If you look closely, you can see some of the Horse Chestnut flowers are yellow, and some are pink/red. Apparently, they start out yellow and turn pink/red after they have been pollinated (or are no longer fertile). This helps the pollinating bees to visit the right flowers.
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I'm gradually getting to know the progression of spring flowers here - Hellebores, Snow Drops, Daffodils, Fawn Lilies, Tulips, and now the Camas. The walkway along the water near us goes by the Matson Conservation Area where there are many Camas in the spring. I enjoy seeing them.
Camas are in the asparagus family and the unopend flower buds look a little bit like asparagus.
It's interesting how the flowers open from the bottom up.
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A short walk with my camera and macro lens.
It's ironic how we hate weeds and invasives when we are the most invasive and weediest of all. I like the little tiny deadnettle flowers.
This year's crop of Cross Orbweavers are still small. Their eggs hatch in the spring and they grow over the summer until mating and laying a new batch in the fall. The large females are more noticeable in the fall.
According to iNaturalist, this is a little known genus of hoverflies (Melanostoma) that feed on tiny insects in leaf litter.
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The most common birds around here are Hooded Mergansers (above) and Buffleheads (below)
The females are much less flashy. Here's a pair of Buffleheads lost in the reflections.
This female Hooded Merganser was catching crabs. The crabs put up a fight, so it takes some work before they can swallow it.
There are also Common Mergansers around. From a distance they can look like the female Hooded, but up closer they're different.
Of course, there are also gulls, and Black Oystercatchers, Canada Geese, and Anna's Hummingbirds
I've also been seeing a Cooper's Hawk around. I wonder if it's one of the ones that was around last summer. At one point it looked like it was building a nest, but maybe it gave up as I haven't seen it back at that spot.
It might be spring here in Victoria, but there's still snow on the Olympic mountains.
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Winter in Victoria is green from all the rain. As opposed to the almost black and white of Saskatchewan winter.
Of course, there are still some bare bushes and trees here too.
The worst we've had so far this winter is some frost.
Which led to some interesting sunrise reflections off the melting frost (on a park bench)
During one of the warm spells, this Cross Orbweaver emerged and built a web. When I took the photos it was just getting started. Often, by the time they're this size (full grown) they've lost a leg or two but this one seemed to be in good shape.
This was probably another orbweaver but I didn't see the actual spider.
Witch Hazel is one of the first trees to flower in January. The flowers are rather unusual and they stand out because they emerge long before the leaves.
This Oriental Paperbush is another very early bloomer.
Of course, the Christmas Roses (Hellebore) are out.
The crocuses are just starting
And some kind of iris.
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