Category Archives: birds

Pygmy Owl

  I get to watch a Northern Pygmy Owl only a couple of times a year, always in the winter. This fist-sized owl is an altitudinal migrant, but is fairly hard to find in the warm months in the vastness … Continue reading

Posted in birds | 3 Comments

High-key redpolls

  There is an unusual form of lighting found in the natural world: the whiteout. When fog blankets a field of snow, the diffuse light leaves no shadows on nearby objects and the horizon vanishes between snow and fog. Enveloped … Continue reading

Posted in birds, commentary | 4 Comments

Jus wanna be me

  Going my own way.  

Posted in birds, commentary | 3 Comments

Dark patagium

  A January jaunt through the open farmland south of the Main Lake usually reveals diverse raptors: eagles, buteos, falcons and owls. Adding to these flying predators, coyotes prowl the fields. Not so yesterday. The fields were covered with enough … Continue reading

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Dipper smarts

  Dot: This is the second of two postings about the behaviour of a dipper, dubbed Dot, owing to a white spot on its back. Once thought to be a uniquely human characteristic, the use of tools is considered a … Continue reading

Posted in birds, bugs | 5 Comments

Dipper amidst ice

  This will be a two-part posting about Dot, the dipper. It is not unusual for a dipper to be featured on this blog. Although, not a common bird, I happen to live near dipper central and manage to watch … Continue reading

Posted in birds, fish | 7 Comments

Wearing red

  “It is my understanding that this is a good day to eat well and wear a red cap.”

Posted in birds | 8 Comments

Whither tundras?

  Seeing seven swans yesterday was both a pleasure and a disappointment. It was a pleasure to be able to watch these magnificent Trumpeter Swans; Yet, it was a disappointment that once again, they were Trumpeters rather than Tundras.  Two … Continue reading

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Irruptive winter?

  Irruptive species of birds are ones that don’t migrate to a particular region every winter. Rather, they do so some winters, but not others. This year is shaping up to be a good year for seeing irruptive species around … Continue reading

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Dipper hunts eggs

  The dipper is an unusual songbird. It dives in cold, swift mountain streams for delectables that are usually found on the stream bed. What it eats depends somewhat on the season: often aquatic arthropods in the summer, fish eggs … Continue reading

Posted in birds | 6 Comments