Urban insects on campus

This summer, I am staying in Ottawa and focusing on writing my thesis and not doing any fieldwork in Colorado.  To maintain a good work-life balance (especially when the weather is nice out), my labmates and I are helping setting up a group that focuses on enhancing our understanding about urban pollination on campus - by planting native plants and recording plant-pollinator interactions.  Yesterday, we walked around the campus and I photographed some of the floral visitors that we observed.

An Agapostemon sp. visiting and resting on a sage flower - definitely my best photo of the day.

Doing a bit of fieldwork at Gatineau Park

This morning, I helped my friend with her trout lily (Erythronium americanum) research at Gatineau Park (click here to read more about it from last year's post).  When we arrived at the park, the weather was not optimal to perform hand-pollination, so we grabbed coffee from the nearby Siberian Cat Café, where I took photos of these gorgeous cats.

Spring - time for birds and bees

This past two days, I have been attending the OCIB symposium at Carleton University.  On my way home, I walked through the Fletcher Wildlife Garden and Arboretum to enjoy the beautiful spring weather.  I saw many birds yesterday but I did not bring a binocular or a camera to identify the birds properly.  Today, I brought my camera and it was definitely more satisfying when I can identify the birds.

Yesterday, my girlfriend and I saw many skinny small birds fluttering from branch to branch that we could not identify.  Today, with my camera, I realized they were probably Blue-headed Vireos (Vireo solitarius) which I have not seen before!

July update - Rio Grande and San Isabel National Forests (July 5 - 8)

From July 5th to 8th, I traveled to Rio Grande and San Isabel National Forests to search for Mertensia lateriflora and M. ovata, respectively.

Stopping along the Silver Thread National Scenic Byway to take a look at Lake San Cristobal.

Halictus bee at school & birds near home

Took more pictures of the Halictus sp. bees outside the school building this afternoon.

So much pollen on its hairy legs!

Burrowing Halictus bees on campus

During lunchtime, my labmate rushed into our office and announced that my supervisor was looking at many Halictus sp. bees outside the building!  I initially thought of the Colletes bees I saw more than three weeks at Gatineau Park, but these bees were just searching for nests and not mating.  I quickly stopped eating, grabbed my camera, and asked my labmate to show me the way.

Indeed, there were at least thirty bees flying on a little patch of soil just outside the building, and my supervisor apparently saw a parasitoid wasp earlier as well.  I can't believe I did not see any of this while walking by this morning.  I then sat on the ground (with my back turned to all the people walking by during lunchtime) and started taking pictures of bees burrowing into the soil.

I have many photos of bee butt sticking out in the air.

Fauna/flora surveying at Gatineau Park (2016)

It is that time of the year again where I help out with the survey of spring ephemerals and emerging bees at Gatineau Park.  To read more about it, check out my previous posts from 2014 and 2015 (parts 1, 2, and 3).

It is always nice to be back out in nature (especially after a long winter), to step on foliage and into muddy puddles, and search for anything moving, making sounds, or just being attractive.   Since it is only early spring here in eastern Canada, we didn't see any bees constructing new nests in the nest boxes and saw only some hepatica flowers in the quadrats.

While I was checking the nest boxes, I noticed this Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) pecking a tree nearby.

(Wild)life back in Ottawa

I have not done a lot of wildlife-watching since I returned from Baltimore - mainly because I do not have a valid bus pass yet and I only try to go to places within walk- and bike-able distances.  Besides where I live, the other places I go to for the past two weeks are: Sawmill Creek Wetland, the Arboretum, McCarthy Woods, and the university.  Here are some interesting things that I photographed.

Sawmill Creek Wetland

Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillar (Euchaetes egle)

July update - Trip through Four Corners, Grand Canyon, and Wyoming

Over a span of four days (July 12th to 16th), I traveled across five states and drove more than 2,400 km.

The trip began from Colorado and passed through Blue Mesa Lake again.

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.

Fauna/flora surveying at Gatineau Park (2015) - Part 3 & Sawmill Creek Wetland

On April 28th, I helped out at Gatineau Park for the last time this year.

Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria)

Bug Day at Canada Agriculture and Food Museum

There was a free event today at Canada Agriculture and Food Museum called "Bug Day", which consisted of various activities introducing insects to the public, e.g. insect zoo, cockroach races, insect collecting, etc.  I went there mainly for the free admission into the museum, a place that I haven't visited yet here in Ottawa.

Ornamental Gardens at the Experimental Farm

Daily life in Colorado - Part 7

I departed RMBL last Wednesday and arrived back in Ottawa past midnight today.  Along the way, I made a couple of detours to visit Mertensia species that are important to another component of my project in the coming field seasons.

Before I share photos from the road-trip, I want to first post some of the photos I took on my last few days at RMBL.

Wild strawberries

Wild strawberries that are still too small to eat.  Sadly, I won't be around to feast on them.

Daily life in Colorado - Part 3

Research

One of my study species - Mertensia brevistyla.

Fauna/flora surveying in Gatineau Park (2014)

Today, I helped out with a long-term project studying the phenological patterns of fauna (i.e., pollinators) and flora at Gatineau Park.  It was my second time visiting the park so I was very excited to be here again.

The project involves three main components: surveying flora, collecting bees,

Field course in Algonquin - Part 4

Friday (June 21st) was our last full day here in Algonquin.  The students presented their results in the evening, test on Saturday morning, and then we came back in Peterborough on Saturday evening.

In the morning, we asked the students (those that felt comfortable with their presentation) if they would like to go for a walk at the Beaver Pond Trail. 

Towards the middle section of the trail, we actually stumbled upon a beaver (Castor canadensis) on the trail gnawing on a low branch.  Just a few moments ago before seeing the beaver, the students were talking about a man-killing beaver (news here), and so the students were startled (to say the least) when they saw the actual animal.  Long story short, the beaver paid no attention to the shrieking students and left, while the only photo I could get was above.

Photos from last Saturday - Pollinators, Waxwings, and Groundhog

A week of field course has gone by and left me with a new appreciation for plants and tons of photos.  Another week will start tomorrow at Algonquin Provincial Park and I will be away from technology during that time.

I have not yet sorted out my photos from this past week, and I only just finished the ones from last Saturday (June 8th).  Here they are.

I went over to Trent's Ward Garden last week to test myself on plant identification using the field guide.

Came across a wasp on the stairs with many red mites crawling all over the rocky surface (one is to the left of the wasp).

Interesting coloured critters during the weekend

Biked to school yesterday and today to work on my thesis.  I stopped at the soccer field again to see what kind of wildlife I could find.

On Saturday, I saw an all-green bee that I assumed is an Agapostemon sp., and Silvery Blue butterflies again.

Metallic Green Bee (Genus Agapostemon)

Chasing butterflies and dragonflies

There was no bus services today because of the holiday (Victoria Day); plus, I figure it's probably time for me to start doing some exercises by biking to school today.  When I was getting close to the school, I saw a path leading to a field that I never paid attention to before.  Then I saw the field was busy with butterflies and dragonflies flying around.  Definitely a great detour.

This was the dragonfly that I saw today.  I took some photos of it, and I think it looks like a Frosted Whiteface, but any feedback is appreciated.

Frosted Whiteface (Leucorrhinia frigida) female

End of 2012

Yesterday my parents treated some family friends to an end-of-the-year lunch.  After a satisfying meal, we all headed to Queen Elizabeth Park for a stroll.  I saw my first Steller's Jay of the year but it was too well hidden for a photo.  The weather was nice during lunch but became quite chilly when we were out walking around.

Not much wildlife was observed.

No bees, but good to see some effort put into bee conservation (although the website on the board does not seem to be functional - www.masonbeevancouver.com).

This is probably my last post of 2012.  Last night I spent some time reviewing what I had done this past year - I took two very rewarding trips to Ottawa and St. Louis to learn more about pollinator taxonomy and pollination ecology; I resumed with my project with a second field season in the Yukon (although the results weren't as rewarding as I had hoped); heavy workload in school - TAing and working on my thesis; and the year ended on a sad note with a friend passing away less than three weeks ago.

Not sure what 2013 will bring for me (probably graduation, work, applying for jobs and potential PhD positions, etc), but I think I will be ready for it...

May 2013 bring good health and fortune to everyone.  Cheers.