Category Archives: birds

  Normally, months will go by without my noticing a single Ruffed Grouse. Today, I saw two. They were three kilometres apart (as the grouse flies).  The first grouse to be seen was, to my mind, comical. It moved at … Continue reading →

  Sometimes March 20th or 21st is proclaimed as the official first day of spring. This, of course, is nonsense: no officials have ever proclaimed this—and why would they? Further, the idea is silly: spring arrives slowly and at a … Continue reading →

  In last two days, I have watched two remarkably stealthy birds. These are not the frenetic little scaredy-cats that flit from branch to branch. These are the largish birds that move in a stately, even lethargic, manner. The two I … Continue reading →

  Maybe it was the warmer weather; maybe it was the switch from snow to rain; maybe it was the longer daylight; but, the testosterone in local ganders was clearly soaring. Spring is the only time of the year when … Continue reading →

  To say that these Trumpeter Swans were dancing is clearly anthropomorphizing. Yet, while I have watched individual swans stretch their wings in this way, this was the first time I have watched a group of them gyrating as if … Continue reading →

  As the lake level drops in the spring the Swans are attracted to underwater vegetation that they can reach with their long necks. So we see them at various locations on the West Arm and the Kootenay River. A … Continue reading →

  For some years, a Ruffed Grouse has been a regular visitor to my yard. Then all visits stopped. Subsequently, I learned that a local dog had been its executioner.  Two days ago, I heard the wing beats of a … Continue reading →

  It seems that the Kaslo Chamber of Commerce has hired the ultimate celebrity endorsement: a Great Gray Owl has arrived to promote local businesses. It hardly gets any better than this. Yesterday, upon seeing this rare celebrity in town, … Continue reading →

  The Birds of British Columbia (Vol. 2, 1990) describes the Great Gray Owl as: An uncommon resident in the northern interior and rare resident to the southern interior. Few bird enthusiasts around here have seen one, but today in … Continue reading →