Category Archives: birds

  I went looking for grizzlies, but found a snipe. The Wilson’s Snipe is a secretive shorebird that probes the water’s edge to capture and eat invertebrate larvae. When approached, it flushes with a rapid and erratic flight. This is … Continue reading →

  What does one say about a close observation of a Northern Goshawk? Maybe just, Wow! We certainly have goshawks, but they are uncommon. I have only seen one (at a considerable distance) once before. This one was found by … Continue reading →

  It is May and the hummingbird season has begun with the Rufous — the scrappiest of our three regular hummingbirds. I look forward to seeing the other two. A female Rufous Hummingbird stops by. A male Rufous Hummingbird does … Continue reading →

  Occasionally when I manage a reasonably good shot, I use it as an opportunity to discuss the species. Such is the case with the Barrow’s Goldeneye couple, below; they are one of our two goldeneye ducks. The other is … Continue reading →

  The Black-necked Stilt does not visit Kootenay Lake — or that is what the range maps of bird websites would have you believe. Indeed, I have not seen it here before. And the bird isn’t even listed in Cannings’ … Continue reading →

  Ospreys tend to return to the same nests year after year. However, often when they return, they find their last-year’s nest already occupied by geese. The osprey sometimes succeeds in driving the geese out, but sometimes the goose just … Continue reading →

  I saw a Great Blue Heron this morning. This might seem to be an inconsequential observation. One might see herons in every month of the year, so it isn’t as if they are like ospreys: gone in the cold … Continue reading →

  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 →