August29_2010

Botanical Glossary - Home - References Cited

Continuing these pages today with scenes from the top of Layer Cake Hill overlooking the upper portion of Gallaghers Canyon in East Kelowna.

Photos - L-R - At first glance I thought it was an immature Bald Eagle as it soared around Layer Cake Mountain in a westerly direction. As I looked closer I could see a smaller head and red cheeks which means that this is Cathartes Aura, a Turkey Vulture. Almost as large as Bald Eagles, this large two toned bird has a 6 foot wing span and a naked, red color head - that is the most distinguishing feature. Immature Turkey Vultures have slate gray colored heads.

While checking out some flowers I happened upon Xylocopa Californica (California Carpenter Bee). This is a robust Anthophorid resembling a bumble bee in many ways but with an abdomen whith short hairs and bare in spots. The bee is black with an irridescent greenish to bluish reflection somewhat like a bottle fly but not as pronounced. The pronotum (in the segment behind the head) has white, orange, or yellow hairs and the hind tibia have a pollen brush of short stiff hair.

Looking down over the edge of Layer Cake Hill to an old dead tree full of yellow colored wolf lichen.

Photos - L-R - At the top of Layer Cake Mountain looking southwest toward Okanagan Lake in background.

Looking south to the southern Rim of Gallaghers Canyon.

A beetle in the Family Buprestidae (metallic wood boring beetle - elongate usually parallel sided; body hard metallic in color especially below and has short antenna) is settled on the disk flower of an Arrow Balsam Root.

Photos - Frames left and right: Branta Canadensis (Canada Goose) family swims in the pond beside Mission Creek Golf Course. The pond seperates the western edge of the golf course and the McFarlane Farm located at 3139 Benvoulin Road. The eastern face of this old barn is a flash back into time when the field was once growing tabacco in the early 1900s.

Center frame: A parting shot of the top of Layer Cake Mountain looking down at the cliff from the upper rim.

Click here for more photos of Kelowna for this day.