a place where nature, photography and writing meet
This is an added attraction for Circus of the Spineless readers who have stopped by for a visit. I guess you could call this an “invertebrate combo” photo. These are exuviae of Epitheca princeps dragonflies, one of which has a Zebra Mussel (Dreissena) attached to the top of its abdomen. I photographed these on June […]
The 7th edition of Circus of the Spineless is now up at Research at a Snail’s Pace. If you’re interested in invertebrates, do check out this month’s carnival. If you’re a Circus of the Spineless visitor who has just dropped by Burning Silo to read one of my posts — Welcome!
Given the current weather conditions, it could happen any day now. Soon, the shrill “peeeeep” of Spring Peepers (Pseudacris crucifer) will fill the air here at the farm. Some evenings, the calling will become so intense that, to my ears, it seems more like the ringing of high-pitched bells. It’s a sound that brings back […]
Several of our favourite hiking trails are located at Charleston Lake Provincial Park in eastern Ontario. Situated on the eastern edge of the Canadian Shield, the Charleston Lake area is of great geological interest. Here, ancient Precambrian granite of the Shield lies in contact with sediment deposited when Paleozoic seas washed over many parts of […]
On Sunday, while hiking at Charleston Lake Provincial Park, I stopped to photograph mosses and lichens growing on an expanse of stone. As I knelt to shoot some macros, I found myself surrounded by marching spiders. At first, they weren’t particularly visible, but then one would race forward a few centimeters, then another would do […]
Yesterday, I spent a few minutes sitting on a steep section of shoreline, watching two Beaver paddling back and forth in open water at the fringe of an ice-covered lake. They were carrying sticks to what looked to be the beginning of a lodge in the sheltered notch of a small bay. Gliding smoothly, leaving […]
To the observant naturalist, the world is a fascinating place. Leave any naturalist standing around waiting somewhere and it won’t be long before he or she is inspecting the nearest plants to see what kind of insects and spiders they might host. Every puddle or ditch needs to be checked out to see if there […]