by lakecountry | Sep 29, 2017 | Guest Bloggers, History of Lake Country, Natural History, Pam Laing
Which Bird might I see today? Ducks that dabble A couple of years ago I told you about the ducks that migrate into our area in spring to breed. Today our subject is more ducks, the ones that stay all winter. If you are new to birding you can’t do better than start...
by lakecountry | Jul 7, 2017 | Guest Bloggers, Natural History, Pam Laing
Which birds might I see today? Colourful Songsters This time I’m going to introduce you to two of my favourite birds, the Western Tanager and the Lazuli Bunting. These are two of the most tropical-looking birds to be found annually in our valley and summer is a good...
by lakecountry | Apr 14, 2017 | Guest Bloggers, History of Lake Country, Natural History, Pam Laing
Which bird might I see today? More woodpeckers It’s spring! Are you being woken up early by a woodpecker drumming on your chimney or siding? Try not to get mad. It’s just ‘spring fever’ or as the song says, “Love is in the air”. Your bird is a Northern Flicker and...
by lakecountry | Jan 27, 2017 | Guest Bloggers, History of Lake Country, Natural History, Pam Laing
Which Bird might I see today? – YEAR ROUND – Canada’s National Bird “Quiet, bold, impulsive and curious”. All of these have been used to describe the bird recently voted Canada’s pick for National Bird. Voting began in January 2015 and was conducted by Canadian...
by lakecountry | Jan 13, 2017 | Guest Bloggers, History of Lake Country, Natural History, Pam Laing
Which Bird might I see today? – Woodpeckers in Winter Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean birds are absent. Far from it. Winter is one of the best times to see some species, unobscured by summer foliage. Woodpeckers are a case in point. Here are three common...
by lakecountry | Sep 30, 2016 | Guest Bloggers, History of Lake Country, Natural History, Pam Laing
Which birds might I see today? Loons There is very little common about the Common Loon! This iconic bird of northern lakes is remarkable, supremely adapted to living on and in water. They are large, fish-eating birds that capture their prey by diving and chasing them...
by lakecountry | Jun 24, 2016 | Guest Bloggers, History of Lake Country, Natural History, Pam Laing
Which birds might I see today? Bluebirds I was asked a question recently regarding some small birds seen last summer. The questioner said, in some surprise, “They were blue!” I replied, “They were probably bluebirds”. Indeed. To the non-birder, the sight of the first...
by lakecountry | Apr 22, 2016 | Guest Bloggers, History of Lake Country, Natural History, Pam Laing
Birds of a Feather Which birds might I see today? Shorebirds, also known as Waders You might think that a valley with a large lake like ours would host a horde of breeding shorebirds. In fact most shorebirds breed further north than the Okanagan, and touch down here...
by lakecountry | Jan 8, 2016 | Guest Bloggers, History of Lake Country, Natural History, Pam Laing
Which birds might I see today? Bald Eagles In our valley, winter is one of the best times to see Bald Eagles but did you know that the Kelowna landfill is one of the best places to see them? Every January members of the Central Okanagan Naturalists’ Club conduct a...
by lakecountry | Oct 2, 2015 | Guest Bloggers, History of Lake Country, Natural History, Pam Laing
Which birds might I see today? Finches It is quite likely that you already know the birds I’m going to show you this time around. They are colourful, plentiful in numbers, sing beautifully and will come to feeders readily. They are the familiar finches, House Finches...
by lakecountry | Jun 26, 2015 | Guest Bloggers, History of Lake Country, Natural History, Pam Laing
Which bird might I see today? Warblers As the days lengthen and warmer temperatures creep northward over the North American continent, deciduous leaves unfold, insects emerge – and the warblers return from wintering in the south to nest and raise young. These little...
by lakecountry | Mar 20, 2015 | Guest Bloggers, History of Lake Country, Natural History, Pam Laing
Which birds might I see today? Migrating ducks Did you know that about 30 different species of ducks can be seen in our valley sometime during the year? Like the ever-present Mallard, which everyone recognizes, about half of these species stay here throughout the...
