Pam Laing
These blog posts were written by Pam Laing, Okanagan birder. The spectacular photographs were taken by Laing as well. Laing is an Okanagan resident.
Which Bird might I see today? – SUMMER – A ‘summer’ sparrow
In our last post we looked at two North-American sparrows which turn up every spring to breed here, Savannah and Vesper Sparrows. This time let’s look at a sparrow you will only see here in summer, the Lark Sparrow. Lark... [Continue Reading]
Which Bird might I see today? – SPRING –Two migrating sparrows
When non-birders think of sparrows they think of the common House Sparrow, the bird that says, “Cheep, cheep” in our hedges and is abundant in built-up areas. But House Sparrows are not true sparrows, were introduced here from Europe and... [Continue Reading]
Which Bird might I see today? – WINTER –
Steller’s Jay
Our valley is home to two jays, members of the corvid family, (which includes crows,ravens, magpies and so on). These are the Canada Jay, formerly called the Gray Jay, and theSteller’s Jay. I wrote an article about Canada Jays in... [Continue Reading]
Which Bird might I see today? – FALL –
Don’t call them Seagulls! When we live in a valley with a number of lakes, large and small, as well as ponds, riversand creeks, (not to mention large landfill sites), we are bound to see gulls. Non-birdersoften refer to them... [Continue Reading]
Which Bird might I see today? – SUMMER – Two More Grebes
In our spring posting we took a close look at the three species of Grebe that spend their entire year here, changing plumage into breeding ‘duds’ each spring. Today we’ll focus on the two species that migrate here to breed... [Continue Reading]
Which Bird might I see today? – FALL –
Peregrine falcons are probably the best-known of all falcons and we do see them occasionally in our valley. But we are much more likely to see one of the smaller falcons, Merlins and American Kestrels, especially in fall and winter.... [Continue Reading]
Which Bird might I see today? – SUMMER –
Orioles are a large group of birds found across the world, but the only oriole known to breed here in summer is the Bullock’s Oriole. In the east, Baltimore Orioles are the summer visitor.... [Continue Reading]
Which Bird might I see today? – SPRING –
Red-winged Blackbird, Yellow-headed Blackbird, and Brewer’s Blackbird One and perhaps two of today’s birds are probably familiar to you, the other might not be. They are all blackbirds, members of the Icterid family, a group comprising (in our valley) these... [Continue Reading]
Which Bird might I see today? – WINTER – American Dipper
You might suppose that wintertime is not a good time for a bird that spends its life near running water, but in fact this species is able to survive in icy cold water, and manages to feed even under riverside... [Continue Reading]