Probably the coolest find of the weekend, this Rough-skinned Newt (Taricha granulosa) at Maplewood Park was the first I have seen on the Mainland.
This Weekend Expedition is actually another composite of three trips:
1) to Burnaby Lake with Mike, Catherine, Viorel and Tavi, stalking the elusive goslings
2) back to Hastings Park in the morning for some early insect shots
3) finally making it out to Maplewood Park in North Vancouver, accompanied by Adam Blake.
It was an exhausting weekend, with fine weather and good company, so I think I will let the images do most of the talking here!
Gallery 1: Burnaby Lake
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- These are the goslings we were looking for!
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- Catherine and Tavi explore the Piper Spit dock
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- Viorel tries to show Tavi a goose
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- Tavi and Viorel
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- Piper Spit
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- Western Painted Turtles (I presume) sunning.
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- Mike shoots from the observation tower.
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- Damsel via 300 mm plus tubes, natural light
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- Damsel via 300 mm plus tubes, natural light
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- Mike and Tavi stalk damselflies
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- A firefly takes flight
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- Coleopteran remains in bird dropping.
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- Photo by Mike Hrabar, showing a Staphylinid orgy!
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- A beautiful stinker
Gallery 2: Hastings Park
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- A beautiful snail
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- A chironomid
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- Magic or spider silk?
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- An Ichneumonid surveys the scene
Gallery 3: Maplewood Park
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- An Elaterid on Horsetail
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- A Soldier Beetle in the hand
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- A Mule Deer was unconcerned with our presence
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- Siskin food!
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- Sleepy Pine Siskin
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- Milbert’s Tortoiseshells on the mudflats
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- We watched two osprey catch fish.
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- This is known as the McBarge, and actually was a McDonald’s restaurant at Expo ’86. It looks shimmery due to heat and distance.
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- Rough-skinned Newt!
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- Rough-skinned Newt!
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- Adam shoots beach flies.
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- This Siskin was feeding on dandelion seeds
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- A Thistle Tortoise Beetle? Guillaume? Anyone?
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- Rough-skinned Newt!
These are beautiful pictures. Love the rough-skinned newt!
Love to see your weekend finds. Your beautiful dandy-lion looks so much nicer than the weedy ones I pulled up this weekend. Yours has personality and serenity, mine have deep claws and mean hair! All in the eyes of the beholder…..Thanks
Genus Cassida for the green Tortoise Beetle?
Yep, it is indeed the Thistle Tortoise Beetle Cassida rubiginosa.
You are one busy photographer! Love the snail images.