Exploring Kootenay Lake

Oh well, it was getting time to take down the hummingbird feeder anyway.

Last night, as the light was fading, I visited the Kokanee Creek Spawning Channel. There were few fish there as yet, but that did not stop a black bear from finding and downing a big fish (before I came), and then looking for more. I watched it as it searched.

Perhaps the best picture I got is this one. In this, and many other shots, its lower body is festooned with water drops from the constant search in the water.

The bear was in the spawning channel and a few people were on a bridge inaccessible to each other. Yet the bear would occasionally look up at the people. I think it sought comfort in the inaccessibility.

At one point the bear stopped for a drink of water.

Finally, the black bear wandered off, probably frustrated by having found only one fish.

I had last seen the beaver on August 9^th, and thought it had now gone. But, it appeared again last evening (Aug. 14^th). These views are unusual to see.

The beaver swam by towing a long branch of leaves.

It went to a delapidated dock, presumably as a place to temporarily live.

It began to eat the leaves near the shore. Beavers are herbivores, but it seems to just eat the leaves. The leaves appear to be willow, one of its favourites. 

It eats the willow leaves outside the dock where it has greater room.

On August 8^th, I took some pictures of a visiting beaver and then posted one on Aug. 9^th. But, there were some other good shots, and since the beaver was only subsequently been seen fleetingly, and has now apparently gone, I will post three more shots from the 8^th. 

The beaver places two forepaws on a plank.

It isn’t clear what has now caught its attention.

The beaver opens its mouth to reveal its yellow teeth. It isn’t easy to tell the sex of a beaver. Yet, the folds near the belly of this one suggest that it recently might have been pregnant.

Beavers are shy and nocturnal, so they are rarely seen. Now, most people associate beavers with the ponds and dams that they build on creeks. Less well known are their activities on a lake where they build shoreline nests. On Kootenay Lake I have only seen a beaver about a half-dozen times in twenty years and the last time was seven years ago.

Mind you I have often seen evidence of their activities.

Last evening I watched a beaver for about 20 minutes as it ate, preened, and scratched. Although it was close, it didn’t seem aware of me. 

A beaver sits close to the shore with its scaly tail extending in front of it.

While a black bear had passed by for quite a few days, I didn’t see it yesterday, but there were some raccoon kits.

This big black bear has often come past in the evening.

Two raccoon kits were up a tree while their mother hid nearby,