I have been taking in the sights of all the blooms in the valley - what a display! The cherry blossoms were unbelievable this year, as if the trees were making up for last year's lack of blooms caused by the unexpected cold snap. It is wonderful to see the cherry orchards doing so well … Continue reading Happy Spring!
Tag: Bugs
The Spectacular Dance of the Wrangler Grasshopper
I heard loud noises from the hillsides during a walk in September and just thought someone was mowing their lawn. I figured that could not possibly be bugs making such a racket but was I wrong. I kept hearing the same loud sounds on subsequent walks until I saw a Wrangler grasshopper happily clicking away. … Continue reading The Spectacular Dance of the Wrangler Grasshopper
Breakfast at the Chicories
The common chicory is a weed that is not native to British Columbia and can be a problem in disturbed areas in Interior British Columbia. I have seen them on roadsides, pastures, and abandoned fields. Chicories have beautiful blue flowers. I was lucky to come across a lot of American gold finches having breakfast at … Continue reading Breakfast at the Chicories
Bugs in the Milkweeds
It is always nice to see the swallowtail butterflies feeding and frolicking around milkweeds at bloom. I decided to take a closer look at the milkweeds this year because I had come across a patch with a lot of bees and other bugs. Milkweeds are called milkweeds because of the milky sap they produce. They … Continue reading Bugs in the Milkweeds
It’s Time to Smell the Roses
We had some much needed rains this spring and the wild rose flowers were spectacular and smelled divine. I made it a point to stop to smell the roses during my walks while taking stock of the bugs on the roses 😊. There were a lot of honey bees, mining bees, bumble bees etc. also … Continue reading It’s Time to Smell the Roses
Air Conditioner Please (Elm seed bugs)
It has been a very hot summer and the elm seed bugs are also feeling the heat. Elm seed bugs have been in the Okanagan valley since 2016. Their numbers are very high this year and I have received a lot of reports from around the Okanagan valley. I have a bunch of them running … Continue reading Air Conditioner Please (Elm seed bugs)
The Tailed Beauties (Swallowtail Butterflies)
I have seen so many swallowtail butterflies this year on my hikes in forest areas, along creeks, meadows, in town and in gardens. They seem to be abundant everywhere and it is so nice to see them. The yellow, and black markings on swallowtail butterflies are very striking. Yellow and black colours in the bug … Continue reading The Tailed Beauties (Swallowtail Butterflies)
A Visit to the Cacti
The spring crickets and cicadas are still singing but the spring has been very hot and tree fruit bloom time went by very fast. A kind gentleman showed me a patch of brittle prickly pear cactus last spring and it was quite the treat to see the flowers. I saw said gentleman on an afternoon … Continue reading A Visit to the Cacti
The Bees in the Willows
I love pussy willows. Seeing them always lifts up my spirits because I know spring is around the corner. I do not know much about willows but my google reading tells me that there are different species of willows and most of them are either male or female (you don't get male and female parts … Continue reading The Bees in the Willows
At the Goldenrods
I meant to finish this post last fall but did not get to it. I had a lot of fun summer days at the goldenrods - there were bees and flies buzzing around, lots of wasps, butterflies, and I even saw a lone grasshopper at the goldenrods. The bees and some of the wasps and … Continue reading At the Goldenrods
