Category Archives: weather

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

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

Canada’s diversity

Posted on July 1, 2019 by Alistair

  Today, July 1st, marks Canada Day and the country’s 152nd birthday. Canadians value and celebrate diversity — by which they mean cultural diversity. However, some feel that the preservation of our species diversity merits a similar attention. This selection … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, bugs, commentary, fish, herptiles, mammals, weather | 7 Comments

June goulash

Posted on June 29, 2019 by Alistair

  This is a collection of images from June, none of which has had a posting of its own. The Cedar Waxwing breeds around here in the summer. This Eastern Kingbird feels the need to express its opinion. A Cedar … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, mammals, weather | 4 Comments

White line

Posted on April 12, 2019 by Alistair

  Some interesting lake features are most easily seen during the low water of April. Such is the case for the white line that runs around the rocky portions of the lakeshore. I last discussed the white line seven years … Continue reading →

Posted in scenes, weather | 1 Comment

1,500th posting

Posted on April 10, 2019 by Alistair

  This is the fifteen-hundredth posting to the blog, Exploring Kootenay Lake. The oldest was a decade ago in December, 2009. The blog is merely a notebook to which I regularly record delight with my surroundings. Yet, as these notes … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, commentary, fish, mammals, weather | 23 Comments

Guttation of spring

Posted on April 9, 2019 by Alistair

  A sure sign of new springtime growth is guttation. The water drops on the grass in the morning might have been casually dismissed as being dew. Not so, they are guttation. OK, there was also some dew on the … Continue reading →

Posted in weather, wildflowers | 7 Comments

Lake ullage

Posted on April 4, 2019 by Alistair

  Kootenay Lake is at the lowest level I have seen it in the last couple of decades. The low water of March and April is, of course, an annual spring feature, which occurs when there is a reduced inflow … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, commentary, weather | 1 Comment

February goulash

Posted on February 27, 2019 by Alistair

  This is a collection of images that lacked their own postings in February. They are mainly, but not entirely birds. It is interesting that other than squirrels, and deer (that buck has now lost its antlers), I have seen … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, weather | 3 Comments

Beaded skirt

Posted on February 18, 2019 by Alistair

  Freezing weather, waves, and declining lake levels give rise to an interesting adornment on pilings: a beaded skirt. Waves splash water on pilings and at sub-zero weather, the water running down the pilings freezes in pendant beads. Then the … Continue reading →

Posted in weather | 4 Comments