Odes!

Hello!

Where does the time go between blog posts?  I guess I have been a bit busy working on some big developments (more on this later).  At any rate, I have finally pulled a post together.

I spent some time this weekend chasing Odonates (or just Odes, if you want to throw some lingo around and sound cool at a party).  Dragonflies and Damselflies are amazing creatures, and there are tons around if you just take the time to look!  I have spent some intimate time with dragonflies in the past, but have been focussed a bit more on damsels recently.  Which is frustrating cause they're so difficult to ID!  Damselfly experts prepare - there will be a lot of question marks in the post (not the butterfly!).

Here goes:

Oh bluets, how I despise thee.  Here are three bluets which may or may not be the same species.  Actually they may or may not be bluets...

Bluet #1

Bluet #2

Bluet #3

Here's a few that I know (I think)!

Ebony Jewelwing

Eastern Forktail

Here's one I haven't the faintest clue about...

Who am I??

Here's a damselfly that looks a lot like a frog (couldn't help myself).

Northern Leopard Frog

And to finish off, a few dragonflies (soo much easier!).

Widow Skimmer

Yellow-legged Meadowhawk

Calico Pennant

And sure enough, just when you think you know something, doubts begin to creep back in.  I'm going to take a leap at this one and say...

Red-waisted Whiteface?

Alright all you Odonate experts - go ahead, make me look silly.  Seriously, I would love it if anyone could ID the unknowns or correct the knowns :).  The field guide is on the way, but until then it's a bit of a guessing game!

That's all for now.  Until next time...

Kyle

A Great Day in the Woods!

Hello!

Spent my Canada Day in the woods (the Canadian woods).  Herps were the target, and I was back to my favourite amphibian spot with a couple of friends.  The herp scene started off a bit slow, but there were lots of other things to occupy me.

Red Mushrooms

A Cool Slug...

Hairstreak (Satyrium sp.)

Eventually we started to turn up some herps, much to my enjoyment.

Red-spotted Newt (Red Eft) (Notophthalmus viridescens viridescens)

Wood Frog (Lithobates sylvaticus)

Undoubtedly the find of the day (and not made by me) was this picture-perfect (no pun intended) Four-toed Salamander.

Four-toed Salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum)

That's all for now!

Kyle

Read Me!

Hello!

Having a bit of spare time the other day, I decided to write a short article for a free-content website.  You may view it here http://ezinearticles.com/?Digital-Macro-Photography-in-Nature---A-World-Unseen&id=4471076. You know you want to...

Not entirely sure why I decided to do it, but I like it.  I may do some more.  Maybe someday someone will even pay me to write something.  If you would like to pay me to write something, I may be contacted at...nah, just kidding...or am I?

Cheers!
Kyle

Website Updates and ID Trivia

Hello!

I have spent some time with the field guide and updated some labels on the photos in my Costa Rica Gallery (http://www.kylehorner.com/costarica.php).  I have used common names, but can provide latin names upon request for all you taxonomy nerds (if there are any besides me).

If anyone fancies a taxonomic challenge, I have some still-unidentified species.  For each correct ID, I will commend you highly (sorry, no material or financial prizes are available at this time).  Here they are:

Some type of Norops anole...

A nifty butterfly...

A cool damselfly

A wicked caterpillar...

Also, if anyone fancies themselves an expert on Costa Rican spiders, we should talk.  I'd be happy if they could be identified to family.  Check them out in the gallery.

Cheers!
Kyle

Updates!!

Hello!

I was recently reminded (probed...jabbed...) that I hadn't updated in a while.  Fortunately, I finally got out this weekend to do some photography.  Kind of a long post, so stick with it!  First, Ontario's only lizard:

Five-lined Skink (Eumeces fasciatus)

Moving on to the more avian reptiles, some Black-crowned Night-Herons with hilarious hairdos:

Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)

Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)

Like many patriotic Canadians, my Victoria Day was spent out looking for herps!  The perfect way to spend a holiday.  Salamanders were the primary target, and they did not disappoint.  It's been suggested that the Red-backed Salamander is Ontario's most common vertebrate, though I'll bet most Ontario residents have never seen one.  Too bad, as they are really pretty.

Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus)

Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus)

Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus)

Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus)

The next salamander I came upon is an odd one - a genetic complex of two species.  The Jefferson's and Blue-spotted Salamander hybridize (in the least straightforward way conceivable) and are essentially indistinguishable in the field.  This has resulted in the two often being referred to collectively as the Jefferson's Complex (great name for an 80's rock band...).

Jefferson's Complex (Ambystoma laterale x jeffersonianum)

When I found my second Ambystoma of the day he had a surprise in store for me.  Presumably alarmed at my presence, he lifted his tail in the air and began waving it back and forth.  I have never encountered this behaviour before, and am not entirely sure if/how it would deter a predator.

Jefferson's Complex (Ambystoma laterale x jeffersonianum)

When herping, I always manage to find some other interesting creatures.  So, here's a couple of bugs I ran into in between salamanders.

Crane Fly (Tipulidae)

Millipede (Diplopoda)

That's all for now, hopefully I get out taking more photos sometime soon!

Kyle

Trilliums

Hello!

The near-wintry weather this weekend put a damper on my hoped-for herp-photo outing, but I was eager to get the camera out so I headed over to a nearby spot that I know is rich with Trilliums.  It seems to be just the right time of year for these showy flowers, so I thought it'd be fun to play around with them.  The strong wind today made framing shots frustrating and slow shutter speeds impossible as the flowers never stop moving!  Nonetheless I did end up with a few shots that I am somewhat satisfied with:

Trillium Blanket

White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum)

White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum)

Red Trillium (Trillium erectum)

That's all for now!

Cheers!
Kyle

I'm Still Here!

Hello!

It has been some time since my last update, but that's mostly because I have been busy moving to my new place in Guelph, Ontario!  I am excited to be back in Guelph, and looking forward to using this as my home base for the next while.

This weekend I was fortunate enough to run into some old friends and be invited to join in some herp surveying.  I took the camera along, as I've been dying to get out and get shooting.  This was the perfect opportunity.  One of the first herps we saw (and heard) was the American Toad.

American Toad (Anaxyrus [Bufo] americanus)

Spring is definitely coming in to full swing and it's not just the toads that know it.  Marsh Marigold was blooming in huge clusters everywhere.

Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris)

The definite highlight of the day came near the end, when we found a species I have never seen in the wild: the endangered Wood Turtle.

Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta)

Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta)

All-in-all an excellent day, and hopefully a sign of good things to come!

Cheers!
Kyle