Category Archives: mammals

Snowshoe hare

Posted on July 18, 2024 by Alistair

  Now, this is odd. A year and a day ago I saw a snowshoe hare, and I haven’t seen one again until today when I saw one only about 50 metres from last year’s position. Of course, at this … Continue reading →

Posted in mammals | 2 Comments

Marmot pups

Posted on June 8, 2024 by Alistair

  This is the time to watch our new yellow-bellied marmot pups. They face their world sometimes with curiosity, sometimes with caution, and sometimes just play. This was a family shoot. There are two pictures by daughter, Cynthia, two pictures … Continue reading →

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Hummingbirds, plus

Posted on May 21, 2024 by Alistair

  Hummingbirds have been seen recently around the region. I have seen a female Rufous Hummingbird for about a week. And of late, a male Black-chinned Hummingbird has arrived. During the hummingbird season, we get three different species: rufous, black-chinned, … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, mammals | 4 Comments

May miscellaneous

Posted on May 14, 2024 by Alistair

  I went looking for something else, but instead found, well, many other things. On a pond by the river, there was a loafing log with 14 painted turtles in three sizes. The mature females are the largest and there … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, herptiles, mammals, wildflowers | 4 Comments

Spring arrives

Posted on April 24, 2024 by Alistair

  The temperature now rises above freezing day and night at the bottom of the valleys. The trees begin to bloom, and skunk cabbage sprouts in moist areas. Birds mate and build nests. Migrants arrive and some pass northward. This … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, bugs, mammals, wildflowers | 4 Comments

Two interesting visitors

Posted on January 21, 2024 by Alistair

  The last week has been bitterly cold with bouts of steam fog and snow. Critters seemed few in number, but it has warmed, and recently there were interesting visitors. Two Trumpeter Swans came along the shore feeding midday. They … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, mammals | 2 Comments

Otters frolic

Posted on January 12, 2024 by Alistair

  I don’t often see river otters; indeed the last one was well over a year ago. However a family of otters visited yesterday morning and spent a half hour on a nearby dock. There were two parents and two … Continue reading →

Posted in mammals | 6 Comments

Weasel

Posted on October 4, 2023 by Alistair

  Thud. A robin collided with a window and fell to the deck. What followed was unexpected. Soon a Short-tailed Weasel found the robin. Now it wasn’t clear whether the robin was dead or just stunned, but the weasel quickly … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, mammals | 7 Comments

White-tail suckling

Posted on September 17, 2023 by Alistair

  There are many white-tailed deer in the valley and they are, on the whole, quite visible. Yet there are some things that one rarely sees: rutting, mating, birth, and suckling. It is probably not that the deer has a … Continue reading →

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Exotropia in bears

Posted on September 15, 2023 by Alistair

  The word, exotropia, is not found in my computer dictionary. But it is found clearly on the web (e.g., wikipedia). It describes the situation were one’s two eyes, rather than looking at the same thing, are deviated outwards. In … Continue reading →

Posted in mammals | 2 Comments