Coyotes are common in our hills but they are elusive animals. We do spot them, but we see their signs often. Their tracks are easy to identify: The scats resemble those of all dogs, but we usually see embedded hair from eating rodents. We also saw bones scattered in the hills. The skull is often pulled away from the skeleton …Continue reading…
While hiking through the canyons of Utah and Arizona, we have encountered these long, thin snakes on several occasions. They grow up to 2.5 metres long . This one was spotted in Horseshoe Canyon, not far from the Great Gallery. <a href=”https://kamloopstrails.net/wp-content/uploads/Moab-One-436cr.jpg”><img class=”aligncenter size-large wp-image-10937″ src=”https://kamloopstrails.net/wp-content/uploads/Moab-One-436cr-509×640.jpg” alt=”Moab One 436cr” width=”509″ height=”640″ /></a>These snakes are not venomous. They are active during …Continue reading…
Chukars are round-bellied partridges that have spread from their native Asian habitats to North America as feral populations. They have multiplied in our area and we can now spot them in the lower Batchelor Hills, near Deep Lake, and on the Sun Rivers Bench in flocks/coveys. Chukar pair off in summer to breed. Males are loud and showy in the …Continue reading…
We have spotted numerous mergansers on the South Thompson River, Cooney Bay, and Kamloops Lake this summer-fall. It is a large duck that feeds on fish and nests in holes of trees. It is most recognizable with its crest of longer feathers behind the head. They dive then use their serrated bills to catch fish and other aquatic creatures. …Continue reading…
The tarantula hawk is acutally a spider wasp which preys on spiders and tarantulas. It has long hooked legs with powerful claws which it uses to hold its prey, then it stings it and pulls its prey back into its lair. It then creates a hole in the tarantula's abdomen and lays an egg there. It feeds on the tarantula, …Continue reading…
We snowshoed to the top of Wheeler Mountain and spotted a woodpecker hole in a snag, a perfect spot for a wildlife nest. We couldn’t spot anything inside, but thinking there might be an owl inside, Russ (a wildlife biologist) made some sounds to attract attention. Up poked a head, and he got a picture of a northern flying squirrel. …Continue reading…
We have spotted the northern alligator lizard a couple of times, but I have been assured they are found in many wet, forested habitats. We would have the most success of seeing one in the douglas fir and hemlock forests, sunning themselves on a rocky outcrop. The ones we saw were 15-20 cm long and had grey-greenish-brown bands. Their heads …Continue reading…
We have encountered ptarmigans at various high spots over the years – Cathedral Ridge, Balu Pass, Perley Rock, Glacier Crest, Dolomite Pass, Wilcox Mountain, Trophy Mountain, and Odaray Mountain come to mind. The birds seem docile and slow-moving, but when I went over to take photos of a mother hen on Cheops Mountain, she charged at me, hissing. Babies must …Continue reading…
High in the alpine we sometimes hear the call of the “whistling hare,” (the pika). It is part of the rabbit family, with short, legs, rounded ears, and no tail. They are herbivores which feed on various types of vegetation at higher altitudes. We usually see them in rockpiles and talus slopes, but there are burrowing types too. They bring …Continue reading…
Adult northern pygmy owls are only 15-17 cm tall and have brown or greyish-brown colorings. They usually have a spotted head and yellowish eyes. They perch near the top of coniferous trees, but are hard to spot because of their color and size. They nest in tree cavities or old woodpecker holes, mostly in douglas fir in our area. As …Continue reading…
Aspens populate the edges of our grasslands and occupy open spaces in the upper forests. With white smooth white-grey bark, these deciduous trees are easy to identify, often called trembling or quaking aspens. A lesser known fact is that aspen groves are all connected by a common root system and trees of the grouping are clones of one another. The …Continue reading…
While out hiking on the snow on Sunrise Mountain with a friend who is a biologist, he pointed out some specks on the snow and labelled them snow scorpionflies. This piqued my interest. It turns out that they are small dark glossy insects with long snouts. They mostly live in mosses, but come out for hops on the snow when …Continue reading…
While paddling the shoreline of Neskonlith Lake on a hot sunny day, western painted turtles sunned themselves on logs surrounded by water. Over an 11km paddle, about 20 turtles were spotted. Most plunged into the lake as I approached but if I came in drifting, they strained their yellow striped necks out listening for predators, but stayed on …Continue reading…
While paddling on Lac le Jeune swarms of blue damselflies hovered over shallow areas. They landed on the kayak or on lily pads and logs. A number were flying while mating. Damselflies are smaller than dragonflies, have separate eyes, and bring their wings to their sides at rest. Dragonflies are larger, leave their wings out, and have two eyes with …Continue reading…
When the Thompson River rises, the floodland channels are rich in wildlife. After 5 visits to the Tranquille Wildlife Protection area, we spotted great blue herons on each trip. There are either 2 or 3 pairs in the area. They are easy to spot when they fly overhead. We also observed (and videotaped) herons in the shallows searching and finding …Continue reading…