Category Archives: birds

Displaying toms

  It has always been a source of mild amusement for me to see Thanksgiving advertisements using clip art of tom turkeys displaying. After all, such displays take place now during the breeding season. Four toms strut down the road … Continue reading

Posted in birds | 2 Comments

Western Bluebird

  Winter is losing its grip. Valley snow is vanishing and the trees are alive with twittering. Trumpeter Swans and Bohemian Waxwings have flown north to their breeding grounds. Meanwhile Wild Turkey males are displaying and swallows and bluebirds are … Continue reading

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Birds in the woods

  Yesterday, I was asked if I were a birder. Probably not. I rarely look specifically for birds and rarely submit observations to birding sites. So, I probably don’t qualify. What I do do is to look for interesting things … Continue reading

Posted in birds, mammals | 6 Comments

White stripes

  I was looking for a White-winged Crossbill. It is a somewhat uncommon visitor to the region — and one I had been challenged to find. I did find one, but, one somewhat obscured by branches. This crossbill doesn’t actually … Continue reading

Posted in birds, mammals | 8 Comments

Bohemian flying

  Bohemian Waxwings have been here this winter, but they are not nearly as common as they have been other years. A few flocks were seen, but they remained distant. Finally, some flew close. A Bohemian Waxwing flies by showing … Continue reading

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February goulash

  This is a collection of images that lacked their own postings in February. They are mainly, but not entirely birds. It is interesting that other than squirrels, and deer (that buck has now lost its antlers), I have seen … Continue reading

Posted in birds, weather | 3 Comments

Hawk alighting

  There are a number of reasons I don’t make use of commercial picture-sharing sites, but one of them is that I like to tell the story of what is going on — often spread over multiple images. Yet, now … Continue reading

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Flying orange

  There has been a slight uptick in recent observations of the Varied Thrush around the region. This orange-coloured cousin of the robin (also a thrush) is a permanent, but sparse, resident of the region. In the winter, a few … Continue reading

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Colourful crossbills

  The Red Crossbill is a colourful nomad. Its bill’s strangely crossed mandibles is an adaptation to enable it to pry seeds from cones. However, Red Crossbills seem to assemble in different groups, each apparently associated with, and probably adapted to, … Continue reading

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Dipper underwater

  If I see a dipper, I stop to watch it. Yesterday, I was watching a dipper dive from the border ice along the frigid waters of a creek where it hunted along the creek bed for things to eat. … Continue reading

Posted in birds | 10 Comments