Exploring Kootenay Lake

A Bonaparte’s Gull in nonbreeding plumage.

Bonaparte’s Gull is not one of the typical gulls seen daily around Kootenay Lake in the summer. Bonaparte’s breeds in boreal forests well to the north of the Lake.

As with other migrants that winter to our south and breed to our north, they are seen primarily as they pass through. The odd one is seen heading north early in the summer or heading south later. However, they might look different on the different jaunts.

The picture of the Bonaparte’s Gull on the right was taken in early June of this year. It is in its nonbreeding plumage: grey head with a black spot behind the eye.

The bird I saw yesterday was in its breeding plumage: a hood of black. This is the first year I have seen (well, noticed) the bird. Two pictures of it are below.

Yesterday’s Bonaparte’s Gull was in its breeding plumage.

At this time of year, Bank Swallow parents are kept very busy ferrying insects to their chicks. Here are four pictures of the feeding of one group of chicks.

A parent approaches five chicks, each demanding that it be fed.

The frenzy at the opening is intense as the chicks kick up dust while they compete for attention.

And a little bit for you also.

The parent heads out to capture more insects. And so it goes throughout the day.

Herons stand on their toes—indeed, all birds stand on their toes. The joint halfway up the leg that looks as if it were a backwards knee, actually corresponds to the ankle of a mammal. I have never seen a heron, or any other bird, rest on its heels—never, that is, until yesterday.

This is how a heron, or any bird, normally stands. Its toes touch the ground, but its ankle (the tibiotarsal articulation) is high off the surface. Its knee joint is close to the body and hidden by the wing. This heron is hunting.

This younger heron is also hunting. But, (what would be) its heels are resting on the rock—a stance unknown to me. This position is sufficiently odd that when I saw its distant silhouette, I thought I was looking at a dog.

This picture of the earlier heel-standing heron is included merely because I like it among the fireweed.

I long wanted to get pictures of an Osprey family with downy chicks in the nest, but until yesterday success eluded me.

The problem is that the nests are usually well above eye level and nestlings rarely stick their heads high enough to be seen. There seems to be only a short time when chicks are still in their down, but are sufficiently adventuresome to peek over the nest edge. Added to this is the need to stay far off so as to offer minimal disturbance; thus, it is not surprising that satisfactory shots have been a while in coming. All pictures, except the first, are associated with one nest.

This mother has two chicks.

While this mother has only one.

A chick tries out inadequate wings as its parents look on.

A father flies overhead with a fish as it heads for its nest.

He manoeuvres near the nest.

And delivers breakfast to his family.

Finally, a family portrait.