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

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

A Cold Spring

It has been a bit cold this spring and it is taking a while for the bugs to warm up. I have been on a few hikes but there has not been much bug activity. Lots of wildflowers though - Okanagan sunflowers, shooting star, woodland star, larkspur etc. The bees have been active on sunny … Continue reading A Cold Spring

If it looks like a bee, flies like a bee, buzzes like a bee, then it must be a bee?

No one wants to be stung by a bee or wasp. Bee and wasp stings are painful and there is the added concern of allergic reactions. Bees and wasps usually have a combination of yellow, black and red colours. In the insect world, yellow, black and red colours spell danger for would be predators. We … Continue reading If it looks like a bee, flies like a bee, buzzes like a bee, then it must be a bee?

Bloom Time

Spring is my favourite season in the Okanagan. The orchards are in bloom - cherries, apricots, peaches apples, it is just gorgeous. Other plants and trees are flowering as well; forsythias, lilacs, maples, willows, Oregon grapes, Saskatoons, chokecherries, and the hillsides are covered with arrowleaf balsamroot (Okanagan sunflowers). Being a bug person, I am always … Continue reading Bloom Time

Feathered Friends II

It has been a while since my last post. Hope everyone is doing well and staying safe. I went for a walk along Mission Creek Greenway with a girlfriend last weekend. It was a beautiful sunny day, not a lot of "greens" and bug activity but we saw some sagebrush buttercups, a few bumble bees, … Continue reading Feathered Friends II