Category Archives: mammals

October goulash

Posted on October 31, 2019 by Alistair

This is a collection of images from this October, none of which has had a posting of its own. The month started slowly with many walks producing few good observations, but things improved towards month’s end. A dozen different … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, mammals, weather | 4 Comments

Cold-morning elk

Posted on October 29, 2019 by Alistair

In the cold-morning air, an elk could see its breath. It is my guess that elk will have, at best, only a shallow grasp of the physics of the experience. The elk’s exhaling is producing steam fog. The process … Continue reading →

Posted in mammals, weather | 3 Comments

Bighorny supplement

Posted on October 24, 2019 by Alistair

This is a supplemental story to that of the reluctant ewe, posted yesterday. Initially, there were actually four rams courting the ewe: the adult and three juveniles. However, the posting picked up the story after the adult ram had … Continue reading →

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The reluctant ewe

Posted on October 23, 2019 by Alistair

Bighorn Sheep mating seems to involve lopsided urges. My (admittedly casual) observations are that the only concession a female makes is to turn up to the rut. Beyond that, she seems uninterested in any ensuing activity. A ram pursues … Continue reading →

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Mid-October

Posted on October 15, 2019 by Alistair

October is a month of transitions. Katabatic winds flow out over the water and give rise to ephemeral sprites of steam fog. Curiously, despite the gentleness of the wind, a steam devil emerges. The orangish colours of Western Larch … Continue reading →

Posted in mammals, scenes, weather | 3 Comments

September goulash

Posted on September 30, 2019 by Alistair

This September’s goulash is thin gruel: only two previously unposted images from a generally sparse month of postings. There are two unusual features to this picture of a chipmunk. I usually see chipmunks in the mountains rather than at … Continue reading →

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Bears in a tree

Posted on August 26, 2019 by Alistair

A black bear sow and her two cubs have staked out a local creek to fish for spawning Kokanee. Although she has explored the creek, I have yet to see her do so. Rather, I had a view of … Continue reading →

Posted in mammals | 5 Comments

Flaws in supporting pictures

Posted on August 24, 2019 by Alistair

This blog bases its postings on recently taken pictures from local nature. Now and then an identification is mistaken and this results in a flawed text. Nevertheless, the picture is correct. News sites have the opposite problem. A textual … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, commentary, mammals | 2 Comments

Staring fawn

Posted on August 10, 2019 by Alistair

Now is the season to watch fawns — and the season for fawns to stare back at us. Deer stare at people, and, it seems, this practice starts at a fairly early age. As was discussed in staring contests, … Continue reading →

Posted in mammals | 4 Comments

Wolf family

Posted on August 9, 2019 by Alistair

That indefatigable wanderer of the woods, Doug Thorburn, has shared his pictures of a family of wolves, which he encountered beside a mountain road in the south Selkirks in late July. Fifty years ago, wolves were considered to be … Continue reading →