Black-chinned fought

 

I have been watching hummingbirds in an attempt to get pictures of the female Black-chinned and the female Calliope. It has been unsuccessful so far. However, I did spot an unusual feature on a Black-chinned male: evidence of a battle.

I had long been aware that the Rufous Hummingbird was combative during the breeding season when it would challenge other rufous males. But, nothing was ever said about the black-chinned. Well, here is evidence, a black-chinned with a few other hummingbird’s feathers in its claws.

This Black-chinned Hummingbird has some feathers of another hummingbird in its claws.

 

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Three hummingbird species

 

I mentioned earlier (blog.kootenay-lake.ca/?p=34474) that we get three hummingbirds: rufous, black-chinned and calliope. In the last few days I have seen males of each of these birds. They migrate here before the females do.

The gorget (throat) of many hummingbirds is iridescent: sometimes it is black, sometimes it displays colours.

The rufous, with its sometime orange gorget, was first to arrive.

The black-chinned with its sometime purple gorget has been here for about three days.

North America’s smallest bird, the calliope has been here a couple of days.

 

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Red squirrels mating

 

The North American red squirrel is our most common tree squirrel. It is generally a solitary creature. It will only be with other red squirrels when the female nurses pups or when it mates.

The oestrus period for the red squirrel only lasts one or two days per year. Yesterday as pheromones rose, the female ran from the male, but did mate in the end. Today, she was positively friendly and mated five or six times. I suspect this is it now. 

One shot of squirrels mating from today.

The best shot of the squirrels mating was yesterday.

 

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Grizzly cub

 

We certainly have grizzly bears in the West Kootenay. Yet we practically never see them on the West Arm of Kootenay Lake, which has a fair number of homes. Presumably, grizzlies just avoid people. Joanne Siderius, the Senior Naturalist at Kokanee Creek Park observed a grizzly in the spawning channel in August 2018 that prompted all the black bears to leave.

So, it came as a surprise to observe a young grizzly foraging on my and adjacent properties early this morning.

This young grizzly is perhaps only a year old, and looks a bit emaciated. It was traveling alone, so what happened to its mother?

The bear looked earnestly for food.

 

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Squirrel with berry

 

A red squirrel found a reddish berry and hauled it away to eat. (But, I have been unable to determine what the species of berry it is. It seems that no reddish berries are yet in season here.)

The squirrel picks up the berry and examines it.

Deciding the berry is worth eating, the squirrel sets off with it in its mouth.

And a moment’s glance to see if anyone is watching before vanishing up a tree.

 

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Bufflehead

 

The Bufflehead is our smallest diving duck and the two sexes look different. It is primarily a somewhat uncommon winter bird here for it breeds farther north.

I got some pictures of the male flying. This is with wings down.

And with wings up.
 

 

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Female rufous

 

Now after a few days of having a male Rufous Hummingbird, the female has arrived.

On a good year, we also may expect to see male and female Black-chinned Hummingbirds and Calliope Hummingbirds. So, more may be coming.

A female Rufous Hummingbird.

 

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Three spring creatures

 

Today brought three spring creatures (in four pictures)

The Wood Duck is a water bird and seasonal migrant. This is a male. This is the first time I have seen it on a piling. 

Every May brings the Bombylius major in numbers to the yard. This tiny bee-mimic fly is a nectar robber. It uses its long proboscis to steal nectar and pollen from a flower without ever touching either anthers (male) or stigma (female). In this way, it violates the contract between flowers and insects: nectar in exchange for pollination. However, it is likely that its long legs and proboscis evolved, not for larceny, but to protect it from crab spiders lurking among the flowers.

The last few days have brought me the first hummingbirds of the season. This is a Rufous Hummingbird. Its gorget (throat) is iridescent. Under many circumstances, it is black.

However, with the proper lighting, it will flash a briliant red. 

 

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Heron is back

 

In past few days, I have seen a Great Blue Heron a couple of times. I had not seen one here since last August for it is migratory and only appears here in spring and summer to breed. Alas, this particular heron is too young to breed, it being perhaps a year old.

A juvenile Great Blue Heron flies by.

 

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April goulash

 

This is a smattering of April pictures that were not previously posted.

This is a Say’s Phoebe. It winters far to the south, but migrates north to the Okanagan in the summer to breed. It generally avoids the Kootenays. The problem is that this bird prefers dry, sparsely vegetated areas, including, sagebrush flats, badlands, dry barren foothills, but our region is heavily forested. 

Now three birds with something to eat in their bills: This is a dipper by Dorothy Fraser.

And a Black-billed Magpie alighting on a fence and then eating.

Then a Song Sparrow with a beak full of grubs.

I have seen this Merlin in the distance for a month, but this is the first close picture.

I have been watching Violet-green Swallows. I had wanted a picture that showed both colours in its name, but they are not seen when the bird is sitting, and when it is flying it is hard to get because it of its great speed. Finally a shot.

 

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