Spring azure

Posted on May 26, 2025 by Alistair

 

Spring azures are small (22-35 mm wingspan) springtime butterflies. They were seen on a slightly darkened patch of a back-woods roadway where a large mammal had urinated. Many mainly male butterflies group there and sip nutrients, particularly salt, that are needed for mating.

Now, the spring azure is a fairly common butterfly in North America, but as they are only seen in the spring, and have a short lifetime, they are inconspicuous when perched and easy to miss. The delight occurs when they fly and the upper side of the wings are revealed. They are a marvellous blue (thus, the name).

On a forest road, a group of mainly male spring azures sips urine for its salt. When perched, this butterfly has its wings up and shows the camouflaged grey and black markings. But. when flying the delightful upper wings are seen.

A male spring azure flies off and reveals its top-wing colour. (The female butterfly has more black on it.) It will mate and die, having had only a couple of days as an adult. This is a difficult shot to get as the spring azure is a fast flier. 

 

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Black-chinned fought

Posted on May 24, 2025 by Alistair

 

I have been watching hummingbirds in an attempt to get pictures of the female Black-chinned and the female Calliope. It has been unsuccessful so far. However, I did spot an unusual feature on a Black-chinned male: evidence of a battle.

I had long been aware that the Rufous Hummingbird was combative during the breeding season when it would challenge other rufous males. But, nothing was ever said about the black-chinned. Well, here is evidence, a black-chinned with a few other hummingbird’s feathers in its claws.

This Black-chinned Hummingbird has some feathers of another hummingbird in its claws.

 

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Three hummingbird species

Posted on May 15, 2025 by Alistair

 

I mentioned earlier (blog.kootenay-lake.ca/?p=34474) that we get three hummingbirds: rufous, black-chinned and calliope. In the last few days I have seen males of each of these birds. They migrate here before the females do.

The gorget (throat) of many hummingbirds is iridescent: sometimes it is black, sometimes it displays colours.

The rufous, with its sometime orange gorget, was first to arrive.

The black-chinned with its sometime purple gorget has been here for about three days.

North America’s smallest bird, the calliope has been here a couple of days.

 

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Red squirrels mating

Posted on May 14, 2025 by Alistair

 

The North American red squirrel is our most common tree squirrel. It is generally a solitary creature. It will only be with other red squirrels when the female nurses pups or when it mates.

The oestrus period for the red squirrel only lasts one or two days per year. Yesterday as pheromones rose, the female ran from the male, but did mate in the end. Today, she was positively friendly and mated five or six times. I suspect this is it now. 

One shot of squirrels mating from today.

The best shot of the squirrels mating was yesterday.

 

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Grizzly cub

Posted on May 11, 2025 by Alistair

 

We certainly have grizzly bears in the West Kootenay. Yet we practically never see them on the West Arm of Kootenay Lake, which has a fair number of homes. Presumably, grizzlies just avoid people. Joanne Siderius, the Senior Naturalist at Kokanee Creek Park observed a grizzly in the spawning channel in August 2018 that prompted all the black bears to leave.

So, it came as a surprise to observe a young grizzly foraging on my and adjacent properties early this morning.

This young grizzly is perhaps only a year old, and looks a bit emaciated. It was traveling alone, so what happened to its mother?

The bear looked earnestly for food.

 

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Squirrel with berry

Posted on May 8, 2025 by Alistair

 

A red squirrel found a reddish berry and hauled it away to eat. (But, I have been unable to determine what the species of berry it is. It seems that no reddish berries are yet in season here.)

The squirrel picks up the berry and examines it.

Deciding the berry is worth eating, the squirrel sets off with it in its mouth.

And a moment’s glance to see if anyone is watching before vanishing up a tree.

 

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Bufflehead

Posted on May 5, 2025 by Alistair

 

The Bufflehead is our smallest diving duck and the two sexes look different. It is primarily a somewhat uncommon winter bird here for it breeds farther north.

I got some pictures of the male flying. This is with wings down.

And with wings up.
 

 

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Female rufous

Posted on May 3, 2025 by Alistair

 

Now after a few days of having a male Rufous Hummingbird, the female has arrived.

On a good year, we also may expect to see male and female Black-chinned Hummingbirds and Calliope Hummingbirds. So, more may be coming.

A female Rufous Hummingbird.

 

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Three spring creatures

Posted on May 2, 2025 by Alistair

 

Today brought three spring creatures (in four pictures)

The Wood Duck is a water bird and seasonal migrant. This is a male. This is the first time I have seen it on a piling. 

Every May brings the Bombylius major in numbers to the yard. This tiny bee-mimic fly is a nectar robber. It uses its long proboscis to steal nectar and pollen from a flower without ever touching either anthers (male) or stigma (female). In this way, it violates the contract between flowers and insects: nectar in exchange for pollination. However, it is likely that its long legs and proboscis evolved, not for larceny, but to protect it from crab spiders lurking among the flowers.

The last few days have brought me the first hummingbirds of the season. This is a Rufous Hummingbird. Its gorget (throat) is iridescent. Under many circumstances, it is black.

However, with the proper lighting, it will flash a briliant red. 

 

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Heron is back

Posted on May 1, 2025 by Alistair

 

In past few days, I have seen a Great Blue Heron a couple of times. I had not seen one here since last August for it is migratory and only appears here in spring and summer to breed. Alas, this particular heron is too young to breed, it being perhaps a year old.

A juvenile Great Blue Heron flies by.

 

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