Category Archives: birds

  Consider the identity problem faced by a female wigeon within this mêlée of coots, wigeons, mallards, and scaups. Hey, I’m me.

It is a delight to watch Trumpeter Swans. They are beautiful, big, and have recently returned from near extinction. Size The Trumpeter Swan is the largest species of native waterfowl in North America. It is considerably bigger than its cousin, the … Continue reading →

  Wigeons begin to pair bond in the winter and some along Nelson’s waterfront are already travelling in pairs and exchanging endearments. Endearments? What form might those take among ducks? A common one seems to be wing-flapping. This is a … Continue reading →

  A dozen or more Western Grebes have been hanging around in the waters off the Nelson airport. This group has sometimes been accompanied by other species, but the dominant presence is that of the Western. Here are three pictures … Continue reading →

I don’t understand why the Nelson waterfront consistently has a much richer range of waterfowl than can be seen elsewhere along the lakeshore. In the last few days, in addition to the usual mallards and geese, there have been: three … Continue reading →

I saw my first American Dipper in Kokanee Creek some years ago. Since then I have seen them there, along the lakeshore, and in alpine lakes. However, these pictures were again taken at Kokanee Creek. The dipper is an unusual … Continue reading →

The Pine Siskin feeds in trees, feeds on the ground, and travels in flocks. Each of these behaviours is seen in yesterday’s pictures of the bird. The ones with the yellowish markings are male; the ones with the paler, or … Continue reading →

In two days, I encountered two birds that hide. One apparently thought it was rather good at camouflage, but was actually comically bad. The other was superb. The first bird was a Ruffed Grouse. I watched it as it watched … Continue reading →