again.

First Annual Purple Onion Festival

2011-09-24T20:05:00.003-07:00

Today is Peterborough's first annual Purple Onion Festival, a celebration of local food and culture. It was quite small but the quality was quite good, in terms of information about local food and sustainability, and the fresh produce and food available. Plus, it was a beautiful day to be outside.

The highlight of the festival was probably listening to a local band called Dub Trinity. They are definitely talented and fun to listen to.

Animals from Trent's drumlin

2011-09-23T14:06:00.005-07:00

Well, I have been busy with school. What more can I say?

Actually, I can talk about the alternating rainy-sunny days that have been going on this week. Or that I went to a M.Sc student thesis defense about her project on Chimney Swifts on Tuesday. Or that I led my first ever lab in Plant Ecology to a drumlin next to the campus to teach students how to conduct plant sampling.

Yesterday was pretty fun too, when the AAA club had a meeting and then some of us hiked up to the drumlin to look for birds. There wasn't many birds in the afternoon, but we did saw a few interesting animals.

Such as this handsome garter snake.

Watching the Turkey Vulture hovering over us.

The views from the drumlin.

You can definitely tell that autumn is coming (which officially began yesterday).

Unknown hover fly.

Then we picked apples from apple trees on campus and ate them. Then someone found this cool-looking Praying Mantis (Mantis religiosa).

Ahh, so cool!

Currently raining right now. I'll probably go home soon, cook dinner, and do some work after that, especially if I want to Presqu'ile Provincial Park with the ornithology class this Sunday.

Quick update on my life & First AAA trip.

2011-09-18T17:24:00.024-07:00

As expected, school is just too busy for me to spare times for photography. Sometimes I do like to stop and relax and look at the Otonabee River, but I rarely have the time to take my camera out and take pictures. Also, time goes by so fast when in school that I rarely have time to record what I did each day. Am I continuing to seize my days? Let's see, I remembered attending the Avian Appreciation Association (AAA) meeting on Thursday, and we introduced ourselves and planned on where we would like to go for birding. On Friday, I was suppose to discuss my project with one of my supervisors, attend a seminar talk by Dr. Locke Rowe from U of T. There was also a Pow Wow at Curve Lake on Saturday, but I was so tired from the past few days that I decided to stay home and not go. Plus, my roommate and I got a couch for our living room. It looks much better now.

Now, onto today! Today I went on the first field trip with the AAA club to a town north of Peterborough called Lakefield. We went to a sewage pond and tried to spot some ducks. We didn't see many ducks (Mallards and American Black Duck - a lifer that I probably would identify as a Mallard without help), but did saw other birds too, including another lifer, the Chestnut-sided Warbler!

Lakefield's sewage lagoon

Some of the AAA members looking at Yellow-rumped Warblers.

The Chestnut-sided Warbler (Dendroica pensylvanica). Since I am not very good with small birds like these, I am glad everyone helps each other to see and ID the birds observed. Great group to join. [Edit: I uploaded a few more photos of this cute bird: 1, 2, 3, 4.]

Sewage lagoon and you can see the small morning moon near the top left corner.

Monarch among the goldenrods.

A Red-tailed Hawk soaring over our heads.

I found it funny when everyone was surprised at how good my blurry photos are...

Great Blue Heron flying by. We were later joined by a large group from Peterborough Field Naturalists, and someone from there said, "hey, is that a Green Heron?"

Unknown Damselfly

After the morning birding, we went to a local brunch restaurant called "Maple Moon" and had delicious brunch buffet.

Driving back to Peterborough, we stopped at an area by the river looking at Canada Geese and cormorants.

In the afternoon, I was still feeling a bit restless (because the weather is so nice out) that I decided to go for another walk to Jackson Park.

First I stopped at the Bonaccord Community Garden and took some photos of the pollinators

Saw this squirrel enjoying an apple on my way to the park. Photo taken directly against the sunlight.

Calm reflection

Jackson Park

One of the trio of Mallards resting next to the water.

That's all. Hope I am not as busy this coming week as last week.

PS - Thanks to the real birders, they actual try to remember all the birds they saw and record them. Here's the list from today's outing:
Mallard
American Black Duck
Ring-billed Gull
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow-rumped warbler
Black-throated green warbler
Turkey Vulture
Great Blue Heron
Philadelphia vireo
Downy woodpecker
Red-breasted merganser
Swamp sparrow
Canada Goose
Double crested cormorant
Belted kingfisher
American crow
European starling
Barn Swallow
Black-capped chickadee
Red tailed hawk
Blue jay
Rock dove

Identified insects from last summer

2011-09-14T19:50:00.002-07:00

Aside from all the photos from this past summer that I have not uploaded yet, I also have an unknown folder for some of the insects that I wasn't able to identify from last summer. Well, today I found the ID for few of them and decided to make one post out of it.

Dogbane Beetle (Chrysochus auratus)

Green Immigrant Leaf Weevil (Polydrusus sericeus)

Golden-backed Snipe Flies (Chrysopilus thoracicus)

Wordless Wednesday: Hints of Autumn

2011-09-14T19:09:00.000-07:00

Trent's Faryon Bridge & Full Moon

2011-09-12T17:03:00.005-07:00

Some information about the bridge here.

Club day here in Trent University. I will probably join the Avian Appreciation Club (AAA) seeing as how most of the people in my lab are in it.

I had my first class (statistics) in the past four years. It's weird to be back in a classroom setting with other students and professor. We went through the syllabus, the introductory information
(variance, SD, SE, alpha, probability, Type I and II errors), and using the statistical program R.

Edit:

I just went outside to take photos of the full moon which I haven't done so in a while (more than 6 months ago back in Richmond).

But most of the times, the moon was covered by clouds...

Rock-climbing on a rock-flipping day

2011-09-11T23:51:00.002-07:00

Today I went rock-climbing for the first time in my life. It has always been something I wanted to try two years ago but never really had a chance, and whenever I stared up on a rock surface or a tall tree, I always have the urges to reach up and pull myself up. Well, I finally did it today at Trent's rock-climbing wall. I went through the orientation of how to tie the knots when climbing, as well as how to belay climbers. Now I just need to find a partner to go regularly to fulfill my desires of leaving the surface of the earth and move upwards.

Speaking of rocks, today is also rock-flipping day. I remembered it when I got back from the gym and so I decided to just flip rocks around where I live.

Trent University's Kerr House.

The backyard. There were some rocks in here but most of them were placed for landscaping purposes and too heavy for me to flip them over.

So I started with something less dense, such as this wood.

Underneath? A cricket.

Flipping over a rock the size of my palm. Some ants.

School finally really begins tomorrow.

Revisiting Jackson Park and the day/night before

2011-09-10T17:55:00.009-07:00

First week of grad school went by very fast. Yesterday, we had WHMIS training in the morning (not really applicable to us biologists who uses very few chemicals in the lab) and more TA training in the afternoon (more applicable this time as it applied to situations in biology and during field works). Plus we got to know other graduate students and their research projects.

Nice weather yesterday.

Then in the evening, there was the second annual Pub Crawl hosted by Trent's Graduate Student Association (GSA). It was pretty fun because there were free or cheap beer and it was great getting to know and hanging out with people in my research lab.

This morning, I went to Jackson Park after breakfast to take some pictures.

When I got there, the first thing that caught my attention was this crow flying over my head, tried to land on a branch, but it for some reason crashed through the branches below and fell onto the ground.

I looked at it closely, and although it seemed fine it was bobbing its head very strangely. For a moment there, I was deciding if I should call someone (i.e. my friends or my supervisor). But as I was contemplating on what to do, I lost track of the crow and it had disappeared in the understorey.

I decided to let nature take its course and focus on taking some photos.

The "lake" in the park. It is quite big - much bigger than Terra Nova Slough or Minoru Lake, but smaller than Deer Lake.

The Pagoda bridge.

I spent a lot of time photographing the damselflies and dragonflies all around me.

I believe this is a Eastern Forktail (Ischnura verticalis).

Some species of bluet, I am taking a guess at Marsh Bluet.

The description and range seems to fit for this White-faced Meadowhawk (Sympetrum obtrusum).

I am stumped at the identity of this damselfly (some kind of spreadwing, I believe).

Fishes in the lake.

Then I saw the crow again. It tried to fly and perch on another tree but failed again and landed on the parking lot. I took another photo of it. It seemed fine physically, perhaps it had some internal injury (e.g. its head)? It then flew from the ground to a tree and landed awkwardly but safely. I decided to leave it be and hope for the best.

Found a wasp/hornet nest in the ground.

A different kind of nest. It looks like a Bald-faced Hornet's nest.

Many of these aster flowers in bloom and attracting bees, flies and other insects.

Crossing a little creek and through the forest.

A concrete bridge. It reminds me of the park near my home in Taipei.

The other side of the lake.

Sitting on a bench and enjoying the nice day.

The other side of the Pagoda bridge.

Leaving the park, I came across this small patch of community garden in a residential neighborhood.

Bumblebee finding a nice meal.

A strange-looking tomato.

Have a nice weekend, everyone.

Giant Eastern Crane Fly and other thoughts

2011-09-08T19:52:00.005-07:00

So the second day of teaching assistant training came and went. It wasn't as helpful as the first day I found because a lot of the materials were repeated (at least twice). The most useful point was probably how to handle the icebreakers, especially on the first day, or what to do when the students are not as responsive as you like them to be. It seems that Trent puts a lot of emphasis on providing a good learning atmosphere for the undergraduate students. I wonder if the graduate students in UBC went through similar trainings as well.

Anyways, that was yesterday. Today I mainly stayed in my office, finishing up paperworks, meeting other graduate students, etc. However, the most interesting thing that happened today was probably finding this cool-looking (but dead) crane fly outside the building.

It wasn't too difficult to find the identity of this distinctive critter. It is a Giant Eastern Crane Fly (Pedicia albivitta) with the distinct patterns on its wings. In my field guide, it strangely points out that they have very long and brittle legs, which I thought was a no-brainer (unless the legs are even more fragile compare to other crane flies).

I checked out some of the other graduate students' offices and they had amazing wildlife photos, drawings and artwork on their desks while my (and my office-mates) had empty desks. So I decided to pin this insect as a memorable first insect pinned here in Ontario (actually it is my first pinned insect ever).

Quite a memorable day, I suppose.

First day of grad school

2011-09-06T20:07:00.005-07:00

After waiting for so long (four years or four days, depending when you started counting), I am finally back in school! Today's the first day for graduate students here at Trent. The day started with the orientation session with presenters from welcoming us to the school and CUPE people talking about our not over-working ourselves. After the BBQ lunch, there were four different workshops that helped us as new teaching assistants - what students expect from their TA's, effective marking, motivating a group of students, and dealing with difficult students. Each workshop had a different presenter (all from the faculty of arts) but I found all of them to be engaging and super interesting to listen to despite feeling exhausted. If all (or most) professors are like them here at Trent, then I believe this is an awesome place to be!

The orientation was held at the Peter Gzowski College which is also the First Peoples House of Learning, and there were many beautiful artworks on the walls.

And my favorite one was this one by a deceased local artist named Norman Knott. Tern, Heron, Loon, Bittern, and Geese.

While us graduate students were having our orientations, the undergraduate students (assigned to different colleges) were still getting to know one another and competing against other colleges for the bragging rights about being the best in school.

Head of the Trent, a popular(?) regatta (i.e. rowing race) held at Trent every year. Maybe I'll come and check it out next month.

A somewhat nice day

This Dingy Cutworm Moth (Feltia jaculifera) was found in my room just a few hours ago, probably attracted to the floor lamps next to the screened window. I took a few photos of it and then took it back outside. This moth is found all over North America and is considered a pest of apples, beans, clovers, corn, tobacco, and young soybean plants. Maybe I shouldn't brought it outside.

Sheep Slot of Ivvavik National Park

2011-09-05T17:39:00.004-07:00

In Ivvavik National Park, the closest hiking destination (closer than Inspiration Point) to where we camp is called Sheep Slot, named after the northerly Dall Sheep that inhabit the park. Coincidentally, this is also one of my study sites, located in the sheltered areas next to the river where the soapberry plants grow and thrive.

One of the earlier photos where there was still snow on the British Mountains.

If your eyesight is good enough, then you might notice the white dots on the field across the river are caribous. I forgot to bring my telephoto lens that day and these were the only shots I took.

Towards the end of the field season. Until next summer.

School begins tomorrow. So excited!

Insects around where I live

2011-09-04T23:55:00.001-07:00

It is still cloudy and humid here in Ontario. In the afternoon, I went out to look for and photograph any thing of interest - mostly insects today. Unfortunately, there are many unfamiliar insects (to me), so I will have to identify and learn all of them for the first time.

A paper wasp?

Another unknown wasp.

Perhaps a Eastern Tailed-Blue (Everes comyntas).

Two Eastern Gray Squirrel were fighting over this apple. This was the victor.

A Red Meadowhawk?

Assassin Bug (Zelus luridus). This green bug caught my attention while scanning through the goldenrods. This may be a female which is bigger and brighter than the males, or just a bright green larvae. These bugs have the distinctive red eyes and they capture prey by the sticky secretion on the forelegs.

Unknown skipper.

I found an exoskeleton of a cicada on the ground and so I took it home to get closer shots.

Dog-day Cicada (Tibicen canicularis) (a.k.a. Dog-day harvestfly) - found in southeastern Canada and in suburban neighborhoods. Apparently the adults do not feed while the larvae feed on tree root saps, and it takes the larvae three years to develop into adults. They are named "Dog-day" because they emerge in summer, usually July or August.

One more day, then it's time for school!

Jackson Park, Peterborough

2011-09-03T19:12:00.004-07:00

My mother returned back to BC yesterday, so I am officially on my way through graduate school now. Just need to wait for the classes to start next Tuesday.

I went for a short jog in the morning when I was taking out the garbage. It was incredibly warm and humid but it felt good to explore and discover more of Peterborough.

Then in the afternoon, I went to check out a park nearby where I live called Jackson Park. It is a beautiful place with a small lake right at the entrance with many trails and streams running around it. [Most of the photos in this post were taken with the OM lens. I'll probably use the wider lens the next time.]

There is an interesting structure that makes the park that much more photogenic - the Pagoda Bridge.

Interesting reflection.

Since it was my first time here, I didn't really know which trails I was on and actually made a couple of loops around the park. But I guess it didn't matter because I was just exploring and enjoying the new city.

Dead mouse on a trail.

A chicory flower, I believe.

The flower at the bottom is the Orange Jewelweed, a flower that I saw last year ago in Algonquin.

Some of the trails and streams around the park.

Bench under a tree.

I was here. A part of the Peterborough Bikeways and Trails map. Incredibly useful.

Peterborough Sign. I like it.

Hazy sun and sky reflected in the water.

Riverside Park and Zoo, Peterborough

2011-08-31T16:50:00.007-07:00

One of the main attractions of Peterborough is probably Riverside Park and Zoo, operated by the Peterborough Utilities Group. It is quite an interesting place considering that it is completely free and actually has a fair number of animals to make it a good place to visit if you have a couple of hours to spend.

The first animal that I saw was a Monarch butterfly flying beside the playground. I didn't see a whole lot of them the limited number of days that I have been here.

The classic M on Monarch.

Feeding on the pink flowers that made it a beautiful image to capture.

We saw Yaks, Llamas, Barbary Sheep but they were all sheltering in the shade away from the fence. Then we slowly walked to the other side of the park/zoo where the miniature train is located.

Train Wind Vane

Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus). Interesting to see a swan with a yellow bill.

Riding on the train ($2 per person). Lots of little children were in the park today (and probably everyday during the summer).

Crossing the Otonabee River.

Greater Rhea (Rhea americana) eggs.

Then there were the Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) hanging around the Red-necked Wallaby. To see two ratites (large, flightless birds of Gondwanan origin) from two different continents is so fascinating because geography and evolution had pushed to different parts of the world and they still had the ability to survive and thrive to this day.

In one of the aviaries were Red-billed Toucans, Scarlet Ibis and this Red-billed Hornbill (Tockus erythrorhynchus). Definitely a cool bird to see, especially because it inspires the Zazu character from Lion King.

Red-billed Hornbill

Not a captive bird, but the relatively 'common' Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) hanging around the picnic tables.

Swift Fo x (Vulpes velox) - probably the handsomest animal in the park/zoo.

Like any zoos that I had been to, there always needs to be a place for domesticated farm animals. I'll never understand the psychology behind this set-up but hey, at least there are no wire fences between the animal and my camera.

Goat, a ruminant.

Muscovy Duck (Cairina moschata), or should I say Barbary duck?

Officially moving into my grad student housing tomorrow, then my mother is leaving the day after, followed by the long weekend, and then it's time to go back to school!!!

More from INP: Landscape, red squirrel, and caribou

2011-08-30T20:14:00.005-07:00

No photography for me in the last few days. I've been busy catching up on my literature reading for my research and buying more things for my dorm once I move in.

Therefore, here are some photos from the summer that I have not yet posted.

In the first few days after arriving at Ivvavik National Park, park staff and I spend a lot of time scoping out potential sites for my project, and so I was able to get a good look a small part of the massive landscape.

Snow remained on the ground at the end of May.

One day before the snowfall in June.

The view I was blessed with every morning.

Beside the Dall sheep, American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) is another pretty common mammal around our campsite. After spending a lot of time with harmless humans, they were quite tamed and the more daring ones even came to our outdoor table and searched for food we forgot to bring indoors.

Now, one of the things a park visitor hope to see (or anyone with an interest in wildlife) would be witnessing the migration of the Porcupine Caribou Herd. My first experience was on June 7th, when I was walking with a volunteer to one of my study sites. From the distance about 100-m away, a small ground of caribou started walking in circles around us.

Definitely a beautiful moment to remember.

Peterborough Folk Festival

2011-08-27T20:18:00.004-07:00

Today, my mother and I spent an entertaining afternoon at the Peterborough Folk Festival. This event is much smaller than the Mariposa Folk Festival that I attended last year in Orillia, but it is just as fun to attend (plus it's free too!).

The turnout was still quite impressive given only a handful of musicians playing and some vendors (comparing to Mariposa again).

The major event was the Festival Stage located at this beautiful grassy hill.

Looking down at the stage.

The stage took longer than expected to set up, but it was finally ready to go after about 30 minutes behind schedule.

The opening musician was Kate LeDuce accompanied by The Beer Barons.

Kate has a powerful voice that earned her the Emerging Artist Award of last year.

Next was Melissa Payne, this year's Emerging Artist Award winner and the artist that I was looking forward to listen to live after watching this music video.

Melissa's alluring voice was a delight to listen to; and overall, I am impressive by the whole festival and like Peterborough even more now.

(Almost) Back to School!

2011-08-26T19:47:00.002-07:00

Hello from Peterborough! My mother and I arrived in Peterborough two days ago. The first night was crazy with thunderstorms and lighting and power outages in the city. The first two days were hectic with stuff-buying and getting to know Peterborough.

Today I finally had the chance to show my mother the school that I will be attending for the next two years.

A beautiful day.

Summer still kicking around here in Ontario.

A young Osprey kept calling and calling until its parents came back and fed it.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take care of all the things that needed to be done today. I will probably come back next week (when I can start using my transit bus passes) and try again. Until then, I am excited about checking out the Peterborough Folk Festival this weekend!

Skywatching Monday

2011-08-22T23:01:00.002-07:00

Rained almost the entire day.
I stayed home and packed.
Leaving for school in two days.
Sun came out in the afternoon.
Crazy day at home.
Glad I am leaving soon.

Fourth Annual Richmond Raptor Festival

2011-08-21T22:38:00.005-07:00

Today was the 4th Richmond Raptor Festival. August is a great time to be back in B.C. - lots of sunshine and happening events.

Held at Terra Nova Community Garden

One of the main events was the flying demonstrations by raptors from Pacific Northwest Raptors. It was a great chance to see (as well as photograph) the raptors up close and personal. The handlers(?) did a good job by keeping the whole thing entertaining and educational, despite the lack of co-operation from the birds themselves (probably due to the large crowd and/or the windy and warm conditions).

First were two Harris Hawks, also known as wolves of the sky for their gregarious social behavior in order to maximize their hunting success.

Harris Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus)

The second bird was a 14-week old Ferruginous Hawk that just started flying recently.

Handler retrieving it from long grasses when it decided to take a break there.

Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis). They are the largest hawk in North America typically found in wide open countries.

The third raptor was a Turkey Vulture and it spent of its times on the ground than in the air.

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura). Despite what most people think of them, I think they are such handsome-looking birds.

The last raptor was an exotic Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug) named Arrow. It displayed the tremendous speed that falcons process and how it was used during hunting. Arrow actually made a short disappearance when it decided to take off to chase some of the wild birds around, which I thought was funny.

Arrow, the Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug).

After the show, the birds were retired to tents where they posed for photos.

Portraits of Arrow.

Tuari, the Harris Hawk.

The other interesting event was the display of injured raptors from Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society (O.W.L.), which I attended a similar event last year at Richmond Nature Park.

Snoopy the Northern Saw-Whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus). Snoopy was found in a parking lot in Richmond with a head trauma and broken wing. It is non-releaseable and is now an educational animal.

Tyra, the Merlin (Falco columbarius). This was my first time seeing a Merlin up-close and I was surprised to see how small they are (second smallest falcon after the Kestrel), compared to the wild Merlin I saw earlier this year.

The third raptor was this Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus). Beautiful.

Afterwards, my mother and I walked to the slough and looked around before heading to the city centre to do some errands.

Female Hooded Merganser by herself.

Finally got a closer image of the Eight-spotted Skimmer (Libellula forensis). This one looks like it has been through a lot.

Beautiful Sunflowers at the garden.

Attempting photograph dragonflies in flight

2011-08-20T22:31:00.003-07:00

Do insects sleep or do they just take breaks resting in their busy short lives?

Bumblebee "resting" on a blackberry leaf.

I sort of woke it up.

One of the photography skills I am trying to learn is to photograph a dragonfly in flight. It seems pretty easy given that they tend to fly in the same route and pause at similar spots. However, given my camera's poor ability to (track) focus moving objects, my best bet is to use manual focus.

So I pre-focused at a certain distance (say 1-m away from me) and clicked away when a dragonfly started to fly towards me. As you can tell, my attempts were pretty poor.

This was my best attempt. I zoomed out quite a bit to achieve greater success, hence the small image. I wonder if I would have done better with my OM 50 f1.4 lens.

Watched several Bushtits flying across a bike path.

Boat-watching at Finn Slough.

Tugboat

And this massive ship was behind it! And this photo only captured 2/3 of the ship!

Barn Swallows at Finn Slough enjoying the sunshine.

Insects at London Farm & Goldfinch

2011-08-19T23:02:00.004-07:00

I visited London Farm for the first time since coming back. All the tulips are gone, replaced by other brightly-coloured flowers.

There were different kinds of insects in the garden as well.

Too many spots for me to count.

Skipper

Some kind of Bumblebee

Not sure what this bee is, but it was extremely aggressive and liked to harass other bees on the plant it was feeding from.

Syrphid Fly

Always cute Western honey bee

On the way home, there was this molting American Goldfinch plucking thistledown and eating the seeds.

Biking to West Dyke Trail

2011-08-18T23:00:00.003-07:00

Here are some of the things I encountered while out biking at West Dyke Trail.

Red-eared Slider, one of the many in the ditch.

Beautiful sunny day

Works by people who had too much time on their hands

Woodland Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanoides). According to this site, "[f]orewing has a black stigma (male) or a black diagonal band (female)." Stigma are modified scales found on males of some butterflies that release pheromones during courtship. This blogger briefly mentioned stigma in this post, but I still have no idea where the stigmas are located.

Observed several Cedar Waxwings again on the north side of the Terra Nova Natural Area.

Today I realized there are constructions going on in Terra Nova! I hate constructions! Especially in places that doesn't need them.

What is the point of creating more trails on a (tiny, semi-natural) land that's pretty much well covered?

Geez!

Turning my eyes to the other side - much better.

Lots of dragonflies still. This is the Eight-spotted Skimmer.

I spotted a couple of frogs today - in ditches and the slough. I believe this is a Green Frog (Rana clamitans). Its natural range is eastern North America, but the pet trade probably brought them here and then ignorant owners dumped them into the slough.

Heard a few Spotted Towhee singing today.

Another Bald-faced Hornet nest.

Pretty good day - wildlife-wise

2011-08-17T23:43:00.004-07:00

This Glaucous-winged Gull was staring at me when I arrived at Phoenix Pond in Steveston. Looking around, I realized there was a dead salmon in the water below.

A large-sized fish, at least 80-cm long.

A Mallard for comparison.

Plenty of birds around waiting for an easy meal.

Spotted this White-crowned Sparrow on its way to the reeds.

A young House Sparrow

Over at London's Landing, there was a group of Bushtits hanging out in the trees beyond the railings.

Not a big fan of birds with bright eyes, I like dark-eyed birds more.

Pecking at dead seeds (for insects?)

Almost an action shot.

Focusing

Attack!

Lower mountain ranges to the south of Mount Baker

An unknown bumblebee on a thistle. I used my 70-300 lens for this photo (manually focus), and because it was in a shaded area, I had to use the flash. It turned out surprisingly sharp.

A Woodland Skipper, I think.

Saw this Common Whitetail (Plathemis lydia) female. I like this spot where I can see lots of dragonflies and they like to perch for you to photograph them.