Category Archives: birds

  Mallards are generalist foragers and will eat a wide variety of food. They don’t dive, but dabble to feed, tipping forward in the water to eat seeds and aquatic vegetation.     Cornell’s All about birds  Anatidae (ducks, geese, … Continue reading →

  In Nelson, these events start with the ornamental fruit trees. These fruit trees seem to have been planted purposely in yards and along berms. Among their delicacies are crabapples, elderberries, and rowan berries (mountain ash). However, when snow covers … Continue reading →

  Rock Pigeons live in cities where they typically eat seeds. Pigeons inhabit cities because the buildings in cities mimic the pigeon’s original habitat of cliffs. So some pigeons began to adapt to urban habitats and found that cities also … Continue reading →

  The varied water birds seen at Nelson’s winter waterfront continue to impress. This season I have shown swans, coots, goldeneyes and scaups. Here are three more species recorded today. Mr. and Mrs. Hooded Merganser swim past. This is one of a … Continue reading →

  This has been a good winter for seeing swans. However, by Christmas Eve, I had not seen any for nearly a month. Then four swans came a-visiting. A family of Trumpeter Swans appeared at Kokanee Creek Park. The grey … Continue reading →

  Comprehensive digital records from ebird.org show that the Ruffed Grouse can be seen in this area year round. My own records say otherwise. When I look at the dated pictures I have taken in my yard, there is a … Continue reading →

  I spent a few hours rambling among raptors. While many were seen perched, this posting favours raptors seen flying. We have two resident falcons, each of which was seen. This is the smaller; it is a male kestrel. Slightly … Continue reading →

  The first time I saw a Wild Turkey in a tree was only a month ago. While they do roost in trees overnight, and some subscribers commented that they see them there regularly, I had only seen these birds … Continue reading →

  How can one distinguish one Canada Goose in a flock of a few hundred? It is easy if that goose is leucistic.  A leucistic animal is one where some region of its pelage lacks pigment. It is not an … Continue reading →