WTD#5 Kootenay Canal etc.

Dawg and I have been wandering around the Kootenay River near South Slocan and the Kootenay Canal.  There are lots of birds, bees, butterflies and flowers out this time of year - beauty at every turn!  I've been a bit obsessed with getting a decent photo of some of the more exotic little birds I've spotted, notably an American Redstart and a Lazuli Bunting, but so far all I have are a couple of blurry images of each of them.  I'll keep trying - maybe I'll get lucky soon.

In the meantime I did manage to get close enough to these Blue-winged Teal that were swimming

and feeding in a little wetland by the Kootenay Canal.  There are also a few Red-winged

Blackbirds in the wetland, like this male perched on an alder bush.

I also noticed several Yellow Warblers - we used to call them "wild canaries" when I was a kid - in the area, flitting about and warbling from tree to tree, with me and my camera skulking about behind them.

This is a water strider and it's reflection in a little pond in the forest.  Lots of Skunk Cabbage

in the neighborhood too.  I love the lines and the spectrum of greens in this backlit leaf. 

In the nearby meadow, the Larkspur are in bloom,

as are the Starflowers.

There were a couple of these Butler's Alpine butterflies fluttering by, as well as these little blue

guys, which might be Alpine Blues, but I'm really not sure.

An Oregon Junco posed for the camera in a Lodgepole Pine sapling.

And the ubiquitous Red Squirrel is always up for a photo-op.  This one gave Dawg a thrill by letting itself get chased up tree.  Keep trying old buddy, maybe one day...

"I am Simba - mighty hunter of the savannah!"

WTD#4 - Slocan Pool, etc

There are some lovely trails and walks around the Kootenay River dams at South Slocan.  Cool and shady on a hot day and lots of spots where Dawg can cool off in the river!  Here are a few photos from some of our walks this spring.

Dawg is enjoying the shady Slocan Pool loop trail.

Hooker's Fairy Bells are blooming (early-mid May)

There are lots of Horsetails along the river.

This is a Red-naped Sapsucker.  It posed, pretty much immobile, on the trunk of the Douglas Fir tree for quite a while - very cooperative!

Worth another look.

Wild Ginger is also blooming this time of year.

Skunk Cabbage leaf

I think it's either a Winter Wren or a House Wren

Bearberry (Uva Ursi) in bloom

There were lots of red ants on the Pussytoes growing in the cleared area along the Kootenay Canal

This is a female Red-winged Blackbird in the wetlands below the Corra Linn dam.

This is what remains of a cluster of Saskatoon blossoms atfter the petals have fallen off.

Male Common Goldeneye in the Kootenay River near South Slocan

A white flutterby is about to alight upon a blossom, near the Kootenay River below Bonnington.


That's it for WTD#4. 

If you like original folk/singer-songwriter/country music, have a peek at my music website.

Cheers,

Walkin The Dawg

wtd#3 - Rover Creek

Dawg and I often go walking at the bottom end of Rover Creek, along the powerline, on the Ward's Ferry trail, or just wandering through the woods.  Here are a few photos from a couple of outings this spring.

Bracken Fern with an ant

Pink Sticky Current flowers

This is a cluster of Douglas Maple flowers

This is the Mourning Cloak butterfly, I learned today

False Solomon's Seal blossom

A solitary Solitary Vireo (actually this one did have a partner, not in photo)

The Trilliums were in bloom in a little grove beside the creek

Oh look, a little beetle

Oh look, another, bigger beetle!

"Hi there, want to get it on?"

"I'll take that as a 'Yes'"

OMG, Dawg - it's BUG SEX, DAWGGY STYLE!!!!

"Who said the trillium is gone? - ARF, ARF, ARF, ARF!!"

WTD#2 - Slocan Rail Trail - April/May 2010

We ski this section of the trail (Kosiancic Road north) a lot in the winter and walk it often, especially in the spring and fall.  It follows the river and doesn't really come close to any houses, so it's a good place to take the pooch for a walk.  These photos are from 3 or 4 different walks this spring

Early spring view looking north to Kosiancic farm.

Birch tree silhouetted against the morning sky.

Catkins - hazelnut (I think)

Early spring flutterby

and another

Song Sparrow

This is a Yellow-Rumped Warbler - there are lots of them out there but they are elusive to capture on film.

White-Crowned Sparrow

Canada Goose fly-by

This is the gueard llama for Kosiancic Farm

Another purdy flutterby

The aptly-named Northern Shoveler

Female Common Goldeneye, also aptly named

Wow - river canoeing with 2 dogs!  Dawg - are you jealous?

Huh?


PS: If you like folkie/singer-songwriter/country music, you might want to check out my original tunes on my website.