Bears return

Posted on August 31, 2011 by Alistair

I have been feeling neglected: Friends along the lakeshore have been seeing bears in their yards for a week or so, but, I have not. Not, that is, until last night when a big Black Bear wandered across my property.

This is the time of the year when Black Bears return to the valleys. It is not that I do anything to encourage their visits—any more than I encourage the falling of the leaves, the formation of autumnal steam fog, or the arrival of snow. But, I welcome all these things—bears included—as events to be savored on the seasonal calendar.

With luck, I will manage more (and better) bear pictures throughout the fall. This first one is of modest quality, but then it was taken at about 2 am in the rain.

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Residential grouse

Posted on August 30, 2011 by Alistair

It has been six months since I last saw my residential grouse. But whether last March, the previous December, or now, it is always seen hanging around in the same area.

The Ruffed Grouse does not migrate, but lives out its life within a territory of a couple of hectares, so this might indeed be the same bird as recorded earlier. It now looks rather ragged; I suspect that it is moulting. On each of the occasions I have seen it in the last few days, the ruff appeared partially erected. Maybe it is a male. Can anyone tell?

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Pale Snaketail

Posted on August 29, 2011 by Alistair

Males hanging out in the August sunshine at the water’s edge, eating, and waiting for females—it sounds like the script for a 1960s beach–party movie. Yet, that pretty well describes the life of the adult Pale Snaketail.

This dragonfly is a member of the Clubtail family—just look at its tail—but, out of the nearly hundred species in this family across North America, this one seems to be the only one found in this vicinity. It can be seen along the shores of lakes and ponds, but sources suggest that it is rather uncommon.

Pale Snaketails are perchers: they spend much of their time perching (as distinct from flying). Here we see them between short flights as they rest on various lakeshore rocks.

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Hot–tub frog

Posted on August 27, 2011 by Alistair


I have consulted various books and websites about the range of habitats occupied by the Pacific Tree Frog, and they all fail to mention a hot tub. But, that is where one has been seen, day after day. Well, truth be known, the frog seems to prefer living in the lid rather than in the tub itself.

Pacific Tree Frogs can be identified by the dark line running from the snout through the eye to the shoulder. Beyond that, they come in a remarkable range of colours: green, tan, and dark brown. Indeed, the other markings that are seen in these pictures, may be missing if the frog is light coloured, or obscured when the frog is quite dark.

In fairness to this particular frog and the sybaritic lifestyle it has chosen, a fact sheet from the B.C. Ministry of Environment does allow that: “The Pacific Treefrog is quite cosmopolitan in its choice of homes.”

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Buprestis lyrata

Posted on August 27, 2011 by Alistair

The Pink-faced Jewel Beetle (Buprestis lyrata) is one of the metallic wood-boring beetles. It is usually found doing its thing on Douglasfir or pine snags. It generally attacks severely stressed or recently killed trees rather than the living, vigorous trees. As such, it helps with forest succession.

However, in the case of the beetle in the picture, any attempt at boring is futile. It has landed on a window (as the reflections make evident).

 

 

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A Snow–White lunch

Posted on August 26, 2011 by Alistair

In Walt Disney’s 1937 telling of the story, Snow White’s adventures are accompanied by various creatures of the forest. I thought of that wonderful movie while having lunch amidst the gamboling of forest creatures: Red Squirrel, Red-brested Nuthatch, Black-capped Chickadee, and Song Sparrow.

Pictures taken Tuesday (Aug. 23, 2011) around noon.

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Wave clouds

Posted on August 25, 2011 by Alistair

The (main) Kootenay Lake website has a page devoted to local wave clouds.

In the summertime, cumulus clouds are the norm; in the wintertime, wave clouds (lenticular clouds) are more common. Alas, for those of us who are valley dwellers, the wave clouds of winter are often obscured by stratus. So, we take pleasure in the occasional summertime appearance.

(Aside: This is my first posting for a week. As yet, my broken computer is neither fixed nor replaced. I am limping along on a borrowed machine. I will now try to catch up on a week’s backlog of images.)

Wave clouds over the south Selkirks a week ago (Aug. 17, 2011)

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Blocked clam

Posted on August 18, 2011 by Alistair

Imagine the plight of the clam in the picture, below. It was moving slowly across the lake bottom and—clunk—it encountered a rock.

That is how I felt yesterday, when… (continued below)

my computer went down—disastrously. I will be limping along on a borrowed machine for a few weeks, but as I lack my normal image processing capabilities, this may be the only posting for a while. However, this already prepared springtime image of a frustrated clam well expresses my feelings. The clam eventually worked its way around the blockage. So, will I.

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BC Parks party

Posted on August 16, 2011 by Alistair

On Saturday, August 13, 2011, BC Parks and the Friends of West Kootenay Parks threw a spectacularly successful party at Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park to celebrate the centennial of BC Parks.

Under cerulean skies, they offered helicopter rides to the alpine meadows, interpretive walks, classical music, story telling, historical images, birthday cakes, and an alpenhorn. The public response to this bonanza in the park was impressive—many came and everyone loved it.

I leave it to others to show images of people and events. I went so I could be immersed in the spectacular setting. Indeed, I have already made three postings about delights seen that day: a bird, a mammal, and a wildflower. In this final posting, I offer ten scenes.

The helicopter climbs above Gibson Lake to head up the steep valley.

It flies past Kokanee Lake as it continues climbing.

It reaches Kaslo Lake where one can see the blue roof of Kokanee Glacier Cabin, the site of some of the festivities.

The path from the Kokanee Glacier Cabin to the Slocan Chief Cabin takes one through alpine meadows. This 360–degree panorama was taken along that path.

And another view along the path.

The Slocan Chief Cabin was build in 1896 and was recently restored.

The cabin is now an interpretive centre.

A view on the walk back to the Kokanee Glacier Cabin.

The Kokanee Glacier Cabin (with a trio of musicians performing on a balcony).

The trip back down the valley: Kokanee Lake on lower left; Gibson Lake on centre right.

It was a memorable day.

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Alpine mops

Posted on August 16, 2011 by Alistair

The Western Anemone has gone to seed.

Indeed, this plant of the alpine meadow is usually seen after it has gone to seed for there are fewer hikers in the early spring when the flower blooms. The plant has many names, a familiar one is the Pasqueflower.

Below are two pictures of the anemone: the flowers (obviously taken earlier in the year), the seed heads or fruit (taken last Saturday).

The flower of the Wester Anemone is curious: what looks like white petals are actually sepals and they are variable in number.

Later, the flower is replaced by a clump of plumed seeds (the fruit) that have inspired various descriptive names, one being mops.

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