Tag Archives: environment

Commentary, nature, Photography

Mysterious Spiral Light

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This mysterious light spiral showed up in the night sky over many parts of the north on April 16.

Photo courtesy of Talia MacDonald

Scientific researchers from several universities have said that this phenomenon was caused by unspent rocket fuel attributed to a SpaceX launch, and not to an alien invasion. 😉

If this is indeed the product of a SpaceX rocket, I find it very disturbing that Elon Musk’s company is dumping enough fuel into the atmosphere to be that visible from an estimated distance of three kilometres (1.9 miles).

Although this is an ongoing debate that’s tied up in politics and money, shouldn’t these space/satellite companies be held to the same account on pollutants as others? What do you think?

nature, Photography

Busy Spider

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I saw this rather intricate web on top of a bush.

There were lots of bits of leaves and other detritus caught in it, but I didn’t see anything a spider would want to eat.

It’s possible that’s this is the work of spider mites (they actually eat the plants they live on) but I don’t think so. The bush seems to be healthy and growing and the web strands seem much too large to be the work of tiny mites.

Happy Friday.

nature, Photography

Little Quail

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Quail are ubiquitous here in the Okanagan Valley. I often see them racing around, their cute little comma-shaped head feathers arriving ahead of them.

The male is on the left and the female on the right.

Although they can fly, they are amazingly fast runners and when chicks are nearby, the adults will suddenly burst into flight, distracting potential predators away from the little ones.

They are extremely social and live in family groups of 20 or more birds. They don’t migrate for the winter but will congregate in coveys of up to 100 birds to keep warm since at 25 cm, (10 inches) they are very small.

They are portrayed extensively on the art work of this area and there’s even a winery named after them.

Greetings from the quail of the Okanagan Valley!