Category Archives: mammals

  Surely my most unexpected observation of this year was made last evening when a Chipmunk crashed an outdoor dinner party. When I was a child, I would often see chipmunks at the valley bottom around the Lake. However, for … Continue reading →

  I have made many postings about marmots, but all recent ones treated the Yellow-bellied Marmot. This one is about the Hoary Marmot. Three species of marmot are found on the mainland of British Columbia — Yellow-bellied, Hoary, and Woodchuck — … Continue reading →

  Who has seen a Pika? Although subalpine hikers sometimes hear its warning, eeep, spotting this potato-sized relative of the hare is difficult when it is at home in the talus, for it blends well. Pikas do make quick trips … Continue reading →

  A Black Bear in a tree huffed at me. The bear was about three metres above the ground feasting on bitter cherries when it decided that I had wandered too close. It let me know its feelings. While a huffing Black Bear … Continue reading →

  The long weekend is a time to retreat from life’s exigencies. So it was that a young buck with velvet antlers arrived in its quest for wholesome serenity. A White-tailed Deer looks for a good setting for its contemplative … Continue reading →

  I watched a moose swim along a shoreline in the rain. Previously, I have only ever seen a moose swim across a lake. However, moose are comfortable in water and have been known to swim for twenty kilometres. This male … Continue reading →

  Various mammals seem to prefer living well above the valley floor. A possible reason might be avoidance of valley-clustering humans. Yet, the population density of people is not very high around here. In many cases the altitude bias of … Continue reading →