Exact location plotted. 5 separate colonies in a two-block stretch.

This species was considered extirpated from BC for many decades after last being collected in 1939 in Nanaimo. The modern records from the lower mainland are likely an unintentional reintroduction however, rather than a long-undetected remnant population.

https://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/documents/ss03fraser1.pdf

Следуя за тревожным треском какой-то птицы, я стал подниматься по горному склону и метров через 50 увидел беспокойную певчую славку, сразу улетевшую от меня подальше, а за кустом, слившись с лишайниками, притаилась гюрза.

Гюрза, или левантская гадюка - ядовитая змея из рода гигантских гадюк. Голова очень крупная и широкая, с резким шейным перехватом, морда круглая, зрачок вертикальный.

Гюрза — одна из самых опасных змей для домашних животных и человека. В критической ситуации она способна совершать броски на длину тела в сторону противника. Яд гюрзы обладает резко выраженным гемолитическим действием и по токсичности уступает только яду кобры. При укусе эта змея вводит 50 мг яда, и без своевременного и правильного лечения нередки случаи гибели.

На снимке нуратинская гюрза – самая маленькая из всех гюрз, достигающая в длину до 90 см, но при этом самая красивая, с ярко выраженным рисунком в виде зигзага оранжевого или кирпичного цвета или цепочки пятен.

Нуратинские гюрзы питаются в основном птицами. На Нуратинском хребте придерживаются лессовых обрывов, где систематически обходят норы золотистых щурок, сизоворонок и ласточек. А весной и осенью на пролете перелетных птиц забираются на верхушки деревьев и кустов, где ловят скворцов, дроздов и мелких воробьиных. Кроме того, рыщут по земле в поисках гнезд наземногнездящихся птиц.

Following the disturbing crackle of a bird, I began to climb the mountainside and 50 meters later saw the restless Western Orphean warbler, immediately flew away from me, and behind a Bush, lurked blunt-nosed viper, merging with lichens.

The GURZA, or the Levantine Viper, is a poisonous snake of the genus giant vipers. Head very large and broad, with a sharp cervical interception, the face is round, the pupil is vertical.

GURZA — one of the most dangerous snakes for Pets and humans. In a critical situation she is able to make throws on the length of the body in the direction of the enemy. GURZA poison has a pronounced hemolytic effect and toxicity is second only to Cobra venom. When bitten, this snake introduces 50 mg of poison, and without timely and proper treatment, there are cases of death.

In the picture Nurata GURZA – the smallest of all the gurz, reaching a length of up to 90 cm, but the most beautiful, with a pronounced pattern in the form of a zigzag orange or brick color or a chain of spots.

Nurata GURZA feed mainly on birds. On the Nurata ridge adhere to loess cliffs, where p is systematically burrows of bee-eaters, rollers and swallows. And in the spring and autumn on migration of migratory birds climb on tops of trees and bushes where catch starlings, thrushes and small sparrows. In addition, scouring the ground in search of nests of terrestrial birds.

Muddy tidal marsh. Nice large healthy individual. Reminder to anyone who goes looking for scouleri: Lower stem leaves are the name of the game. Oblong-oblanceolate and shallowly tapering to the petiole. E. guttata also possesses petioles when it grows in tidal marshes (the habitat of E. scouleri), but the blunter leaves cut off to the petioles at a very sharp angle. The smaller upper stem leaves of both species have no petiole can't be used to ID. Most estuarine Erythranthe observations (of both guttata and scouleri) in BC/WA/CA lack photos of the lower stem leaves, mostly because of the (very understandable) assumption that the plants are just E. guttata and not needing more than just a quick photo of the upper plant and flowers. Project compiling observations of estuarine tidal marsh Erythranthe: Estuarine Monkeyflowers

Found in a burrow in Point Arena. 5mm long, much larger than other fleas I've seen. I have no experience IDing fleas but gave it the ID of Hystrichopsylla schefferi to call attention to it from those who may know. There are mountain beavers in this area and I remember reading an article about mountain beavers hosting the largest fleas. Perhaps it could be a rabbit flea such as Cediopsylla simplex, but the literature I reviewed put them at 1mm, much smaller than my flea.