Second Week in Nakusp

Song Sparrow

 So it's Tuesday 10 January. I'm sitting in my living room. The fire is burning. Outside it's not snowing however the temperature is dropping quickly and by 5 am it's supoosed to get down to minus 10. Ouch. Today was a wonderfully mild day - betweeb 0 and 3 degrees. People can't stop describing how mild and beautiful and 'spring like' it is. One lady even went so far as to describe the weather as balmy!?

 At any rate despite being here only for a brief time I would agee - the weather has generally been pleasant and NOT intolerably cold. Sad the sun has only been really shining when i'm trapped in class. Typical.

 And the birding continues to be interesting. The highlights;

This morning I scored the Blue Jay, an uncommon bird in these parts. There is one around town and it showed up almost in the front yard this morning. I've put feeders in my front yard and already Chickadees, a Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flickers and Collared Doves have found the food as well as a flock of Evening Grosbeaks. Also in my yard there are Song Sparrows and a solitary White-throated Sparrow.Today i bought some more bird food and will put some out tomorrow and try to photo the feast.

One of my students, her dad and the said dead cougar.

Best birds for Sunday was a great view of a Northern Goshawk plus a neat little Redpoll, deep within a feeding flock of Pine Siskins at Gary's place. Also on Sunday i scored a lifer of a Ruffed Grouse that flew across the road in front of my car. Pale terminal band, wider sub terminal dark on the tail plus blue-grey plumage sealed the ID. 

This weekend I'm off to the Okanagan Valley for some birding. Hopefully photos will feature!

Speaking of photos one of my year 12 girls proudly showed me a photo today of her and her dad and a large dead cougar which they had recently killed.....I wish i'd seen it alive. Btw - our school logo is the cougar so on eof our school mottos is, ironically enough, "Go Cougars!"....