This was the scene out of the campers door that morning......yesterday's wind had disappeared, the lake was like glass. You can see one of the over friendly Mallard ducks sitting out there at the edge.
There were a number of these Red Head Ducks out on the lake. Red Head's aren't seen as frequently as a lot of duck species - at least in the places we frequent - so took advantage of a chance to get some photos.....
Looking towards the northern end of the lake, you can see a fairly large raft of American Coots. By the way, you can click on these pictures to enlarge them, then use your 'back' button to return to normal size
When I took the garbage to the containers, this Black-billed Magpie was perched just at the entrance to the campground. Even though these are big birds, they are difficult to get decent pictures of. I think this is one of the best I have.Once we'd packed up we drove the short distance up the highway to the parking lot for the boardwalk trail. There wasn't a lot of bird activity along it that morning. Quite a few Black Cap Chickadees, a few Yellow Rump Warblers......
but the most active were this pair of Song Sparrows. I thought this a kind of neat picture with the one in front and the blurred partner in the background.
The Mahonia Shrub was in full flower.....
as were the Arrow leafed Balsam Root. We'll be seeing this plant off and on for the next 6 weeks - I never tire of it, it's bright sunny flowers are a most welcome spring sight.
but the most active were this pair of Song Sparrows. I thought this a kind of neat picture with the one in front and the blurred partner in the background.
The Mahonia Shrub was in full flower.....
as were the Arrow leafed Balsam Root. We'll be seeing this plant off and on for the next 6 weeks - I never tire of it, it's bright sunny flowers are a most welcome spring sight.Next we turned back and headed up McIntyre Creek Road, the same one we had walked part way up the night before. We had just passed the spot where all the White Crowned Sparrows were when I shouted Stop! Stop!
There, right beside the road, was a Chukar! The first I'd ever seen. Chukar aren't a native species, but they are a naturalized species and quite common in the Okanagan - at least they are supposed to be quite common - but like I said - these (there turned out to be 3 of them) were the first I'd ever seen.....
They ended up crossing the road and wandering off into the bush where we lost sight of them.
Continued on a bit further where we could stop and look out over the lake.....there were these interesting little wildflowers growing there, I'm afraid I have no idea what they were.....
and lots more of this Creeping Phlox (yesterday I said it was a Dianthus and not a Phlox - wrong - it is a Phlox)
Here is a view of Vaseux Lake from the spot we were parked. This is looking south towards Oliver, B.C., I had just taken this shot when I turned around and there, on a fence post......
was a Western Bluebird!!! I have seen Western Bluebirds before but not for a number of years.
There were, in fact a pair of them, busy gathering nesting materials as this was right at the edge of ranch.....The male deserves another look. It is too bad the sun wasn't positioned quite right in the sky so his head is in shadow....
Then, as if the Western Bluebirds weren't enough, there was .......
a Lewis's Woodpecker! Now I've seen Lewis's Woodpecker up this road before, in fact the last few years they seem to be popping up all over. We even had one here in the neighbourhood for a few days last fall - but they aren't a common sighting as woodpeckers go.
There, right beside the road, was a Chukar! The first I'd ever seen. Chukar aren't a native species, but they are a naturalized species and quite common in the Okanagan - at least they are supposed to be quite common - but like I said - these (there turned out to be 3 of them) were the first I'd ever seen.....
They ended up crossing the road and wandering off into the bush where we lost sight of them.
Continued on a bit further where we could stop and look out over the lake.....there were these interesting little wildflowers growing there, I'm afraid I have no idea what they were.....
and lots more of this Creeping Phlox (yesterday I said it was a Dianthus and not a Phlox - wrong - it is a Phlox)
Here is a view of Vaseux Lake from the spot we were parked. This is looking south towards Oliver, B.C., I had just taken this shot when I turned around and there, on a fence post......
was a Western Bluebird!!! I have seen Western Bluebirds before but not for a number of years.
There were, in fact a pair of them, busy gathering nesting materials as this was right at the edge of ranch.....The male deserves another look. It is too bad the sun wasn't positioned quite right in the sky so his head is in shadow....Then, as if the Western Bluebirds weren't enough, there was .......
a Lewis's Woodpecker! Now I've seen Lewis's Woodpecker up this road before, in fact the last few years they seem to be popping up all over. We even had one here in the neighbourhood for a few days last fall - but they aren't a common sighting as woodpeckers go.After all that excitement, we drove the rest of the road which twists and climbs up through a ranch, only to dead end with a bunch of Private property signs at the end, so turned around and back to the highway. Down to the town of Oliver and then back northwards via White Lake Road.
The B.C. Naturetrust (whom we are supporters of) own a large piece of property up this road, so we stopped there for lunch and then took a walk....
There were lots of Western Bluebird here (this is the only place I had ever seen them before). There is a male.....you can see they like perching on fence posts....they nest in the nesting boxes that you can see in the photo prior to this one.
Here is a female, a 'softer' coloured version of the male....
The only other critter of note, that day, were these Yellow-bellied Marmots.
Here is a closer look at one of them. I think, if memory serves, that these were the only Marmots we saw on this particular trip - there fore deserving of mention.
So we leave the arid Okanagan - I threw this photo in because of the yellow flowers of the Western Wild Parsley - we'll be running into this flower, and some of it's cousin's over the next while.
The B.C. Naturetrust (whom we are supporters of) own a large piece of property up this road, so we stopped there for lunch and then took a walk....
There were lots of Western Bluebird here (this is the only place I had ever seen them before). There is a male.....you can see they like perching on fence posts....they nest in the nesting boxes that you can see in the photo prior to this one.
Here is a female, a 'softer' coloured version of the male....
The only other critter of note, that day, were these Yellow-bellied Marmots.
Here is a closer look at one of them. I think, if memory serves, that these were the only Marmots we saw on this particular trip - there fore deserving of mention.
So we leave the arid Okanagan - I threw this photo in because of the yellow flowers of the Western Wild Parsley - we'll be running into this flower, and some of it's cousin's over the next while.
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