Busy Bee and Cool Cat

I headed towards London Farm again this afternoon. But before I did, I went to the sharing farm across the street and saw nothing. London Farm, on the other hand, was lively with pollinating European Honey Bees. I saw one bumblebee here yesterday, but didn't get a chance to photograph it, and didn't see it today.

The most popular plant today was the Hellebore (I believe it is Helleborus foetidus with the purple edge on each petal). According to Wikipedia, it has up to ten nectaries, which is probably a efficient plant for a honey bee to spend a long time in one of them.

Blossoms and then Cooper's Hawk

First thing today was going to London Heritage Farm to find myself some critters. I didn't see much until I reached the back corner of the farm and saw bees flying towards it.

It's a Bee Yard!

Phantom Cranefly (from Ontario)

I still have several unidentified critters from the past summer in Ontario, mostly insects. I was just surfing online and found the identity to one of them - Phantom Cranefly (Bittacomorpha clavipes).

If I remember correctly, this was taken on one of my off-days going to Head Lake.

Spider, Wasp, and Blossom

First thing I did today was head out to the South Dyke Sharing Farm to see if I can I find and observe some critters. But most of the gardens are still not yet planted, so it was pretty barren with dead vegetation from last year.

I didn't see much except for these spiders running around the dried dead grasses, which form excellent hiding spaces for these spiders. I think I have seen them before near the Terra Nova Sharing Farm, quite abundant and common.

Away...Again

Sometimes life is just like today...one day, everything was going your way, and the next day, nothing is going your way. I am talking about wildlife watching, of course, although I can't really complain because I still saw quite a lot.

Today's weather was gorgeous!

Blossoms are here! Good day to be out

Besides seeing the American Bittern today, I also saw many interesting things.

First, the blossoms are here! Despite seeing them every year, it's still exciting to see these beautiful flowers. I took these from the Phoenix Pond in Steveston, but they are starting to blossom everywhere in the city now.

Bit of Bittern

I will have to separate today's post into two because as you know me by now, when I see something rare and/or interesting, I will take a lot of photos, and today's American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) was one of those things. The last time I saw a bittern was exactly one year from today, what a strange coincidence!

I think I first noticed this bird when I saw something flew from the marsh to the ditch while I was photographing a couple of Song Sparrows. However, when I got to where I think the bird landed, I only saw a couple of Mallards. But as I pedaled further along, I noticed this thing (below).

That's too bulky to be cattail reeds.

Officially Into Spring

One day into the actual Spring, and it was chilly and cloudy (compared to yesterday). It is never good to get your hopes up.

I went looking for pollinators in London Heritage Farm today. But given the weather and the flowering conditions (almost zero), most of the honey bees I saw were sunning (when the sun was out briefly).

There is a sharing farm in the back with several private gardens. One of them was guarded by this toy Stegosaurus.

Signs of Spring, and then Supermoon!

What counts as signs of Spring?

Nice weather? Not really, but I'll take it over any rainy days.

Better day than expected

It was a better birding than I expected, given that it was spitting rain when I left the house and a few more times while outside.

Unstable weather.