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- Horned Lark
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- Pileated Woodpecker
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- Pileated Woodpecker
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Monthly Archives: July 2013
Pink Mountain Heather
The first time I saw Pink Mountain Heather (Phyllodoce empetriformis), I found only one small patch. But then, the altitude was below 1600 metres (Gibson Lake). Yesterday, I found it in great profusion, but now the altitude was over … Continue reading
Posted in wildflowers
3 Comments
Bonaparte’s Gull
Bonaparte’s Gull is not one of the typical gulls seen daily around Kootenay Lake in the summer. Bonaparte’s breeds in boreal forests well to the north of the Lake. As with other migrants that winter to our south and … Continue reading
Posted in birds
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Toadlets aplenty
Toadlets abounded—a walk along the trail required care to avoid stepping on them. There were thousands of these newly metamorphosed Western Toads. Despite the great numbers, perhaps only one percent will survive to adulthood. A major predator is the garter … Continue reading
Posted in herptiles
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Damselfly protection
Wherever aquatic plants broke the surface of the water, male damselflies (Tule Bluets?) were congregating. The centre of all this activity was a lone egg-laying female. Guarding her was her mate: he was there protecting his investment. Were he … Continue reading
Beach cusps
The interaction of the Lake and a sandy beach offers fascinating physical details: Water wets the sand changing both appearance and firmness. Waves move up and down the beach sorting sand and pebbles by size. Waves shift sand along the … Continue reading
Posted in weather
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Bank Swallow chicks
At this time of year, Bank Swallow parents are kept very busy ferrying insects to their chicks. Here are four pictures of the feeding of one group of chicks. A parent approaches five chicks, each demanding that it be … Continue reading
Posted in birds
6 Comments
En passant
En passant is a French term used to describing something that happens merely in passing. It is a good descriptor for many of the things I see: I head out for A, and happen on B—en passant. Here are … Continue reading
Posted in birds, bugs, mammals
4 Comments
Heron heels
Herons stand on their toes—indeed, all birds stand on their toes. The joint halfway up the leg that looks as if it were a backwards knee, actually corresponds to the ankle of a mammal. I have never seen a … Continue reading
Osprey family
I long wanted to get pictures of an Osprey family with downy chicks in the nest, but until yesterday success eluded me. The problem is that the nests are usually well above eye level and nestlings rarely stick their … Continue reading
Posted in birds
5 Comments
Vole begone
Vole: “Are you really going to go through with this?” Heron: “You can bet your life.”
Posted in birds, mammals
5 Comments