Ontario big

In case you've missed all the buzz, Josh Vandermeulen just broke the record for an Ontario big year!  This is an attempt to see as many species of bird in Ontario as possible in one calendar year.  The existing record was 338, and Josh just crashed through on a crazy trip to Netitishi Point in northern Ontario.  Currently sitting at 342 and almost 2 months to go - every additional species now is incredibly difficult, but there are still possibilities!

To see what Josh is up to, visit www.joshvandermeulen.blogspot.ca.

Can't help but be a little jealous...

Kyle

A frightening leap...

After a few recent conversations with friends about the terrifying thing that is Twitter, I decided to take the leap and jump on-board!  I'm still not exactly sure what Twitter is for, but somehow I was convinced that it was a good idea.  I hope I don't regret it!

If you, too are a Twitterer, you may now find me in the Twitterverse at www.twitter.com/KHornerNature.  Hope to see you there!

Kyle

And for today's photo-fix, here's a Jerusalem Cricket from South Africa.  What a looker!

Jerusalem Cricket (Stenopelmatus sp.)

The winter approaches

It seems that every year around this time, my photography season begins to wind down.  Everything is turning brown and the reptiles, amphibians and bugs are hibernating, or generally escaping the impending cold.  It always leaves me feeling a bit listless...

At any rate, it does give me a bit of time to sort through the looming pile of photos that I never had time to edit in the summer.  Today, it's a few miscellaneous South Africa photos from the giant stack.  Here they are!

First, a really exciting shot for me.  I had always wanted to see a monitor in the wild, and we were fortunate enough to find a handful!  The Nile Monitor does not disappoint - big, powerful and gorgeous.  Everything I expect a monitor to be!

Nile Monitor (Veranus niloticus)

Secondly, the most hideous creature in all of Africa - the Tsessebe!  Evolution has kindly shaped this animal into something too ugly to eat, or at least that is the only explanation I can imagine for it.  Don't be fooled, it's not sick or emaciated, it's just a Tsessebe.

Tsessebe (Damaliscus lunatus)

And lastly, an insect (what's a blog post without bugs?).  Since many of the parks in South Africa require you to stay in your car (and with good reason), I didn't get the opportunity to shoot many insects.  I can only imagine that the country is full of fascinating, six-legged critters, and I wish I had the opportunity to see more of them!

Locusts (unknown species)

That's all for now!
Kyle

Toad Hunt

Decided yesterday to head out on a search for a species I have never photographed: the ever-so-elusive Fowler's Toad!  A day of searching produced a single toad, but I can't fault him for cooperativeness.

Fowler's Toad (Anaxyrus fowleri)

These endangered toads differ from the garden-variety American Toads (Anaxyrus americanus) in several minor and frustrating ways, including the shape of the ridges on their heads and the number of warts in a cluster.  Mostly though, they differ in their habitat preferences: Fowler's only like sandy beaches and dunes!

Fowler's Toad (Anaxyrus fowleri)

Lots of dragonflies still passing through on their migration south.  We don't have too many migratory dragonflies, and the most familiar is probably the giant Green Darner (Anax junius).  For me though, it's all about the saddlebags.

Black Saddlebags (Tramea lacerata)

As a little bonus for my time spent on the hunt, I came across the prettiest pillbug I've ever seen in Ontario!  These little crustaceans (related to the sowbugs or potato bugs you have in your garden) protect themselves by curling into a ball (or pill) when threatened.  I managed a series of photos that I quite liked.

Pillbug (unknown species, Order: Isopoda)

Pillbug (unknown species)

Pillbug (unknown species)

Pillbug (unknown species)

That's all for now!
Kyle

Miscellaneous Bugs

Delved into the growing sort pile today for a handful of miscellaneous bugs from the summer.  Without much ado, here they are:

First, one of my favourite (but one of the most common) spiders of southern Ontario.  Perhaps also the most aptly named:

Black-and-yellow Garden Spider (Argiope aurantia)

Turns out this post is going to have an unintended 'black and yellow' theme.  This beetle is doing his best to mimic a wasp (not terribly convincing I'd say).  Not sure of the exact species on this one:

Long-horned Beetle (Family: Cerambycidae)

Lastly, one of the first butterflies seen in the spring, and one of the last seen in the fall - the black-and-yellowish:

Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)

Ok, so it's more brown and off-white, but what can you do.  Hopefully more soon, as the pile is getting scary!

Kyle

Algonquin Weekend

I had the good fortune to merit an invitation to the Camp Arowhon Nature Weekend  last weekend, and had a blast!  Arowhon is nestled neatly into Algonquin Park, which is always an exciting place to spend some time.  Spent much of the time leading walks and socializing, but I did manage to grab a few photos here and there.

Algonquin Park - Teepee Lake morning

Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipter striatus)

Spruce Grouse (Falcipennis canadensis)

Spruce Grouse was an awesome surprise, as although I have seen it in Newfoundland, I have tried for this bird in Ontario many times without success!  Always nice to conquer a longtime nemesis.

Kyle

Website Updates

Have been working on some updates to the website and they are finally online - specifically in the "Photography" section.  Hopefully I have simplified things and made the section a bit more approachable.  Gone is my never-completed attempt at a full online photo index (a pipe-dream, sadly) and in its place are a few user-friendly galleries.  I have also added a current Stock List, which I will try my best to keep up-to-date.  You may even find a few photos that have never been online before, like this one (I think)!

Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus catenatus)

A few more projects in the works, hopefully details soon!
Kyle