Category Archives: fish

1,500^th 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

Osprey fattening

Posted on September 16, 2018 by Alistair

Ospreys are now eating as many fish as possible in preparation for their long migration. Ospreys have been present since April. They built nests, mated, laid eggs, brooded chicks, and their chicks fledged. Now, mid-September, all are getting ready … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, fish | 2 Comments

Feasting on fish

Posted on September 9, 2018 by Alistair

Fish are a staple food for much of the wildlife around the Lake — we are, after all, dealing with a lake — so, I show wildlife feasting on fish. This posting was prompted by recent pictures, but these … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, fish, mammals | 6 Comments

Osprey harassed

Posted on August 30, 2018 by Alistair

This has been a really good year for wasps — not so good for the rest of us. Ospreys feed on fish, and wasps really like that. An osprey has taken a fresh fish to the top of a … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, bugs, fish | 4 Comments

Ecotone walk

Posted on August 24, 2018 by Alistair

I could have merely spoken of a walk along the beach, but, I wanted to emphasize something subtly different than such a stroll. An ecotone is a place where ecologies are in tension (in Greek, the word is tonos). It describes … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, commentary, fish, mammals | 3 Comments

Iconic osprey shot

Posted on August 18, 2018 by Alistair

The West Arm of Kootenay Lake has an unusually large warm-season population of ospreys. As such, they have become a symbol of the Lake, with both a ferry and a community foundation named after them. Ospreys feast on fish caught … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, fish | 16 Comments

July goulash

Posted on July 31, 2018 by Alistair

This is a collection of a dozen images from July, none of which has had a posting of its own. Where have all the male Mallards gone? They are here, but are in their eclipse plumage, which makes them … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, bugs, fish, mammals, wildflowers | 3 Comments

Persistent eagle

Posted on July 23, 2018 by Alistair

It was the third time lucky both for the eagle and for me. Bald Eagles and Ospreys each have a taste for fish. Of the two, the osprey is the better fisher. The osprey can dive into the Lake and … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, fish | 10 Comments

Headless fish flying

Posted on June 17, 2018 by Alistair

Unexpectedly, many of the fish flying around our skies are headless. That fish fly is courtesy of the good graces of ospreys. Yet, it is striking that many of these flying fish lack a head. After catching a fish, … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, fish | 1 Comment

Dipper amidst ice

Posted on December 29, 2017 by Alistair

This will be a two-part posting about Dot, the dipper. It is not unusual for a dipper to be featured on this blog. Although, not a common bird, I happen to live near dipper central and manage to watch … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, fish | 7 Comments