Exploring Kootenay Lake

For a couple of days there have been reports around the Lake of the return of Ospreys. I saw my first one (indeed, three of them) this morning.

A newly arrived female Osprey lands on a branch.

I have posted a handful of shots of the Northern Shrike in the last month (see, this, in particular). So, why more? This is a case of shrike while the iron is hot.

This peculiar bird is hunting around here briefly before heading north to breed. On previous occasions, I have seen it in Kokanee Creek Park in the grasslands adjacent to the Lake. Alas, on 8^th April, the Park was closed (it’s a covid thing). The following day, a shrike appeared at my home. OK, I had to record the event. 

A Northern Shrike perched in a bush outside my bedroom window.

And soon flew off — seen here just entering the camera frame.

The canonical bird picture shows it perched in profile. Such a picture is useful for identification, and is relatively easy to take. When I say this, I don’t mean to imply that a profile is easy — just that it is considerably easier than taking action shots. 

But I like the action shots, and for birds this often means catching them in flight. Here are two shots from this morning.

The male robin on the left was foraging on the grass when it was attacked by another male. I suspect that this was a fight over breeding territory. 

For a few weeks, we have had a Northern Shrike hunting over grasslands. The bird has probably stopped to feed on its way farther north to breed. I have managed a few profile pictures, but until this morning, my flight shots of it were distant and blurry. 

Sometimes one happens upon a really nice scene. Such was the case this morning when, for the first time, I saw a close Red-tailed Hawk couple watching me from a snag. The female is on the left, the male is on the right. I wish them luck.

It’s that time of year.

Incoming.

That was fun.

For a few days now, others have been seeing Mountain Bluebirds around the Lake. I failed to find them until today. 

With the coming of spring, Mountain Bluebirds flow into this region in search of insects. They perch close to the ground, spot an insect and swoop down and capture it. 

A female Mountain Bluebird watches for insects from a bush.

It spots something and flies off after it.

It captures and flies off with an insect.

A male Mountain Bluebird sits on a perch watching for insects.

Now is the time to start watching Ruffed Grouse. There seem to be many of them about and their mating period is coming up: April into May.

I have two Ruffed Grouse that treat my yard as a portion of their range. Sometimes I see them; sometimes I don’t. Are they a male and a female? Probably, in that they are tolerating each other at the moment.

Ruffed grouse have two distinct morphs: grey and red (brown). The grey morph predominates in the norther portions of their range; the red morph in the southern portions. Presumably this has something to do with camouflage in different habitats.

Curiously, we seem to have both morphs around the Lake. Indeed, the couple in my yard seems to be one of each.

A grey morph Ruffed Grouse peers over its shoulder.

While a red morph Ruffed Grouse tries to look inconspicuous.