Saturday, April 17, 2010

Butterfly

Close-up

With the days growing warmer and warmer, we have been kept busy outside tending to gardening chores and enjoying all the sights and sounds of the spring renewal.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Aspen Poplar

Fuzzy Catkins

Populus tremuloides


Male and female catkins are on separate trees. I'll have to make a further study to determine which one this is. There is an abundance of poplars in this region of British Columbia. The trembling leaves are lovely to listen to in a summer breeze.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Mule Deer

Yesterday morning four mule deer wandered up the trail and into the yard. I had previously seen them in the adjacent field.

Odocoileus hemionus


They have begun to shed their thick winter coats.


Note:
The Mule Deer are named for their very large ears.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Dark-eyed Junco

The shy juncos have been here for perhaps two months now and can often be observed foraging under bushes and on the gravel driveway, stamping their little feet to get at some tidbit (a seed that's buried or a bug). I hear their clickety-clack "dit, dit" calls whenever I'm outside.

Junco hyemalis

Monday, April 5, 2010

Mourning Cloak Butterfly

~A sighting today of the first butterfly of the season ~

These amazing butterflies hibernate all winter long in woodpiles, nesting boxes, tree cavities and other areas of the garden. In the spring the females lay their eggs on tree branches.

Nymphalis antiopa