The Wildlife of Nova Scotia....Well, a Few Bugs

I have been scouting the garden and flowers around the building for all manner of 6 and 8 legged creatures the past several days. I have uncovered a number of these animals, two of which I feature tonight. The first is a crab spider. The first evening I spotted him on one of my echinacea flowers and accidentally knocked him off, 4 feet to the ground where he disappeared. I'm happy to say it climbed back up by the next night where I was able to get some good shots of it:



One day last week, this fella spent the entire day in front of the building. I suspect it was on its last legs as these long horn beetles are more frequently spotted at night, their flying silhouettes a gothic image of legs, wings and long long long antennae:



The past few days have been exceedingly warm. The dog days of August are upon us and it's slowing me down somewhat, as is the norm when I heat up. I had talked to my dad a few months ago about my hikes to Jack's Lake and while he expressed interest in joining me sometime he wanted to do it when it was dry. I called home Friday night and left him a message to say I'd pick him up Saturday morning at 9. My preference for physical activity is very early, like 7 AM, but I knew he wouldn't go for that.

I picked him up at 9 and we set out for the trail. It was already a scorching day by the time we started the walk so I knew the two of us would be zonked when it was done. We made it all the way to Jack's Lake, coming across a number of creatures. Dad admitted he wasn't as keen on the hike Friday night but was glad we had gone. We spotted frogs and toads, a snake, and several leeches in Jack's Lake, by the water's edge. First, one of the littler leeches, and luckily one that wasn't hungry:



A gorgeous garder snake about 14-16 inches long:



Today, with temps expected to be warmer than even yesterday, the Wookie and I drove to Peggy's Cove. It was slightly cooler than in town, but not by much. The lighthouse looks great after its recent paint job and if you ever come to Nova Scotia as a tourist, it is an obligatory spot. Only a few miles off shore is where Swiss Air Flight 111 crashed into the ocean on a cross Atlantic flight. Actually, the 11th anniversary of the crash is only a couple of weeks away.



The heatwave will continue for most of the week. If anyone is looking for me I'll be in the freezer at the local supermarket.

S.