May update #2 - From Colorado

Since my last post, the weather has been a roller coaster ride.  It can be snowing in the morning, the snow melting and sky clearing up by mid-day, but then back to snowing in the afternoon.

Anyways, while it is snowing really hard outside right now, I have entered the data I collected yesterday, sorted my photos taken the past few days, and then decided to write this post.

May 9th

My labmate was examining cocoons and saw these spirally frass inside a cocoon.  Based on the orange colour, we suspect it is one of the composite-specialist bees - either Osmia montana or O. coloradensis.

Arboretum and UV photography

For the past two days, I attended the annual Ottawa-Carleton Institute of Biology (OCIB) Symposium at Carleton University.  Yesterday, I went for a walk at the Arboretum after lunch.

Mourning Cloak visiting willow flowers.

Daily life in Colorado - Part 3

Research

One of my study species - Mertensia brevistyla.

BEE-tiful Saturday

Once again, I came to school to do some work.  One thing I found quite inconvenient about coming to Trent on the weekend is that all the buildings would be locked (that I have no access to), so there is no direct route from the bus stop to my office.  I guess the silver lining is that I can walk around the buildings and take some time to appreciate the nature around me.

Close-up on the lichens on the rock.

Goldenrod Sunset

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.

Bald Eagle watching & first experience with OM lens

Today I headed to Finn Slough first thing in the afternoon to meet up with a fellow birder, who is kindly giving me his lens adapter for adapting old Olympus film OM lens to 4/3 digital bodies, as well as lending me his Zuiko OM 50mm f1.4 lens to try it out.

Before I got to Finn Slough, I spotted this Red-tailed Hawk on top of the telephone pole just above me. From experience, I know they tend to be very shy and almost always fly away before I can take out my camera. So I biked past it and took photos from about 100-m away. Not the best photo but good enough to finally show that there are Red-tailed Hawks around in the area.

Observing Common Merganser's courtship behaviour

I had a crazy proportion of brunch with family and family friends this morning. A bike ride in the afternoon was needed to burn off excess calories.

It was cloudy and gray, and high-tide as well. I began biking towards the South Dyke Sharing Farm.

VARSOVIA (a.k.a. Warsaw, the capital of Poland).

Photos from many days ago...

Hi all. Work and life are good here in Ontario. For the past few days, the weather has been very summer-like and I am definitely experiencing the insect annoyance here, but overall, I am having fun and learning a lot.

Here are some of the photos that I took on my off-days on May 6 and 7, and during other working days.

The scenaries:

Definitely not a Wordless Wednesday - Heron up-close and American Mink again!!!

My story began when I biked across the bridge towards the Terra Nova Natural Area. Looking to my left, a young heron was just across from the deck!

So close!

Not wanting to startle the heron and missing the opportunity to photograph it up-close, I parked my bike on the grass and slowly walked towards it.

Getting closer.

Befriended a bee

Well, light rain started to fall when I got to the dyke again today. Whatever. I am sick and tired of the rain ruining my outings everytime, and ruining my mood even more when the sun began to shine as soon as I got home.

I decided to hang around even when the rain is coming down since it wasn't raining too hard.

Sky-watch of the day, with a splash of flowers in the foreground to brighten the mood.

The pair of adult Bald Eagles were spotted today. This time, they sat on the same branch.

When the rain got a little bit harder, I found shelter underneath the trees of this beautiful path.

I saw this flower with a couple of insects on it. I experimented by taking this photo with the flash on and it turned out to be a good surprise - creating a dark background while perfectly showing the flower and insect.

On a Dandelion flower, I saw this little honey bee on it. At first, it wasn't moving so I thought it was dead. After giving it a gentle poke, it moved a little bit. I guess it was either injured or just hiding from the rain like me.

This bee is extremely friendly and didn't even fly away when I kneel down and get close to take these photos.

As you can see, its body is covered with pollen grains to assist the process of pollination.

As I was heading back home, the pair of eagles was still there.

I wonder who's the female and who's the male?
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Another outing

I found this poor critter on the sidewalk outside my house today. It had been stepped on and was still alive, but I doubted it had long to live. I picked it up and took a couple of photos of it before putting it on a outdoor plant pot, where it will be safe and be able rest in peace.

Unknown insect

Right now, male Red-winged Blackbirds are claiming territories and chasing off Marsh Wrens, sparrows, and European Starlings that they do not like.

I think the shoulder patch is getting larger? Although it looks quite dull in color on this male.

Potential Dandelions ready to take-off.

I don't usually take pictures of crows, but this one sat patiently in this position that I decided to reward it with a couple of shots.

Tree Swallow on the wire. Taken with my TCON.

I saw four Bald Eagles again today. This adult was inside the (abandoned) nest feeding on something while three others watched from above, as well as a couple of crows. The arrival of one particular eagle caused some calls of annoyance and warning from the one inside the nest.
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