Category Archives: birds

  Mountain Bluebirds are arriving. They like open fields where they hunt insects from low perches. Once an insect is spotted, the bird dives on it, returns to a perch, and feasts. A splash of blue sits in the leafless … Continue reading →

  Three days ago, I watched an odd looking (female) House Finch: it had a beard.  These finches like seeds and initially I thought that it had one of those fluffy seeds such as those of a dandelion or a … Continue reading →

  During an open-air flight, a bird will use dangling legs and open claws as a threatening posture towards another bird. The first time I became aware of dangling legs with open claws being used in a bird attack was … Continue reading →

  Much of bird watching involves creature identification, along with tracking seasonal migration. However, this posting is about neither of these; rather, it treats obscure behaviours of a duck, the Hooded Merganser. The issue is that of the duck optimizing … Continue reading →

  We have Hooded Mergansers year round. And although this water bird is not as common as the mallard, there are ample opportunities to see them. Yet, only once before have I seen one stand on a solid surface: swim … Continue reading →

  The arrival of Red-winged Blackbirds is a sign of pending spring; They have now been observed in Nelson over the last week. Twice I have tried to get shots of them, but they tended to hide in the brush. … Continue reading →

  For the past few days, there have been seven Trumpeter Swans visiting the shallows to the south and west of Kokanee Creek Park. I visited them early this morning. On their spring migration north, both swan species often stop … Continue reading →