Category Archives: birds

Pileated two

  I see a Pileated Woodpecker only a few times a year, and only saw two together once before. So, it was a treat to watch a pair of them on a tree trunk in the fading light of yesterday. … Continue reading

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Osprey ruckus

  A year ago, I watched two ospreys soaring over the land well away from the water. This struck me as odd. It is normal for an osprey to soar over the lake where it hunts for fish. But, why … Continue reading

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April goulash

  This is a collection of April’s images that were not featured in a posting of their own. As spring rolls in, many new species appear, or change their behaviours. Early in the month, Trumpeter Swans were seen floating and … Continue reading

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Mountain Bluebirds

  After a week or so’s absence, Mountain Bluebirds reappeared at Kokanee Creek Park. While they do breed around here, I suspect that the departures have to do with those birds that were stopping by on their way to breed … Continue reading

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Crossbill feeding chick

  There are many species that pass through our region. Some breed and raise their young here; many are tourists that only pause for a while, feed, and move on. Sometimes it is difficult to tell who was hatched and … Continue reading

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Turkey Vultures

  Turkey Vultures return in mid-March, but these seen yesterday were the first I had noticed. Three of five Turkey Vulture were captured in one shot as they soared on high. They are recognizable, even from a distance, by the … Continue reading

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Geese: tender, combative

  This is the mating season for geese (as it is for many other species). The implication is that there will be great attentiveness and tenderness between mates. However, along with this goes protectiveness. When another male wishes to possess … Continue reading

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First osprey

  This is the first osprey that I have seen this year. However, Patricia Bambrick saw one at the beginning of last week in Crescent Valley, and Lorraine Symmes saw this same one yesterday on the North Arm. Indeed, it was … Continue reading

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Shrike strikes

  The shrike is an unusual songbird: it behaves as if it thinks it is a raptor. This behaviour has earned it the nickname of the butcher bird.  The Northern Shrike is an uncommon winter resident here, but there is … Continue reading

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Downy foraging

  A downy, our smallest woodpecker, was flying from one tree to the next looking for things to eat, such as beetle grubs under the bark. The Downy Woodpecker makes a visual inspection of a tree branch. It also puts … Continue reading

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