Category Archives: birds

  In response to an overflight by a Red-tailed Hawk, Red-winged Blackbirds took to the air. My guess is that they did so because a perched bird is an easy target, whereas a small airborne bird is a difficult capture. The … Continue reading →

  Flying is arduous, particularly for large birds which have less muscle power per unit weight than small birds. However, little birds cannot soar, big birds can. If any bird stops flapping its wings, it will glide to a lower … Continue reading →

  So unexpected was the sight of a Northern Harrier at Kokanee Creek Park, that I misidentified it at first. I have occasionally seen harriers at either end of the Main Lake where they hunt small mammals while flying low over … Continue reading →

  The Common Loon doesn’t nest on Kootenay Lake. The spring freshet would flood the nests it must make on the edge of the shore. Rather, loons nest on little mountain lakes high above Kootenay Lake. During this nesting time, the bird is territorial and … Continue reading →

  Carotenoids are the answer. The question is: What gives the yellow plumage of birds? (Think, Big Bird.) Carotenoids are pigments produced by plants. The pigments are transferred to insects that eat those plants and are then available to birds that … Continue reading →