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2007-07
I believe we have had enough duck information (the winged and Anaheim Mighty-Ducks variety), so I will write about other birds associated with water.
Kingfishers. These are solitary birds with large heads, heron like bills and small weak feet. They are fish eaters, watching from a perch above water or hovering and then plunging headlong into the water with deadly accuracy.
The Belted Kingfisher, our only local species, measures between 11 and 14 inches (larger than a robin). They are blue gray above, sporting a ragged bushy crest and a broad gray breast band. The female can be separated from the male by a second rusty breast band. Their flight is uneven, as if they are changing gears. The kingfisher is a year round resident in the Okanagan frequenting rivers, ponds and streams. A loud rattling sound identifies this bird as it flies. The nest is a long burrow excavated in a sandbank and the clutch of eggs on average is between 5 and 8 eggs.
Other interesting birds associated with water, is the Grebes family. They are graceful when swimming and almost appear to be sailing. Well adapted to water, they are expert divers; diving with a forward leap or sometimes slowly submerging themselves as they disappear under the water. However they are slow and labored fliers. Grebes are distinguished from ducks by a thin neck (drooping in flight), no evident tail and most have pointed bills. Both sexes are alike in markings. They walk with difficulty on land, and two species, the Western and Clark's grebes are incapable of walking. Grebes feed primarily on aquatic insects . They sleep with the bill pointed forward, nestled in the side of the neck. The young grebes can be seen riding on the backs of the parents.
Red necked Grebe
This bird is the most conspicuous in the breeding season, frequenting large marshy lakes and the Okanagan Lake where marshy conditions prevail. A few will stay during the winter, but the majority migrate to the coast in the fall. They are the second largest bird in the grebe family at 18" and weighing approx 2lb. As its name suggests the neck is a Rufus colour in the breeding season, while the body is gray. A slightly tufted black crown can be observed and a dull yellow bill. Nests are built on floating rafts of vegetation and in stands of bulrushes on the edge of lakes. Their call can be described as neighing, or wailing and is easily recognized in the spring, as they seem to be calling day and night.
The Western Grebe is the largest of this family at 25" and weighing approx 3 lb. It is almost regal when swimming, with its long black and white neck, a dagger like dark yellow bill and a dark body. These birds travel at night and appear in the morning in large flocks often more than 100 birds. In the breeding season there is a spectacular courtship with the birds entwining their necks, bowing back and forth and then dancing along the water in unison. Salmon Arm Bay is the perfect place to observe this 'Rights-of-Spring' celebration and a local festival called "The Grebe" Festival, is organized. Western Grebes are very shy and need quiet places to nest, in colonies. Salmon Arm Bay on the Shuswap Lake has been protected from motorized craft for this reason. An annual count of birds and the number of nests occupied by them, by a group of dedicated Salmon Arm volunteers. In migration, grebes use Wood Lake, and can be observed there. The young of this family are the only North American grebe without stripes on the head.
Clark's Grebe is structurally identical to the Western Grebe but on average, a little smaller overall. The bill is a brighter yellow in colour, and the body has more white and there is a white ring around a red eye.
Note As of June 16 the nighthawks are back hawking insects over my house. My first column, almost two years ago, was on nighthawks.
Pat Westheuser, Director
Central Okanagan Naturalist Club. |
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