Exploring Kootenay Lake

Loons do not nest on Kootenay Lake because the springtime changes in water level are so large that a shoreline nest would be flooded. Yet, they do nest nearby on small lakes higher in the mountains, which is where I saw one last year. This year, the nest on that lake was much more distant across the water. I still managed some views, first of loons in waters near me, and then of eggs in the nest.  

 While the loons usually stay far from humans, on this occasion they were close.

This allowed some detailed views.

The nest was not always occupied but, on this occasion, it was.

When the loon was not incubating, two eggs were evident.

This backside view of a loon adjusting the position of its eggs with its bill is the oddest bird picture I have taken.

Bird chicks seem to like to be looked after by their parents long after such care is needed.

Last year, I posted pictures of osprey parents coaxing their chicks to go off on their own: It’s time you went. Today, flicker parents seemed to drive off their chick. I am not sure this is what was happening, but for an hour or so, adults were not only blocking access to the nest, but gently easing a fledged chick farther and farther from it.

This picture of a flicker chick in the nest cavity was taken a week ago by my grandson, Finn. The cavity is in a piling at the end of a long ramp to a dock.

This morning, the chick was out of the nest and on the ramp to the dock. For an hour or so, an adult (female, left) blocked repeated attempts by the chick (right) to move towards the nest.

The process of driving the chick off to fend for itself took place on the surface, in the air, and any handy perch. Here, the chick (lower left) is on roof of a nearby gazebo, while a male adult on the finial blocked its ability to fly off—or that is what appeared to be happening. As is evident from the picture, these are Red-shafted Northern Flickers.

‘Tis the season to see chicks. Here are a few seen over this last week. Of the six pictures shown, three were taken by my visiting nine-year-old grandson, Finn. He took them all when nature watching on his own.

Even after fledging, nuthatch chicks do not know how to feed themselves and continue to be fed by a parent. That the bird on the right is a chick is evident not only by the activity, but also its yellow gape and bill.

Finn found a flicker in a nest. Again, the bill and the lack of colouring on the head show this to be a chick.

This is my shot of a mother Bald Eagle and her two chicks.

When I thought that there wasn’t much point in taking yet another picture of geese, Finn tried anyway and turned up something interesting: a leucistic goose—see the white crown of the female. Two years ago I photographed what is probably the same leucistic goose.

This is my shot of a lonely mallard chick. It was wondering along the shore apparently looking for its mother. It has just picked up a leaf off the lake and promptly ate it.

And Finn’s early morning shot of a merganser mommy and her chicks wins the cuteness award.

Finn Fraser Grathwol’s images are used with permission.

This the sad story of two horny Spotted Sandpipers and one thuggish Tree Swallow. 

“Hey you idiot, you are at the wrong end. And get your feet outta my face.”  

“OK, I’m ready. Now, go around to the back.”

“Crumb, if you cannot get it right, I’ll turn around. Get on with it.”

“Look swallow, this is a really inopportune moment to visit. You ruined it just when he figured out how to….”