Exploring Kootenay Lake

This morning, a Bald Eagle flew past packing a fish athwart its body. It is odd that an eagle regularly carries a fish in this non-aerodynamic orientation. Granted, the eagle is a strong flier, so the extra drag of a fish being carried across the airstream may not matter much to it. Still, why does it go to all that extra work?

An Osprey always carries a fish aerodynamically with its head facing forward. Granted, an osprey is a smaller bird, and as it takes less effort to fly with the fish in this orientation, the bird does so.

But, how is it that the eagle has never learned this trick?

An eagle carries a sucker in a non-aerodynamic orientation, so has to work harder to fly with it.

Ospreys have yet to arrive this year, so here is a picture taken last August. The osprey flies with its fish in an aerodynamic orientation and so does less work when flying with it.

Countdown: 6

The synchronized wing flapping of a Canada-Goose couple was spectacular. I assume that theirs was a pre-copulatory, courting behaviour, but I did not see them complete the act.

The geese, one in front of the other, rose out of the water and together spread their wings back.

Together, they swung their wings to the side.

And then to the front. 

Countdown: 8

Following recent postings about bluebirds choosing a nest box, and killdeer seeking a nesting site, here is one about Bald Eagles having chosen their nest for this spring.

A Bald Eagle couple have chosen a nest in which to raise a family.

Countdown: 9

Killdeer have arrived. They typically turn up in March, about two months before other shorebirds, such as the Spotted Sandpiper, do.

This morning a killdeer couple was seen exploring a rocky island near a creek mouth. Killdeer make their nests on open ground, so if they plan to nest on this island, they had better get on with it as the spring freshet will put the nest underwater in another few months.

The just arrived killdeer couple was probably looking for a nesting site.

countdown: 10

The name given this bird by nineteenth-century settlers, Evening Grosbeak, comes from the mistaken belief that it only came out to sing after sundown. Much better is its name in French, le gros-bec errant, for it truly is the wandering grosbeak. Both languages agree on its prodigious beak.

It might be seen around here at any time of the year, but only occasionally, for it wanders widely in its search for food. Although seen by others over recent decades, I last saw one eight years ago.

Last weekend, I watched a small group of them in some black hawthorn bushes — a plant that in some seasons provides them with berries.

A female Evening Grosbeak has a subdued colouration of smoky grey with touches of yellow.

The male Evening Grosbeak is much more stridently coloured.

It has always been a source of mild amusement for me to see Thanksgiving advertisements using clip art of tom turkeys displaying. After all, such displays take place now during the breeding season.

Four toms strut down the road as they stalk two hens.

The hens wandered off into the bush, so the toms followed.

It is important to look one’s best.

Winter is losing its grip. Valley snow is vanishing and the trees are alive with twittering. Trumpeter Swans and Bohemian Waxwings have flown north to their breeding grounds. Meanwhile Wild Turkey males are displaying and swallows and bluebirds are arriving.

In March, two species of bluebirds arrive: mountain and western. Mountain Bluebirds are the more common and breed throughout the provincial interior. Western Bluebirds only sneak into a small portion of the southern interior. So, it was a bit of a surprise that the first bluebirds seen this year were westerns.

Yesterday, a Western Bluebird couple sat together on a fence post. The male is on the left and the female on the right. The post was within metres of a nest box set up by welcoming locals.

From the post, the birds would fly the short distance to the nest box. This is standard bluebird practice: alight away from the nest; watch for predators and, when all is clear, fly to the nest.

This seems to have been a recognizance mission: “Will this be a suitable place to raise our family?”

“Yep, this will do just fine.”