I was out walking around our rural neighborhood with my macro lens seeing if I could find something interesting to snap. The iridescent colours, reminiscent of a chatoyancy gem, in this Common-green bottle fly caught my eye. It was so focused on feeding in the field side daises that my presence did not seam to bother it. Perhaps it was due to the fullness of pollen. It sure is unusual for a fly to sit still with a human so close. Never considered a fly a pollinator, but now seeing them in a different light then just one of those pesky insects.
"Out for a Stroll" are a pair of yearling Mule Deer among Balsam Leave Arrowroot. Mule deer are a fairly common site in the hills around Vernon, British Columbia.
Oh so pretty.... Mountain bluebird (S. currucoides). I like to sneak up and sometimes I get very close. This bluebird was probably wondering what this strange being is doing crawling in the grass. Taken in the Interior of British Columbia, Canada.
"1 2 3 Fan" Rufous hummingbird showing tail feathers fully extended. Male Rufous can be quite entertaining when they see a rival or just for the joy of it. This species is quite common in the Southern parts of British Columbia, Canada.
Painted Lady or West Coast Lady (Vanessa annabella) on Hawthorn. The details in this macro image are just stunning. Another beauty full image taken in the Okanagan, British Columbia, Canada.
What a delight it was to capture this downy woodpecker. It was busy opening the rosehip berries on this snow covered rosehip bush in the search for miniature bugs.
I guess there is a first for everything -> getting hissed on by a Great Basin Gopher snake (Pituophis catenifer deserticola) today which I nearly stepped on.
This sunflower was photographed against the very smoke filled late evening sky in the North Okanagan July 2021. The smokey sky highlights the colour nuances in the flower ever so subtle. Smoke and particles in the air paint the background a stunning shade of red. It was so quiet and still last night in our valley. Eerie and scary at the same time.
Caught a bumble bee on this pretty flower. Columbia lily (Lilium columbianum). Also known as Columbia tiger lily, or tiger lily. Did you there are over 250 species in the genus Bombus?
Sitting in a meadow and having a picnic lunch by the remains of an old frontiers cabin on this slightly overcast day. A trio of Canadian Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio Canadensis) was dancing around a wild Mock-orange (Philadelphus lewisii). I had to sneak over and capture the moment and one of the butterflies decided it was lunch time as well and started darting in and out of the blossoms pausing ever so briefly for me. The Mock-orange is a native shrubs in British Columbia and attracts many a pollinator.
This female Red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) is romancing me from it's cattail perch. The background off Fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium) makes this image a wall hanger.
World play on the "ducks in a row on this group of Western painted turtles.The Western painted turtle (Chrysemys picta) is the largest subspecies of painted turtle. I found those on one of my favorite ponds closed to Vernon, British Columbia, Canada.
Okanagan natives are the Black-eyed (Rudbeckia hirta) and Brown-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia triloba). While they are self pollinating they still attracts numerous nectar and pollen-seeking insects to its flowers.
The Aberdeen columns are just in my backyard and a favorite with climbers coming from all over the world to them. The polygonal basalt are columnar jointing and are a geological structure where sets of intersecting closely spaced fractures join in columns. Lichen cover select areas of the rocks in incredible colours.
Like teardrops shedding from the body of this Red-Belted Conk after a good rain storm. An excellent example of a Red-Belted Conk (Bracket Fungus), Fomitopsis pinicola. The Red-Belted Conk is long lived, some specimen have been carbon dated to be hundreds of years old.
The Northern Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium gnoma) is resident of the Interior of British Columbia and can be found in a number of locations. They are very hard to spot as they average only about 15.5-18 cm in length. They are a fierce hunter of rodents and birds, but also consume a wide variety of insects.
The two fledglings Great Horned Owlets (Bubo virginianus) where not to concerned with me being there. The magpie that eventually showed up pestering them they did not like and they flew into a nearby spruce tree.
The Great Grey Owl also known as Great Northern Ghost (Strix nebulosa) is rarely seen, as in inhabits dense coniferous forests. I was privilege to come across this one in one of my walks and it was hunting only about 30 meters away from me.
The Great Grey Owl also known as Great Northern Ghost (Strix nebulosa) is rarely seen, as in inhabits dense coniferous forests. I was privilege to come across this one in one of my walks and it was hunting only about 30 meters away from me. What a privilege this was.
This natural composition is compared to by many to a "Jackson Pollock" painting. Nature surprises one in subtle ways. With the rain highlighting the color of the bark of this mature choke cherry tree it captures one’s imagination.
The back view of a female Rufous hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) that had just visited the feeder. One can still see the glow of the moisture from the sweet treat on its slender beak.
By artists the background of this image would be defined as "Classical Master" resembling a cloth background often used in portrait photography. The Anna's hummingbird (Calypte anna) was curious and allowed me to capture an essential pose.
Silverstar village in the Interior of British Columbia has numerous colorful building throughout. A refreshing view from the usual subdue building schemes
Leftovers from an old dairy barn in Lavington, BC. This cabin is surrounded by water during the spring run off and home to many a wild fowl and critters.
Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana) can be found in the Southern Interior of British Columbia. Quietly watching you can hear there song through the Okanagan.
While not every ones favorite, the Western yellow-bellied racer (Coluber constrictor mormon) is sure a pretty snake. Juvenile have great colour variations while the adult snake is a uniform colour. I have experienced this snake to be very inquisitive.
Wild teasel (Dipsacus fullonum L.) captured in the setting sun. Considered by some an invasive species, by others a plant with many of uses. Captured in the right light it makes for an impressive image.
The image "For Me" of a chipmunk eating breakfast is the 1st place winner in the 2020 SPCA Wildlife-in-Focus photography contest. More details can be found here: BC SPCA.
Besides it being a beautiful flower, common poppies have been used throughout humans time for various food and medicines. They have significant symbolical value, the poem “In Flanders Fields the Poppies Blow…” reflects on this.
Such a magnificent creature is this Canadian timber wolf, a subspecies of the gray wolf. On a cold moon light winters night I got to hear a pack howl. The Siberian husky that I was walking just sat down and listening intently and shivering all over. What an experience. I have been privileged to see some in the wild, however no camera on hand.
Lovingly neglected, nurtured by the environment, caressed by the weather and framed by autumn. Now if this old barn could talk about the people and critters that passed through it in time, I am sure we would hear many a wonderful story.
Surveying his territory from the relatively secure snowy mount in the thorny bramble is this California quail. Making his distinct three syllables and sounds he was calling out a warning to the rest of the flock about the shutterbug invading his domain.
4:39 AM solitude! Not so much when an owl hooting wakes you at 3:30 AM. I made it to the beach with a cup of brew and watched for the sun rise. Lupines, lake and snowcapped mountains. And life around you is waking up... Arrow Lakes, British Columbia.
Kalamalka Lake, also known as "lake of a thousand colors", looks spectacular throughout the season. Storms make for some great and colorful abstract images.
Kalamalka Lake, also known as "lake of a thousand colors", looks spectacular throughout the season. Storms make for some great and colorful abstract images.
