This week I have some images of red-breasted merganser chicks I spotted while out kayaking earlier this year. I happened upon the group resting on a rock as I was heading back toward shore. Mum was alert as I paddled by squeezing off a few images as I floated past. A couple of weeks later, I spotted a group of …
Welcome! This week I wanted to introduce you to a pretty rare visitor around Yellowknife, the Ruddy duck. This species is one of the smaller uduck species, being a little larger than Buffleheads but smaller than Common Goldeneye. This probably doesn’t help if you don’t have a good understanding od the different sizes of ducks. Buffleheads and Green-Winged Teals are …
Common Loons are abundant across Canada and you’ve likely heard heard their lonesome call if you have been out near a lake near dawn or dusk. The Common Loon is the largest of the loons and their black and white pattern is familiar to nearly all Canadians. The lake where I do the majority of my paddling hosts at least …
This week I have some images of Horned Grebes and their grebettes which is what baby grebes are called. Yellowknifers are quite fortunate to have a number of small lakes within city limits where you can see over 100 different bird species. One of the lakes is a reclaimed sewage pond surrounded by a walking trail. This is one of …
This week I have some images of waterfowl that are common visitors around Yellowknife in the breeding season. I am still working on my duck identification skills however, these birds are some that I can readily identify in the field. It took some time to figure out how to differentiate the female Northern shovelers from the female mallards as their …
This week I wanted to share some photos I took of Tundra Swans. I didn’t really know too much about swans besides the story of the Ugly Duckling so it was a great opportunity to learn more. The images you see here were all taken in Yellowknife in the fall. I was surprised to see swans here in the …
I had so much fun learning about loons I thought I would research some of the other loon species we have in the NWT. We have four loon species that nest in the territory during the summer: the common loon, the red-throated loon, the pacific loon, and the yellow-billed loon. In Yellowknife, there are 3 of four species that nest …
This week I thought we’d have a look at loons, one of the most iconic birds of Canada. Anyone who has been near water in the summer has likely heard the haunting call of the common loon. In my experience, loons can be quite curious and bold birds. I have often had them swim closer to me to get a …
I made a post a couple of weeks ago about some of the more common ducks you might see around water. There are other birds that are often seen hanging out in marshes and ponds that are often heard before they are seen. Who hasn’t heard the lonely call of a common loon late in the evening while near a …
Spring is finally moving into summer and the birds are settled in nesting and some are even raising their first brood. Ducks and other waterfowl are usually the first birds to arrive in Yellowknife after the gulls. There are a lot of different duck species and it takes a bit of time to be able to identify them particularly when …