Category Archives: birds

  Blue: sky and birds arrived together.

  Each year at about this time, a contest ensues. Norther Flickers, who build the nesting cavities and have been on site for some time, are challenged for ownership by freshly arrived Tree Swallows. It usually works out that flickers … Continue reading →

  Ducks in trees? Given the day, this might sound as if it is an April Fool’s gag. It isn’t.  About a half-dozen local ducks will nest in trees, among them, the beautiful Wood Duck. It is a bit early … Continue reading →

  This blog is about the region around Kootenay Lake, but it is sometimes useful to recognize what cannot be seen here. This posting shows two pictures of a Greater Yellowlegs. Although occasionally this sandpiper is seen around the Lake, the particular bird … Continue reading →

  The sub-adult Bald Eagle is often mistaken for a Golden Eagle for they both can have a mixture of brown and white plumage, but they differ in other ways. Yesterday’s Bald Eagle looks as if it were hatched last … Continue reading →

  The winter has passed without any of the Ruffed Grouse in my yard displaying their ruffs. Now that the mating season is approaching, a male grouse was seen to flash some of his ruff without ever opening it completely. … Continue reading →

  Two days ago in the Park, I watched one of the most frenetic of birds: a Golden-crowned Kinglet. By the time it was spotted and the camera pointed, usually the bird was gone.  Then yesterday, four Trumpeter Swans were spotted far … Continue reading →

  The Bohemian Waxwing is an ephemeral delight. It forages in large winter flocks that briefly visit some berries only to then vanish from sight for weeks. It is two months since I last managed images. At that earlier time there … Continue reading →

  The Downy Woodpecker is the smallest woodpecker in North America, a feature that gives it an advantage in the access of some bugs. That this one is a male is evident from the red patch on its head. When … Continue reading →

  I had no idea that I was wrong. Planing or Hydroplaning: Typically the term, planing, is preferred by boaters, while, hydroplaning, is preferred by drivers of land vehicles who encounter water on a road. As recently as last week, I … Continue reading →