Red Red Huckleberry Stems

Red Huckleberry (Vaccinium parvifolium) stems are typically green, however if a plant is growing in a place with lots of sun exposure, some stems (especially the outer ones) will get a fair amount of red in them. My understanding is the red comes from anthocyanins that help protect the plant from sunlight in excess of … Read more

Spring Instability

Petrichor. Waves of steam rising from sun-warmed pavement. The sound and feel of cool raindrops hitting my jacket and exposed skin. Dark clouds over the mountains, with the hint of a rainbow in front of the Sisters. My back warmed by the western sun. My walk back home late this afternoon was a sensory feast. … Read more

Spring Birds

This morning I took a brief trip down to Totem Park to check on the duck and shorebird situation. It was mid-tide (headed out), but quiet for shorebirds. I did see a lone Dunlin and 15 Black Oystercatchers were out there as well. Around the time I was leaving, I saw a flock of several … Read more

Lengthening Days

This week the daylight seems to have caught me by surprise. I guess it’s already a month past equinox, but for some reason I hadn’t adjusted to the reality of the sun setting after 8pm. I’ve been following my patterns without thinking about it much, but since they’re a bit keyed to the amount of … Read more

Spring Songs and Insects

I enjoyed the usual early spring birds songs emanating from the forest on a walk through the park this morning. There was the buzzing notes of Varied Thrush, rapid fire bursts from Pacific Wrens, short but acrobatic melodies of Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and the falling song of Golden-crowned Kinglets. The tide was up relatively high, and … Read more