Category Archives: mammals

Bethany’s marmot

I have never managed to photograph a Hoary Marmot—the Yellow–bellied Marmot, yes, but the Hoary Marmot, no. So, when Bethany Arndt showed me the pictures she had taken on a hike into Kokanee Glacier Park, I asked to post them … Continue reading

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Bears return

I have been feeling neglected: Friends along the lakeshore have been seeing bears in their yards for a week or so, but, I have not. Not, that is, until last night when a big Black Bear wandered across my property. … Continue reading

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A Snow–White lunch

In Walt Disney’s 1937 telling of the story, Snow White’s adventures are accompanied by various creatures of the forest. I thought of that wonderful movie while having lunch amidst the gamboling of forest creatures: Red Squirrel, Red-brested Nuthatch, Black-capped Chickadee, … Continue reading

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Chipmunk

I recall that as a child, I would see chipmunks around Kootenay Lake, that is, right down to the valley bottom. Now, I only see them much higher in the mountains. David Nagorsen’s book, Rodents & Lagomorphs of British Columbia … Continue reading

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Marmot

I don’t often see marmots, so it was fun to see two different (widely separated) ones yesterday. Both were Yellow–bellied Marmots, but the pictures below are only of the first. Locally, there are two species: The Yellow–bellied Marmot is found in … Continue reading

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Cat & mouse

Or more to the point: a Bobcat and a Long-tailed Vole. If you want to see wildlife where it lives, you must spend time in the wild. So it is that, once again, the indefatigable Doug Thorburn managed superb wildlife … Continue reading

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Unexpected mouse

What could be unexpected about seeing a Deer Mouse? It is, after all, one of the most numerous mammals in North America. This nocturnal rodent is common to many forests of British Columbia. It normally avoids cities and remains hidden … Continue reading

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Otter obs

River Otters are here, but I only get to see one on the Lake every year or possibly every year and a half. In fairness to the otter I wait until it comes to me. If it were a beaver … Continue reading

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Bears, bugs, birds

I sometimes whimsically characterize kootenay-lake.ca as a website that treats bears, bugs, birds, and beaches. So, why not use that list as the theme for a posting? Alas, the only beach I show here is underwater, but it will have to … Continue reading

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Spirit bear II

  Nelson’s Spirit Bear has been seen again. Nearly a year ago, Doug Thorburn watched a local white Black Bear. He saw it again last week and wrote about both sightings: “I had grave doubts concerning his potential survival, given … Continue reading

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