Get it while you can

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A beautiful male Woodlouse Hunter, Dysdera crocata. I am pretty sure we encountered the same one last year under the same log.

Things are busy right now, as I am trying to arrange to defend my thesis, finishing up writing tasks and seeking a postdoc….But spring is still springing, and outside is so beautiful and warm! Hell, I could be dead tomorrow, so why not go out and see what I can see in the sunshine. Here are a few of the pictures from the past few days, as the warm spring sunshine activates the local fauna!

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A Giant House Spider, in her house under a rock.

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First (live) Polistes of the year from Victoria.

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A male Anna’s Hummingbird, from Mt. Tolmie.

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Off-colour commentary by a gull?

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I stopped down to f18 to try to get some mountains behind this gull.

 

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A Nomada parasitic bee, on the lookout for hosts.

 

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This seems to be a good year for garter snakes.

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These gall wasps were having an ovipositionathon on the newly sprouting Garry Oak leaves. I think these are the jumping gall wasp, Neuroterus saltatorius. 

 

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This is the defensive posture, but it almost looks like he is casting a spell (or he has root hairs stuck in his claws).