Category Archives: birds

I saw my first Golden Eagle on Thursday. I see Bald Eagles regularly, but then I live alongside Kootenay Lake and balds specialize in eating water birds and fish plucked from the surface. Goldens are not nearly as numerous and … Continue reading →

It has been a good winter in the south for seeing redpolls. Despite being small, redpolls are content to winter in the frigid north as long as the food holds out. When it doesn’t, they head south. Last Friday I … Continue reading →

This seems to be a good year in southern British Columbia for irruptive winter finches. Siskins, grosbeaks, and redpolls have irrupted from their normal wintering grounds in search of food. These birds are mainly seed eaters, although they also need to … Continue reading →

A few days ago, I watched Pine Grosbeaks as they sampled the berries on a mountain ash—it was red on red. For the last few days, it has been orange on red as some Varied Thrushes visited the same tree and … Continue reading →

Is it too much to hope for—a heron nest only two-hundred meters from my door? It is too early to be sure, but for nearly two weeks, I have watched two herons from the same spot. Sometimes they are flying, … Continue reading →

It appeared to be an ancient courting ritual I was watching in the light of the dying sun. Indeed, that is what was taking place far out on the waters of Kootenay Lake: the penguin dance of the Horned Grebes. … Continue reading →

The American Dipper is covered in guidebooks with statements such as: Perches on rocks within fast-flowing mountain streams and dives underwater for aquatic insect larvae. It seems that one local dipper failed to read these manuals; its behaviour departed somewhat from the description. Yesterday’s … Continue reading →

I watched a Bohemian Waxing landing in a bush beside my pathway. It then took off, but more arrived and filled a mountain ash. Waxwings travel in flocks and usually provide for good pictures as they feast on berries. So, I … Continue reading →