Category Archives: birds

It has been six months since I last saw my residential grouse. But whether last March, the previous December, or now, it is always seen hanging around in the same area. The Ruffed Grouse does not migrate, but lives out … Continue reading →

The most frequently seen shorebird here is probably the Spotted Sandpiper, yet, the Killdeer is also common. Only occasionally have I seen a Wilson’s Snipe. However, yesterday was the first time I had seen a Solitary Sandpiper. To be sure, … Continue reading →

Ron Welwood invited me to his place to see a family of flycatchers. They turned out to be the Pacific-slope Flycatchers. It is the only one around here that will nest on buildings and that will use moss in its … Continue reading →

Derek Kite and I visited the kestrels again. The chicks had fledged. Unexpectedly, there were now three chicks, even though earlier we had only seen two at a time looking out of the nest cavity. It was fun to see … Continue reading →

Sunday, I saw my first kestrel—my first ever—and not just one, but two chicks and three adults. I owe it all to Derek Kite. I have never been able to find kestrels on my own, and certainly wouldn’t have found these … Continue reading →

I am used to birds colliding with my windows; I am used to birds challenging their reflections in my windows; but, I am not used to birds sitting on an outside window sill and merely peering inside. But, this seems … Continue reading →

I am so used to seeing Tree Swallows that I sometimes don’t even notice that some other swallows may have turned up. I was watching the resident heron today (last picture), and swallows kept flitting by. Oh well, take a … Continue reading →

Previously, I showed pictures of a mother Common Merganser wandering by with one chick; later eight chicks came by. Today in the rain, another momma visited with nine chicks (two pictures below). At times they did the delightful merganser–chick thing of hitching … Continue reading →

Derek Kite sent me these pictures of a young female Kestrel taking a Northern Alligator Lizard home for lunch. These pictures are really very nice captures. First, the Kestrel is not all that common along the West Arm of Kootenay Lake … Continue reading →