My plans have changed once again, and I think I’ve settled on what will become of the 1000 species project. I have started developing the Sitka Life section of the site. As a part of that, I have been creating species pages for each of the species I know of that have been reported from this area. As there are references for several taxonomic groups with species reported from the Sitka area, this task will entail creating pages for many more species than I have actually knowingly observed, and certainly more than I have documented. However, as I go, I am noting which species that I have documented, and I can automatically create a list of links to the pages with documented species. It is this list which will ultimately replace this section. It won’t look quite as nice initially, but the species pages will ultimately be much more informative than the blog entries were, I think. In the end, I just don’t have time to reasonably do both, so this seemed like the best compromise.
Obviously I have not been keeping up with this project, but it is not for lack of taking pictures. I think I have photos of enough species to put me up over 300 species. I’m planning to get back to posting here soon. Once I get going, I’m intending to do 4 or 5 per day, but we’ll see if I can actually maintain that.
On a related note, in preparation for putting together annotated checklists and/or slightly more detailed species accounts than I have been doing for the 1000 species project, I started a index of species checklists for Sitka. So far, I have reasonable lists for bryophytes, vascular plants, birds, mammals, and spiders. Probably each of them will require modification, but I think they’re a pretty good start.
Ensign Coccid
Ortheziidae
This looks like an insect to me, as it seems to have six legs. Beyond that, it does not look like anything I have ever seen before. It is very small, perhaps 3mm long and I found it at the base of a Swamp Gentian (Gentiana douglasiana) I collected in a bog. Any help with the identification is definitely appreciated.
Update 21 September 2007: With help from bugguide.net, I now have a family for this insect.
Fox Sparrow
Passerella iliaca
I tend to assocciate Fox Sparrows with spring and fall migration, but I think that has more to do with the fact that this is when they show up around the neighborhood. They do nest in the area (the nest shown below was near treeline on Mt. Verstovia), but do not typically spend the winter here.
(Flower) Rove Beetle
Eusphalerum sp
This species of beetle is easy to find on many different species of flowers during the summer in Sitka. They are quite small, I would say less than .5 cm long. When I have observed them, they never seem to be in any hurry. Even after they have landed, it takes them a little bit of time to get themselves all tucked in under their elytra (the hard outer wing covers).
(Thanks to Francesco Vitali via bugguide.net for help with the identification.)
