Category Archives: commentary

Lucy has a new gosling

Posted on June 13, 2020 by Alistair

Lucy was hatched at least a decade ago. She is the only local Canada Goose that is a recognizable individual. Normally, when we wish to identify an individual animal, we have to mark it with something ranging from a … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, commentary | 4 Comments

Two courtship displays

Posted on May 23, 2020 by Alistair

I watched two courtship displays of birds this morning. One was obvious; the other was subtle. A courtship display is a behaviour in which an animal (often a male) attempts to attract a mate. The courtship display of the … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, commentary | 1 Comment

March goulash

Posted on March 31, 2020 by Alistair

This is a collection of images from March, each of which lacked a posting of its own. Such observations of nature serve as a balm to my own increasing social isolation. These are creatures oblivious to our present angst. … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, commentary, mammals | 7 Comments

Stuck cat

Posted on February 16, 2020 by Alistair

This blog does not usually concern itself with domestic animals, but this seemed special: a stuck cat. It was beside the highway and high on some utility cables about a third of the way between the poles. Presumably it … Continue reading →

Posted in commentary, mammals | 11 Comments

Palindrome day

Posted on February 2, 2020 by Alistair

The primary reason for today’s posting is its unusual date: it forms a palindrome. A palindrome is an expression that reads the same forward or backward, and in the manner in which I date my pictures (year month day) … Continue reading →

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Curiosity of young raptors

Posted on November 25, 2019 by Alistair

Of late, I have become curious about the curiosity sometimes displayed by young raptors. When I wander past a perched raptor, it usually bolts to a more distant spot. Now and then the raptor will first regard me from … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, commentary | 7 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

Kokanee Wild

Posted on July 24, 2019 by Alistair

Once a year, I mention a presentation that I will be giving — this is the one for 2019. Topic: Kokanee Wild Presenter: Alistair Fraser Occasion: Science in the Park When: 7-8 pm, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2019 Where: Nature … Continue reading →

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Seeing nature remotely

Posted on July 20, 2019 by Alistair

Sometimes one cannot get out into nature oneself and the only way to appreciate it is remotely through a book, TV, or possibly even a blog. There was an occasion fifty years ago today when I found an aspect … Continue reading →

Posted in commentary | 4 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