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A pseudo scorpion - about 6 mm in length - living in a room near you. Although relatively common, you hardly ever see them.  The pseudoscorpions are members of the Arachnids - relatives of spiders - but are harmless to anything bigger than a grain of rice.  They do carry venom, but the unusual fact is that it is found in the claws at the end of the pincers.  They feed on small creatures like mites and tiny insects.  Springtails are a favourite. Another interesting fact about them is that they can produce silk - webbing material - that is used in the construction of nests and in mating.  These fascinating, tiny creatures are never bigger than 8 mm, about a third of an inch, and are common throughout the world in temperate and tropical areas. I photographed this using a DSLR camera and 105 mm macro lens with a reverse-mounted 50 mm lens (filter to filter adapter), the first and only time I have ever tried this.  It's not a preferred way to do macro as it inco...

It's hard to take a bad photo of the male goldfinch.  Especially in the spring when the feathers and colours are in their peak condition.  Add to that some fruit trees in bloom and you get a wonderful mix of shades.  The above photo has a further enhancement with the pleasantly blurred background.  It is not the best photo of a goldfinch I have ever taken, but I still think it's pretty good. Last year, I got a great photo of a male goldfinch on a salsify plant (left) near Winfield, BC.  In 2017, while camping in late summer, I photographed one at a feeder at Cultus Lake, BC (top).  The last photo (bottom) is of a male eating fennel.  It is interesting to notice that the feathers become duller and ragged as the season progresses.   Colour and quality of feathers decline over time.   Finally, after summer has fled, the birds shed their breeding plumage and replace it with their winter wear.  I photographed goldfinches late in the...

Birds I saw today in my backyard. I photographed all these birds today that were in my backyard.  The only exception was the junco as the photo was out of focus, so I used one from an earlier shoot.  It was taken from my yard, however. I have had backyard bird houses and feeders for well over 25 years.  I get quite a collection of birds, today I saw no less than 7 species within an hour.  Recently, I have also seen house finches.  I have 4 feeders with a squirrel baffle that prevents rodents from absconding with the seeds.  There is also a suet feeder.  Seeds that fall on the ground are consumed by some birds (quail, doves, sparrows) while those in the feeders are feasted upon by others (gold finches, house finches, house sparrows).  It's just a matter of putting them up and filling them. I use three different types of seed.  Sunflower seeds are a favourite of many birds, including chickadees and grosbeaks (both of which have visited recently...

I look forward to the explosion of yellow that happens every year here in the Okanagan.  The arrowleaf balsomroot, locally known as the Okanagan sunflower, blooms mid-April even while frost is still a certainty.  The hardy plants, perennials, cover hillsides and barren slopes with their ephemeral beauty.  They will be here for a few weeks at best and then will disappear until next year. The photos above and below are from last year.  The plants have just started their streak of colour and so I have a little time to get out to photograph them.  I hope to travel to John's family conservancy in the next few days to photograph the display.  I haven't been there during the blooming season and don't know what I will find. The trick will be to get there early to take full advantage of the low angle of the sun.  The last time I was there I only had my iPhone for shooting landscapes; this time I will bring my Z7ii and be prepared for whatever I find.  I ho...

Poured 2 yards of concrete yesterday, I have two more coming tomorrow. Yes, it's true.  I am at it again.  In the winter, we paint and do indoor projects.  In the spring, we dig and do outdoor projects.  My current project is to pour a concrete pad beside the house for playing games like basketball, ball hockey, and maybe even a little pickleball.  The front of the house is sloped, the road is sloped, and the bottom is half a block away, meaning that a wayward ball will disappear and cause who knows what carnage.   So, this year the big plan is to put in a 25 foot concrete pad.  I had a mini-concrete truck come yesterday and pour 2 yards of the stuff in the morning and I finished it off with a bull float I rented.  It looks fine, although I wouldn't think it would win any awards.  It is about four inches thick.  Tomorrow I have another 2 yards coming.  My job today is to finish the rebar and forms. We have put a tremendous amou...

Three of the four North American Sapsuckers I have photographed. Sapsuckers are a variety of woodpecker and are fascinating birds.  They don't quite "suck sap" as their moniker suggests.  Rather, they drill superficial holes in the barks of trees so that sap comes out.  They will have many dozens of holes in any one tree and have numerous trees that they repeatedly visit.  The sap itself holds some nutritional value, but the best part happens when insects become entangled in the sticky substance.  The sap contains sugars, some amino acids, and a few other nutrients.  Older trees are preferred as they have higher concentrations of said chemicals.  Water, of course, is also a welcome addition.  They will also take insects that are not caught in sap, especially for their young as the growing birds are greatly in need of protein.   I have never seen a Williamson's sapsucker, although they are found in this area (Kelowna).  I spent most ...