Category Archives: birds

Herons abound

Posted on November 4, 2011 by Alistair

I have experienced an upsurge in heron visits during the last couple of weeks. The same thing happened at this time a year ago. I wrote about it then in a posting entitled Herons return, and noted that now that … Continue reading →

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Grebe and sculpin

Posted on November 3, 2011 by Alistair

Our local sculpin is a small (6-8 cm long) secretive fish that spends most of the daylight hours well camouflaged and motionless on the floor of the Lake, often within rocky hideouts. By such devices, it tries to avoid predatory … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, fish | 2 Comments

Why take pictures?

Posted on October 26, 2011 by Alistair

I confine myself to local nature photography. As I look around the websites of nature photographers, I detect a pattern: purchase my picture. Now, I am not suggesting that this is the only, or even primary, reason the pictures were … Continue reading →

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Two waders

Posted on October 24, 2011 by Alistair

Yesterday, I watched two very different wading birds: a heron and a snipe. The heron flew overhead and I managed a picture. The snipe flushed only a metre from my feet and vanished before I could even point the camera. … Continue reading →

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A big swallow

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Alistair

It is not just grizzlies, eagles, and ravens that enjoy a Kokanee for lunch in the fall. This California Gull swooped down and plucked a fish from the mouth of a creek flowing into Kootenay Lake. Two seconds later, and … Continue reading →

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A show and tell

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Alistair

I take pictures to better understand things seen. I post discussions to website and blog as a personal memory aid. That my notes are available publicly is incidental. Yet, the public is not incidental when one gives an illustrated talk; … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, bugs, mammals, weather, wildflowers | 9 Comments

Beach walk

Posted on October 16, 2011 by Alistair

On a beautiful sunny day, a walk along the beach at Kokanee Creek Park revealed old friends and a new delight. Three are illustrated below in the order seen. The view over the waters of Kootenay Lake often shows rather … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, bugs, weather | 1 Comment

Iridescent duck

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Alistair

A Wood Duck has iridescent feathers on its head. Most colours in nature result from selective absorption: a pigment absorbs a range of wavelengths and leaves others to be reflected. The green of leaves and the red of someone’s sweater … Continue reading →

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Two raptors

Posted on October 11, 2011 by Alistair

With each osprey I have seen of late, I say: this has to be the last one of the year. Yet, today I saw another. Mind you, it was sitting in the rain under low skies which would have prevented … Continue reading →

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See my toes

Posted on October 10, 2011 by Alistair

Four Horned Grebes visited me yesterday. It really was a visit: they came within maybe ten meters and seemed unconcerned by my presence and the incessant clicking of my camera. A few postings ago, I noted that a grebe is … Continue reading →

Posted in birds | 3 Comments