Merlins. This pair of small birds of prey sat in a dead tree where I saw them. The tree has since fallen. At first I wondered if these birds were juvenile Peregrine falcons. I’m not sure if there’s a chance that two juveniles would be hanging out together – maybe a birder could weigh inContinue reading “BBY021 :: Falco columbarius”
Tag Archives: acrylic
BBY020 :: Impatiens glandulifera
Known by many names: policeman’s helmet, bobby tops, copper tops, gnome’s hatstand, Himalayan or Indian balsam, poor man’s orchid. Impatiens glandulifera is a very voracious invasive plant, taking over areas in fields and wetlands. There are programs around Burnaby Lake Park and in Metro Vancouver which enlist volunteers to help eliminate some of these plants.Continue reading “BBY020 :: Impatiens glandulifera”
BBY017 :: Lysimachia terrestris
Swamp candles. This was just a fun art piece on an inspired evening. I tried to complete it all in one night, but had to finish some details the next day. Although I haven’t done any art since then, it was nice to pump out a piece all at once. I feel that the sceneContinue reading “BBY017 :: Lysimachia terrestris”
BBY014 :: tree
I hope this painting refracts the lights I saw sparkling off these glossy leaves! For now, I have to draw what I don’t know, but soon I will find out what all of these species are. For technical accuracy, this project would have included a full year of botanical research supported by observing through allContinue reading “BBY014 :: tree”
BBY013 :: tree
This is an unknown tree with bright green leaves and light bark. It might be an aspen or a relative; I was unable to find an exact match from several sources I looked in. I still have a great chance of learning many of these unknown species, since I now know where the specimens areContinue reading “BBY013 :: tree”
BBY011 :: Melospiza lincolnii
Lincoln’s Sparrow. When I saw this bird along the trail ahead of me, I excitedly snapped a couple blurry shots before getting one clear-ish one. This is the first animal in my series, a step forward in showcasing the diversity of this park! The one clear picture I took lacked a lot of detail inContinue reading “BBY011 :: Melospiza lincolnii”
BBY009 :: Lythrum salicaria
Purple loosestrife. This distinctive flower popped up in a few places along the Burnaby Lake trail. It was easy to identify; although similar to the native fireweed, purple loosestrife’s petals are more pointy. L. salicaria was introduced to North America and has taken over from East to West. More interesting information can be read here.Continue reading “BBY009 :: Lythrum salicaria”
BBY008 :: Fagus grandifolia or sylvatica
American or European beech. I need to see the flowers and the fruit to know for sure which species this is. Being a relatively small tree, it might be too young to show fruit. It may not be a beech since there are no native beeches on the West coast. Another species whose leaves theseContinue reading “BBY008 :: Fagus grandifolia or sylvatica”
BBY006 :: Salix lucida ssp. lasiandra
Pacific willow, shining willow, whiplash willow. My first attempt at guessing the species of this tree was black willow. Native to eastern North America, I thought it was unlikely to be that exact species, although I know a lot a migration of introduced species has happened. Looking at “Native Trees of Canada,” a 1956 handbookContinue reading “BBY006 :: Salix lucida ssp. lasiandra”
BBY005 :: Athyrium filix-femina
Lady fern. Ferns are so beautiful and complex, but the simplicity of my art reflects my knowledge of these plants. I had no idea where to start in identifying this one. I still don’t understand exactly what “pinnatifid” means but it’s a start! The leaf structure is bipinnate-pinnatifid if anyone was wondering. Another clue wasContinue reading “BBY005 :: Athyrium filix-femina”
Park Canvass 