Category Archives: birds

  Yesterday I watched insectivores hunting in a field: Mountain Bluebirds and Northern Shrikes. Two weeks ago, the treat was the Western Bluebird, which sports an orange breast and shoulders. The breast of the Mountain Bluebird is powder blue (male) … Continue reading →

  While she gyrated, the male Mallard watched from the beach.

  Yesterday, as I watched a flicker couple excavate yet-another cavity nest on the shore side of a piling, I speculated that there might be an interesting story to be told.  Over the years I had casually been aware that the cavity … Continue reading →

  A week ago, when I posted flying raptors, I included a mediocre shot of a Red-tailed Hawk merely to complete the set of raptors seen that day. Contrast that with the three shots of a Red-tailed Hawk, below. This bird … Continue reading →

  Why a Red-tailed Hawk would choose to attack a sub-adult Bald Eagle is a mystery. The fight would be uneven as the eagle is four times the weight of the hawk. Nevertheless, the hawk repeatedly dived at the eagle.  The eagle’s … Continue reading →

  The vast majority of detailed pictures of birds show them as stationary: perched in a tree, standing on ground, floating on water. Less often does one see a detailed picture of a bird in flight. This might seem odd given … Continue reading →

  I am one of those who is unfamiliar with breeds of domestic ducks. So, when a giant Mallard turned up amongst a flock of familiar Mallards, it was worth recording. It seems now that the giant is a Rouen Duck, a … Continue reading →

  Although the Red-winged Blackbird is abundant through much of North America, it is not all that common around Kootenay Lake. The fields and marshes this bird prefers are in short supply around the heavily forested lakeshore—except, at the south end … Continue reading →

  Waterfowl adopt one of two different foraging techniques: diving or dabbling.  Divers, such as loons, grebes, mergansers, might be seen anywhere on the Lake, but are often found far from shore. Dabblers, such as mallards, geese, and swans, generally forage … Continue reading →