Category Archives: birds

Wild Turkey chicks

Posted on June 11, 2016 by Alistair

  This is the season of chicks. Three weeks ago, a male Wild Turkey treated us to its display. Now a female shows off her chicks. Ron Welwood sent me this picture taken in his yard. Ron Welwood’s picture is … Continue reading →

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Chickadee’s nest

Posted on June 9, 2016 by Alistair

  I had been watching a sapsucker surveying its trees (image right) when I realized that there was something even more interesting in the vicinity: Chestnut-backed Chickadees were ferrying grubs to their cavity nest. Although the chicks have yet to be seen, … Continue reading →

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Eagle’s nest

Posted on June 6, 2016 by Alistair

  There is an Bald Eagle’s nest I have watched for a decade. In fairness, this is actually the second nest, the first having grown so big, it brought down the tree. While the first nest was easily visible from … Continue reading →

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Crab spider

Posted on June 4, 2016 by Alistair

  Crab spiders (Misumena vatia) hang out on flowers where they wait to pounce on pollinating insects. I noticed my first Crab Spider a decade ago when it was hunting on a Tiger Lily: see the last picture at reddish wildflowers. … Continue reading →

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Blue-winged Teal

Posted on June 3, 2016 by Alistair

  The abundance of some birds, such as the Osprey, is considered to be a sign of the purity of a lake’s water. Around Kootenay Lake, Ospreys abound.  I wonder if the lack of abundance of other species could also be considered … Continue reading →

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May goulash

Posted on May 30, 2016 by Alistair

  This is an end-of-the-month collection of images, none of which has had a posting of its own. A Columbian Ground Squirrel does sentry duty for the colony. A Western Wood-Pewee shows its flight feathers. Eastern Kingbirds are arriving and … Continue reading →

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Avianimosity

Posted on May 28, 2016 by Alistair

  There is no love lost between ospreys and eagles, so when one encounters a scene of mutual animosity, it isn’t always clear what was the immediate cause of the confrontation. Indeed, the first sighting was confusing for it looked as if two … Continue reading →

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Forster’s Tern

Posted on May 26, 2016 by Alistair

  A scan of topics treated here reveals an interest in the overlooked ordinary. Today’s posting about Forster’s Tern does not fit this pattern. Not only is this bird found at only one location around Kootenay Lake, but it is … Continue reading →

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Turkey display

Posted on May 25, 2016 by Alistair

  If one believes the promotional art for harvest festivals, wild turkeys display in the fall. The timing is off by about a half year. Now is when toms display; this is the breeding season. The distinctively spread tail feathers … Continue reading →

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Swimming chicks

Posted on May 23, 2016 by Alistair

  This is the season to watch chicks. Some remain in nests, but many waterfowl are already swimming. Often the first chicks to be seen on the Lake are those of our local avis non grata, the Canada Goose. It gains this … Continue reading →

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