Wood Ducks go unreported around Kootenay Lake in the winter months of December, January, and February. Occasionally one has been seen in the larger region in February, but that is rare. So, I hadn’t expected to see a female along the shore this morning. When I showed the picture to Derek Kite, he said, “I wonder if it is the same one I saw this January. Maybe we have had a Wood Duck here all winter.”
A Wood Duck stands in the snow in Derek Kite’s picture of January 11th.
This is possibly the same duck, now seen on February 13th.
Derek Kite’s picture is used with permission.
Bank slump
Creeks are brimming with water after days of warm rain and snowmelt. A few have burst banks while others merely cut into a bank that will give way on another occasion.
When a creek takes a serpentine course, the outside of the bend erodes and that material is transported to the inside of the bend or forms islands in the middle.
Near the top right of this picture, Kokanee Creek flows into Kootenay Lake. Slightly upstream (on a line from the lower left to the middle) is a long bank that is collapsing as it is undercut by the creek. After awhile the undercut topsoil slumps into the creek. Ultimately, the creek will break right through and reach the lake along a new path.
Despite both the physical evidence of bank slump, and Park signs that warn people to stay clear of the edge, visitors often stand on spots about to collapse.
