May update

I am departing for Colorado tomorrow morning, so this will be the only post for the next couple of weeks until I arrive, get settled, start my field season, and maybe take a break to upload my photos and update this blog.

Until then, here are some of the photo I took the last few days.

On Friday (May 1st), I biked to school and saw this raccoon washing its paws in the ditch.  I stopped to take its photo, but it decided to wander back into the shrubs instead.

Long weekend at Windy Pine

This past long weekend, I returned to Peterborough and went back to Windy Pine to visit friends and tried mothing once again (just like last year).

Since I returned back to Ontario last week, I found this summer to be cooler and smoggier than I remembered.

Field course day 3 - Black Oak Savanna in Alderville

We went to Alderville Black Oak Savanna on the third day of the field course.  The different habitats (tall grass prairie, savanna, and woodland) support various types of flora and fauna.  Furthermore, the practices of prescribed burn and research on Karner Blue Butterfly and Wild Lupines offered the students different perspectives on the applications of their learned knowledge, such as ecological restoration, conservation, and pollination studies.

There were many Calico Pennant (Celithemis elisa) dragonflies flying around us.

Wordless Wednesday - American toadlet from 2010

A friend just identified this toadlet for me.  These photos have been in my "Unknown" folder from the 2010 field season for a while now.

American toad (Bufo americanus)

Exploring the Lady Eaton Drumlin

Went out shopping in the morning to get a few more things that I still need for my new place, e.g. kettle, spatula, etc.

On the way to the store, I spotted this toad on the hot gravelly trail.  It's good to always bring my P&S camera with me.  You'll never know what you might encounter.

Shaw Nature Reserve

In the morning we learned about the botanical and floral diversity in pollination biology. For example, the different mating and breeding systems for plants, as well as the history of categorizing flower types to better associate the pollinators and the appropriate pollinator syndrome.

Photographed a Syrphid during a break.


Asian lady beetle (Harmonia axyridis)

In the afternoon, we headed to a different part of Missouri Botanical Garden outside the city. It is called Shaw Nature Reserve.

Trip to Algonquin Provincial Park

I am currently sitting in a cafe in Bobcaygeon trying to sort out my photos, upload them, and write a blog (or two). Basically, a very time-consuming process.

There is one more week left here in our field site before we pack everything up and call this a season, and a week-and-half before I fly back to B.C. I'm definitely going to miss this place - the animals, the field site, the people, and more.

Anyways, here're some photos from my trip to Algonquin a couple of weeks ago. I am very glad my co-worker persuaded me to take this trip and allowed me to borrow her camping equipment to make this trip possible! Thanks!

From my campground - Tea Lake

Sunny day after the rain

Today's rain was drenching and horrible. Surprisingly, it turned sunny late morning. I guess it's typical monsoon season in the Tropics.

Before I arrived at work, a Malayan Night Heron flew towards me. As you can see, it was drenched (and probably hungry) after last night's downpour and started hunting for meals right in front of me.

When we headed to the nest site where barbet fledglings should be taking flight soon, I saw this beautiful Common Kingfisher. Sadly, it was too far away for me to take a decent photo.

When we arrived at the site, we "found" two fledglings on the ground and on low branches! What luck (because we were contemplating about the methods to capture them)! We picked them up without any troubles and brought them to the lab to take measurements and samples and leg-banded them.

Shortly afterwards, we released back into their nest. And within a few minutes, a parent called and the fledglings took flight again. We spent some time observing them and watching the interactions between the parents and their children.

Here's one of the fledglings with a blue leg band. Since they are just learning how to fly, they needed a lot of practice and encouragements (and food) from their parents. It might be two or three days before they complete master the art of flight, and then they will be on their own afterwards. Best of luck!

While observing the barbets, a Malayan Night Heron was saw again. It caught a nice juicy fat toad this time. We saw it watching the toad in the pond - perhaps to get wash away of the poisons.

While about to leave work at night, a co-worker showed me his recent catches of Chinese Tree Toads (Hyla chinensis). Aren't they beautiful? I placed them on a houseplant and took pictures of them on a artificial natural setting.

Common Chinese Toad
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Photographic Day

On to work today, I took a couple photos of these beautiful Water Lillies flowers in blossom. Simply beautiful.

While out for lunch, a Black-crowned Night Heron flew to the pond just a few feet from us. One of the my better Night Heron shots.

We were planning on netting and banding the barbets this week or the next. However, one of the security guards at the garden found one fledgeling injuried on the ground today. We guess it was trying to learn how to fly (from its almost 20-m home!) and fell. We went to the tree where the bird was picked up and tried to see if the patient has brothers or sisters trying to take flight today. Interestingly, we did not see any younglings poking their curious heads out of the nest. Instead, we saw a loving adult pair perhaps on their way to make their second brood. Have they forgot all about their child already?

One interesting sight to see at the garden was during the nighttimes when moths would flock all over the path lights. Right underneath each light are several Black-spectacled Toad (Bufo melanostictus) trying to catch its meal. Quite a sight!

Quite a handsome toad, no?
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