Alan Burger's Site

A view of Mamit Lake. Most of the lake shoreline is natural with no houses or fields bordering the lake.

About 8 pairs of Killdeer breed on or near the shores of Mamit Lake. Killdeer feed mainly on the drier parts of the mudflats, taking flies and other insects.

Once the chicks have fledged, Killdeer often hang out in flocks of 10 or more along the shoreline.

Spotted Sandpipers are the most conspicuous of the shorebirds on the lake. They are resident here all summer and 10 or more pairs establish breeding territories along the shoreline. This adult bird is agitated because it has small chicks hidden nearby.

Wilson’s Snipe foraging on the water’s edge. There are probably a dozen or two pairs of snipe nesting around Mamit Lake, but they tend to remain in the thick vegetation and are not often out in the open like this.

Wilson’s Phalaropes do not breed on Mamit Lake (as far as I have seen), but they must breed on ponds nearby because juvenile birds like these regularly show up in mid- to late-summer. Phalaropes are unusual among shorebirds in that they mainly forage by swimming and picking tiny prey items off the water.

Closer view of a juvenile Wilson’s Phalarope. Notice how immaculate and unworn its feathers are.

This juvenile Wilson’s Phalarope still carries some of its natal down – suggesting that it must have come from a nearby nesting site.

One of several broods of Barrow’s Goldeneyes that were on the lake in mid-summer. The little ducklings dive underwater to feed themselves from the time they leave the nest. Female Barrow’s Goldeneyes are renowned for attacking other conspecific females and the winner often ends up with a duplicate brood of ducklings. So these 14 ducklings are likely not all her own offspring.

A female Blue-winged Teal with her brood of ducklings. This is one of the less common duck species breeding here – I encountered only two females with ducklings

The huge beak easily identifies a female Northern Shoveler, with her ducklings. Another uncommon duck on this lake – probably only 2-3 pairs breed here.

Mallards are by far the most common breeding duck on the lake – this horde is mostly comprised of half-grown ducklings, all staying together with a few adults in between.

An adult Bald Eagle with a large fish – probably a sucker, one of the more common large fish in the lake. One pair of eagles has a nest visible from the lake and another pair probably nests nearby.

This immature Bald Eagle was one of 5 or 6 regularly seen at the lake through the summer.

An Osprey calling – there is likely another conspecific in sight. One or possibly two pairs of Osprey nest nearby and use the lake as their fishing ground.

Belted Kingfishers nest in the sandy banks at a couple of locations on the lake shore. This hovering bird is a female – with chestnut breast markings.

Most often the Belted Kingfishers forage by sitting on perches overlooking the water and plunging down into the water when a fish is spotted.

I usually see 4-6 Great Blue Herons foraging for fish along the shoreline of Mamit Lake.

White Pelicans do not breed on Mamit Lake but this is a favourite spot for immature birds to spend much of the summer. At one stage there were 45 pelicans at the lake – feeding and resting.

I see several Mule Deer every time I paddle around the lake in summer and fall.

I regularly see Coyotes sniffing along the shoreline, but they are very wary and usually disappear into the thickets when they see me in my kayak.

Long-billed Dowitchers are regular visitors to Mamit Lake on their southward migration. These birds are a long way from their arctic tundra breeding grounds, but on 27th July they still have most of their cinnamon breeding plumage.

Here are two of the regular small “peep” sandpipers that visit the lake in late summer – Semi-palmated Sandpiper on the left and Least Sandpiper on the right. Their leg colour, beak shape and plumage are identification features.

The elegant Greater Yellowlegs are regular visitors and always a delight to watch.

Solitary Sandpipers are normally an uncommon species in our area, but in 2023 they were seen in many nearby wetlands and there were 2 or 3 on Mamit Lake for much of the late summer.

This Solitary Sandpiper provided some goofy entertainment – first getting something dislodged from its throat and then running across the mudflats.

Another contrast of migrant peeps – Semipalmated Sandpiper left and Least Sandpiper right.

Juvenile Hooded Mergansers – likely born and raised here at Mamit Lake. Look closely and you can see the serrated ridges on the inner beaks of these birds – these tooth-like ridges allow mergansers to catch slippery fish and aquatic invertebrates like dragonfly larvae.

Taking photos of land birds from a kayak on the lake is not easy. Here are a couple: an Orange-crowned Warbler in the shoreline bushes (left) and a Song Sparrow having a bath (right).

By August there are usually several dowitchers stopping off at the lake – mostly Long-billed Dowitchers, but see the next photo …..

This photo shows two species of dowitchers. There are two Short-billed Dowitchers – the bird at the front left and the bird furthest right at the back. This species is unusual in the BC Interior but more common along the coast. The remainder are all Long-billed Dowitchers – the species most likely to be found in the BC interior. Notice that the Short-billed Dowitchers have orange-and-black tiger striping on their dorsal feathers – one of the diagnostic features of this species.

Another long-billed shorebird, but the plumage is very different from that of the dowitchers. A resident Wilson’s Snipe foraging in the shallows.

Lesser Yellowlegs usually show up on Mamit Lake in August and there might sometimes be a dozen or more on the lake.

Compare the yellowleg species – Greater Yellowlegs on the left and Lesser Yellowlegs right. When they are side-by-side like this recognition is easy, but when alone one has to look at bill-length and subtle plumage features to identify them.

Another graceful Greater Yellowlegs. If the bill is longer than the head length that indicates Greater.

An equally elegant Lesser Yellowlegs. If the bill is about head length then it indicates Lesser.

Least Sandpipers can be found for most of August and September at Mamit Lake. Their tiny size and greenish-yellow legs are diagnostic.

This was a very exciting shorebird to find on Mamit Lake – a Stilt Sandpiper. The long yellow legs and long slightly downturned bill are identification features. Several of this mid-sized shorebird were reported in the Kamloops and Logan Lake area around mid-August in 2023.

Here are two different Merlins at Mamit Lake – an adult on 2nd September and an immature bird on 27th August 2023.

White Pelicans were on the lake for most of the summer with a high count of 45 birds on 6 August 2023. Notice all the feathers on the mudflat – these birds are moulting.

Scenic shot – Mamit Lake on 17th September. Notice the little group of White Pelicans on a tiny island near the far shore.

A post-breeding flock of swallows containing mostly Bank Swallows and a couple of Barn Swallows.

Savannah Sparrows breed in the vegetation bordering the lake but often venture out on the mudflats to feed on seeds and insects.

In late September migrating flocks of American Pipits forage on the open mudflats. I counted 129 on 17 September, the day these photos were taken.

Action from a Bald Eagle – this adult eagle was swooping down to attack a duck on the water – unsuccessfully.

Red-necked Grebes sometimes breed on Mamit Lake. There was a pair here in 2023 but I didn’t see any chicks.

Canada Geese are resident at the lake from early spring until the lake freezes and they raise many goslings here. Some of these birds are likely locally-bred juveniles.

In a kayak it is sometimes possible to quietly drift up to birds and get quite close. This Green-winged Teal appeared to be asleep, but look closely and you can see it was actually watching me. Then it aroused with a big yawn!

Autumn colours at Mamit Lake on a misty morning – 8 October 2023.

Western Grebes on a cold misty morning – 8 October 2023. This species breeds on Shuswap Lake more than 100 km from here and these birds are probably from there, making their way to the coast to overwinter.

A Western Grebe in the colourful reflection of fall trees.

Horned Grebes are another species that doesn’t breed on Mamit Lake but several of them stop off on the lake in early fall as they migrate to the coast.

Common Mergansers – another species that I see on Mamit Lake only on their fall migration. But there can be several dozen of these fish-eating ducks on the lake in October.

The last of the pelicans – these two were still on the lake in early October, but gone by mid-October.

Five of the 10 Trumpeter Swans on Mamit Lake – 22 October 2023. These were the first swans to arrive in our area on their southward fall migration. Some of them remain in local lakes until these freeze over in mid-winter.

Late migrants – these three Long-billed Dowitchers were the only shorebirds on the lake on 22 October.

More fall colours at Mamit Lake – 8 October 2023.

The Trophy Mountain trail at the start of the alpine meadows, Wells Gray Provincial Park.

Alpine Meadows on the Trophy Mountain trail.

Andrea and Kona at the remains of a hut used by a trapper/shepherd in the 1950s. Not exactly luxury accommodation.

The Trophy Mountain trail

Spot the bear. This Black Bear was grazing on marsh plants at a small lake just below Sheila Lake. Fortunately a safe distance away from our trail.

Sheila Lake is a popular and well-organized campsite in the alpine area. Part of Trophy Mountain on the right.

An American Pipit at Sheila Lake

Sheila Lake, Wells Gray Provincial Park. The tent platforms are a recent addition to protect fragile alpine habitat.

Beyond Sheila Lake the trail heads up into more sparse alpine habitat. Trophy Mountain is in the background.

Alan and Kona at a high lookout with Trophy Mountain behind. The peak is 2,350 m above sea level.

We found this Spruce Grouse in the forest along the Trophy Mountain trail.

We encountered several Snowshoe Hares in Wells Gray Park – all in their brown summer outfits, but retaining white belly and paws. Look at the size of the paws – it is easy to see how the bunny gets its name!

Osprey Falls just below Clearwater Lake, Wells Gray Park.

Panorama shot of Osprey Falls on the Clearwater River.

Helmcken Falls is the fourth highest waterfall in Canada. The Murtle River drops an impressive 145 m straight down and has chewed a major canyon for several kilometres through the basalt.

To fully appreciate Helmcken Falls we visited it twice – in the early morning on 8th September (left) and in the late afternoon on 10 September (right).

Spahats Falls – almost as impressive as Helmcken Falls, dropping 70 m into a narrow basalt canyon.

Basalt cliffs at Spahats Falls. These lava layers are 10-20 m tall.

A large Chinook Salmon vainly attempting to leap up Bailey’s Chute on the Clearwater River. During our visit dozens of these big fish kept leaping up the cascade, only to be swept back by the relentless current. These fish were born in the Clearwater River nearby and are returning to spawn, having swum over 600 km upstream from the Pacific Ocean to reach this point.

More placid waters on the Clearwater River at Horseshoe Bend – the shallows here are a major spawning area for the salmon.

Alice Lake – one of many lakes in the forested areas of Wells Gray Park.

A tiny Western Toad toadlet in Alice Lake. Only 2 cm long it had recently metamorphosed from a tadpole in the lake.

An interesting mineral springs near the Ray Farm in Wells Gray Park. We expected the water bubbling from this spring to be hot but it was icy cold.

Angel’s Wings mushrooms (Pleurocybella porrigens) in the moist forest, Wells Gray Park.

Ruffed Grouse were common along the roads and in the campsite at Wells Gray park.

Red Squirrels are abundant in Wells Gray Park.

View from the top of Pyramid Mountain looking northeast.

Looking east from Pyramid Mountain with the Murtle Lake valley in the far distance.

Moose are common winter visitors to the park and especially on the higher slopes like Pyramid Mountain. But all we saw were their winter nuggets.

Our group camping at Quinisco Lake. We stayed here for 2 nights while exploring the well-used trails in the core area of Cathedral Lakes Provincial Park.

Lake of the Woods – one of seven scenic lakes in the core area of Cathedral Lakes Provincial Park. The rocky mountain in the left distance is Boxcar which we traversed on our hike.

A Cascade Golden-mantled Ground-squirrel. Double the size of a chipmunk, they have the same habit of boldly trying to steal one’s food at the core area campsites.

White Bog Orchids (Platanthera dilatata) in a wet spot next to Quinisco Lake.

We encountered two of these handsome male Spruce Grouse on the trail between Quinisco and Lake of the Woods.

A Clark’s Nutcracker. We watched as this bird took small items of food and cached them in the moss & lichens next to where it was sitting – and then plugged the hidden cache with more lichen.

A Yellow-pine Chipmunk – a very common resident of Cathedral Park, especially where it can scavenge scraps from campers. This one is having a more honest meal of a flower head.

Early morning at Quinisco Lake looking up at the slope where the Diamond Trail crosses.

View from the high point on the Diamond Trail loop, looking down on Scout Lake. Notice the smoke in the valleys from two nearby wildfires – fortunately far enough away not to cause us alarm. But 4 days after our trip this small fire erupted into a massive fire causing the park to be closed and evacuation of the Lodge and all campers in the park.

A Dwarf or Alpine Lupine (Lupinus lepidus) on the gravelly alpine of the Diamond Trail.

Chris on the Diamond Trail.

Pikas were very active in the boulder fields in many places. These little critters look like guinea-pigs but they are actually related to hares and rabbits (Order Lagomorpha).

A Hoary Marmot. Even though it was not even mid-August some of these big rodents were already hibernating and we saw relatively few that were still out and about, putting on fat to see them through the winter.

Hoary Marmot.

A Broadleaf Lupine (Lupinus latifolius) on the Diamond Trail.

Fireweeds (Chamaenerion angustifolium) were in full splendour at the time of our visit.

A couple of white-flowered species: Fringed Grass of Parnassus (Parnassia fimbriata) on the left and Sitka Valerian (Valeriana sitchensis) on the right.

We encountered numerous mushrooms – these are probably Lycoperdon perlatum puffballs.

A bolete mushroom – likely Suillus ochraceoroseus. And no – we didn’t try eating any.

Scout Lake on the Diamond Trail – a lovely spot for lunch and a comfy seat in the grassy lake edge.

We were surprised to see this Hooded Merganser on Scout Lake – the dark eye indicates that it is a juvenile.

A Pika in the meadow bordering its rocky hideout, gathering grass for its winter haystack.

Pikas spend much of the summer gathering grass and herbs and laying them out on the rocks to dry – providing food for the long winters. Unlike marmots, ground-squirrels and chipmunks, Pikas do not hibernate and remain active through the winter in their bouldery habitat underneath the snow.

The valley-bottom trail heading to Goat Lake.

Jake and James on the trail approaching Goat Lake with the jagged peak of Matriarch Mountain behind.

Alan next to Goat Lake with Matriarch and Macabre peaks behind.

These young River Otters, probably siblings, were an unexpected sight at Goat Lake. There were plentiful small trout in the lake to keep them going – at least until the lake freezes over in winter.

River Otters at Goat Lake

A view of Goat Lake with the pair of otters on the foreground rock. If you look carefully you can see James fishing from the far shore.

At first the trail goes up slopes covered with open larch forest.

Duncan and Jake approaching the treeline above the larch trees.

Above the larch forest we encountered a large herd of Mountain Goats – females and their offspring.

Chris heading up the final open scree to the saddle. The dark mountain immediately beyond Chris has the Stone City, Smokey-the-Bear and Cleft formations popular with many hikers in Cathedral Park.

Duncan and Chris on the Boxcar plateau. The rounded peak with a summit pimple in the distance is Haystack Mountain – our destination for this day.

View from the Boxcar looking back west at the core area of Cathedral Lakes Park, with (L to R): Pyramid Peak with Ladyslipper Lake below it, Quinisco Peak, Red Mountain, and Scout Mountain with the lodge and Lake of the Woods in the far right valley.

The Boxcar plateau. On the rocky outcrop to the east you can see some hikers – the only 3 people we met in three days of hiking.

Some of the weather-sculpted sandstone rocks at Boxcar.

Boxcar sandstone formations in the foreground, Mount Ewart in the centre middle distance and the mountainous wilderness of Washington State beyond.

Looking down from Boxcar at Goat Lake – getting from there to here was a hard two-hour uphill hike.

What appeared to be a grey rock turned out to be a female White-tailed Ptarmigan. We were on the lookout for these high-alpine grouse so it was great to find some.

The female ptarmigan was joined by her five almost full-grown chicks.

Our route from Boxcar to Haystack Mountain – a long drop down, up-and-down along the lower ridge, a steep climb up to the big (un-named) mountain ridge, and then behind that ridge to the northwest side of Haystack Mountain and eventually around that mountain to Haystack Lakes.

Another herd of Mountain Goats – again females with young ones.

Looking back from the big mountain ridge at our route from Boxcar.

Jake and James relax after the steep climb up to the major ridge.

Wonderful sandstone rock formations once again. Our route took us up and through the gap on the left.

Looking back to the southeast from the cleft in the sandstone.

Contouring around the east side of the big mountain ridge, heading for Haystack Mountain. The geology here is interesting – this big ridge is yellow-grey sandstone and there is a sudden transition to the black basalt that makes up Haystack Mountain.

This little plant, Umbellate Pussypaws (Calyptridium umbellatum) thrives in the most inhospitable-looking habitat – loose sandstone gravel in the high alpine areas.

Finally a glimpse of the Haystack Lakes from the slopes of Haystack Mountain. Three of the four lakes are visible. Our camp was in the trees bordering the lake at the left edge of the photo.

Our campsite on the shores of the largest of the lakes with Haystack Mountain beyond.

Early morning light on Haystack Mountain.

One of the new trail markers put up by the recent BC Parks trail team.

A Spruce Grouse in the forest near Haystack Lakes.

We were extremely grateful for the chainsaw work by the BC Parks trail team.

Hunting for the trail markers in the forest blowdown. This was extremely slow and heavy going, having to climb over and under hundreds of fallen trees.

A very welcome place – the camp on the banks of Ewart Creek.

Duncan and Chris on the Ewart Creek trail.

The bridge over Ewart Creek at the Juniper Creek confluence. This bridge was once a marvel of bush engineering but after 50+ years it is in sad disrepair and rather dodgy to cross.

Duncan at the pool below the Juniper/Ewart Creeks bridge.

Here in the lower-elevation forest the common grouse was Dusky Grouse (formerly known as Blue Grouse). We found two families on the way down Ewart Creek. This is an almost full-grown juvenile.

From the Ewart Creek trailhead we hiked 1.8 km down the road to find a place where we could cross the Ashnola River.

The final obstacle on our trip – wading across the Ashnola River.

Sore-footed but happy! Our group just before heading home: Duncan, his sons Jake and James, Chris and Alan.

Chris near the start of our hike, in the lovely old-growth forest. The trail follows an abandoned road for several easy km. Zupjok Peak is visible on the horizon – a step on our route.

On the Zupjok ridge looking toward the Anderson range to the northwest. Chris is still wearing his gloves after getting chilled during the thunderstorm.

View along the Zukjok ridge with the shark-fin Vicuna Peak and rounded Guanaco Peak in the distance. We climbed down to the sloping meadow below to find a camp site.

Our campsite next to a beautiful little pond between immense granite slabs and the terminal moraine created by ice sliding down the slabs. We camped next to the square boulder at the end of the pond.

Vicuna and Guanaco peaks seen from our campsite pond.

Our campsite near Zupjok Peak. Finding a level spot for my little tent and Chris’s bivvy bag was a challenge but we both ended up with comfy sleeping spots.

A late evening view of the granite slabs above our campsite.

Our campsite below the granite slabs.

Another view of our campsite giving a better impression of the size of the granite slabs.

This Long-toed Salamander, about 12 cm long, was an unexpected resident of the campsite pond, along with many water beetles and caddis fly larvae.

A male White-tailed Ptarmigan – the source of our mysterious evening calls. These alpine grouse are always a treat to find and one always has to do a lot of legwork to get into their usual alpine habitat. Notice the feathery legs – a feature of ptarmigan.

The female White-tailed Ptarmigan – much better camouflaged than the male in this summer plumage. In winter they moult into pure white plumage but they retain their white wing feathers year-round.

The female White-tailed Ptarmigan on alert, with her five chicks running about nearby.

The female White-tailed Ptarmigan with four of her five tiny chicks running about on the granite slab – one chick is part-way under the rock.

Female White-tailed Ptarmigan and chicks.

The male flew over to join the family but remained on the moraine, keeping watch.

A view back at our campsite at the foot of the open granite slabs.

A panoramic view of the Zupjok-Alpaca ridge, looking south to southwest. The nearby rounded peak on the left is Zupjok Peak. Beyond that is the high Needle Peak and slightly to the right Flatiron Mountain – both of these have been hiking destinations for us in the past.

Alan on the ridge trail. Behind me is the route from Zupjok Peak along the undulating ridge. Looking along the horizon – to the far left is Zopkios Peak, then the distant Illal Creek ridge with the pyramid-shaped Jim Kelly Peak, jagged Coquihalla Mountain and then beyond Zupjok Peak is Needle Peak.

The impressive Anderson Range of peaks to the west of our route. In any other country this mini-Yosemite would be a national park, in B.C., sadly, it is just another logging site.

Much of the route along the Zupjok-Alpaca ridge is across granite outcrops – good and solid underfoot.

As we approach Alpaca Peak the view of Vicuna and Guanaco peaks to the east becomes more impressive.

Another view of the Anderson Range to the west of our route.

How did these huge boulders end up on the tops of granite ridges? We speculated that they were carried by the ice when the glaciers covered these mountains, dropped down through the ice and then were too massive to be moved as the glaciers dwindled.

Another high-elevation specialty. These Grey-crowned Rosy-finches regularly forage for insects and seeds on the melting snow patches.

Finally – at the summit of Alpaca Peak with its lovely pond. There are actually two summits of equal elevation (2074 m according to my GPS). I’m standing on the west summit and the east summit is behind the pond, with Vicuna and Guanaco peaks beyond.

Looking east from Alpaca Peak – Vicuna and Guanaco peaks.

A wide-angle view towards Vicuna and Guanaco peaks.

Looking north-northwest from Alpaca Peak with Bighorn Peak in the middle-distance.

Chris looking north from Alpaca peak. In the far horizon one can see Stoyoma Mountain – the northernmost peak in the Cascade Range – another mountain that Chris and I have climbed.

Looking back south from Alpaca Peak at the route we took from Zupjok Peak and passing nearby llama Peak. Needle Peak and Flatiron Mountain in the middle distance.

A panoramic view from near Alpaca summit with the Anderson Range on the left and Bighorn Peak on the right.

Near the summit of Alpaca Peak we found this burnt patch of stunted alpine trees – evidently a lightning strike last year.

Another of these enigmatic ridge-top erratics – huge boulders dropped by glaciers in the most unexpected places.

Heading back from Alpaca Peak – a long hike along the undulating ridge to Zupjok Peak and then the steep descent back into the forest and eventually our car-park.

GPS track of our route – 7 & 8 July 2023.

A wider view of our route showing the local peaks.

A Great Grey Owl at dusk next to Mamit Lake Road, 6 January 2022. Photos: © Alan Burger

A Barred Owl in the misty dusk on Goose Lake Road, 13 January 20022. Photo: © Alan Burger

Pacific Wren in the Duncan area. © Alan Burger

Bewick’s Wren in the Duncan area. © Alan Burger

Male and female Harlequin Duck on the Victoria waterfront. © Alan Burger

Surfbirds are regular winter visitors to the BC coast – Clover Point, Victoria, 28 January 2022. © Alan Burger

Dunlin roosting at high tide – Boundary Bay, 29 January 2022. © Alan Burger

Stirred up by a Peregrine Falcon, the aerobatic maneuvering of a huge flock of Dunlin is an amazing sight. © Alan Burger

American Wigeon with a few male Eurasian Wigeon among them, Boundary Bay, 29 January 2022. © Alan Burger

A dozen or more Common Redpolls were unexpected visitors to our backyard feeder for several days in February 2022. This is an Arctic-breeding species that visits our areas in some winters – always a good bird to see. © Alan Burger

Trumpeter Swans on Nicola Lake, 11 February 2022. © Alan Burger

Mama Moose and her large calf were a highlight of the Snow Bunting Shiver outing on 27 February 2022. © Alan Burger

A pair of Green-winged Teal at Colony Farm near Vancouver, 7 March 2022. © Alan Burger

This Coyote emerged from the bushes to check out the waterfowl at Colony Farm, 7 March 2022. © Alan Burger

Crows are so much a part of everyday life that one seldom stops to take a photo or have a close look. Colony Farm, 9 March 2022. © Alan Burger

A male Wood Duck flanked by two females at Fishtrap Creek Park near Abbotsford, 9 March 2022. © Alan Burger

Humpback Whales bubble-net feeding in southeast Alaska. Look closely and you can see a herring desperately leaping to escape. Photo: © Alan Burger

California Quail are an introduced species in BC. They thrive in the Okanagan but are not found in the Nicola Valley. This male was on full alert as his mate foraged in the long grass nearby. Photo: © Alan Burger

Another species we don’t see around the Nicola Valley is the Painted Turtle – Vaseux Lake, Okanagan, 2 May 2022. © Alan Burger

Male Yellow-headed Blackbird foraging along the shore, Robert Lake, Kelowna – 29 April 2022. © Alan Burger

Male and female Red-winged Blackbirds. © Alan Burger

Two unusual geese species together: 2 Snow Geese and 1 Greater White-fronted Goose at Tunkwa Lake, 4 May 2022. © Alan Burger

This young Black Bear was quite curious of our stopped vehicle – on Pennask Lake Road, 14 June 2022. © Alan Burger

Arrow-leafed Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata) is a common spring flower across most of southern BC. © Alan Burger

European Skipper (Thymelicus lineolata). Dozens of these little butterflies were in the long grass near our house in Logan Lake, 27 July 2022. © Alan Burger

This tiny grasshopper is still a nymph (no wings yet) and therefore hard to identify. It is one of 40 species of Spur-throated Grasshoppers (genus Melanoplus) found in Canada. © Alan Burger

Chokecherries (Prunus virginiana) are favourites with Robins and other birds. Humans find them tasty too, but the pip is rather large for a small cherry. © Alan Burger

In late summer large flocks of Common Nighthawk (30-50 birds) visit Logan Lake just before sunset.

Rufous and Calliope are the common hummingbirds around Logan Lake in summer, so it was a surprise to have this Anna’s Hummingbird around the neighbourhood feeders in late August 2022. © Alan Burger

The local bachelor herd of Mule Deer just above our house. These deer spend a lot of time in the town and are used to people. I took this photo with my phone.

River Otters on Mamit Lake, 26 August 2022. © Alan Burger

A Sea Otter in Queen Charlotte Strait at the north end of Vancouver Island. © Alan Burger

Fall colours in Jasper National Park, 10 October 2022. © Alan Burger

A Yellow Pine Chipmunk in Jasper National Park. © Alan Burger

We encountered this Black Bear family along the main Jasper-Banff highway. A flock of cars soon joined us, with the usual idiots getting out of their cars and walking down the road near the bears. We and the bears left the area in disgust.

We thought that was the end of our bear encounter, but 15 minutes later they re-appeared, right where we had gone up a side road to have a pee break. This prompted our very rapid retreat to the truck.

Winter comes early in the Rockies. We hiked up to Wilcox Pass in drifting snow and a chilly wind – 11 October 2022 © Alan Burger

This was one of five male Bighorn Sheep I found in the Wilcox Pass hills. Based on their behaviour and what I heard from other hikers there was a herd of females in the nearby valley and these were likely the subordinate males keeping a close watch but kept away by the dominant ram. © Alan Burger

Another three Bighorn rams keeping their distance, Wilcox Pass, 11 October 2022. © Alan Burger

Panorama view from Wilcox Pass of the mountains near the Columbia Icefields. © Alan Burger

Lake Louise at sunrise, 13 October 2022. © Alan Burger

Majestic Castle Mountain in the Rockies, Banff National Park. © Alan Burger

Milbert’s Tortoiseshell – one of several butterfly species that were still on the wing in the Rockies in October. © Alan Burger

A brand new beaver dam blocking a branch of the upper Columbia River near Spillumacheen, BC. © Alan Burger

One of the large flocks of Bohemian Waxwings in Logan Lake, 12 November 2022. © Alan Burger

Mountain Ash berries are one of the favourite foods of the Bohemian Waxwings. For weeks there were orange bird droppings all over town. © Alan Burger

Part of the big Bohemian Waxwing flock – here resting on a spruce tree in between feeds of Mountain Ash berries. © Alan Burger

The interior of BC had an early snowy start to winter. A misty cold day on the Douglas Lake plateau, 19 November 2022. © Alan Burger

Douglas-fir cones in the fall snow. © Alan Burger

Well, not exactly wildlife, but I loved this scene of cows in the mist on the Douglas Lake Ranch, 19 November 2022. © Alan Burger

This Tropical Kingbird was reported for several weeks at Martindale Flats near Victoria. As its name suggests, this bird’s normal range is Mexico and south, but individuals regularly wander further north as far as British Columbia. © Alan Burger

Another seldom-seen species – Long-eared Owl. This bird was at an undisclosed location near Victoria. Responsible birders usually keep owl locations secret because irresponsible photographers often harass them to try for better photos. This photo was taken with a long lens at a safe distance. © Alan Burger

Black Oystercatchers roosting at high tide, Cattle Point, Victoria. Note that they all have their eyes open, even though they appear to be snoozing. © Alan Burger

A Black Turnstone at Esquimalt Lagoon, 25 November 2022. © Alan Burger

A pair of Northern Pintails at Esquimalt Lagoon, 25 November 2022. © Alan Burger

Coyote in the snow – Quilchena on the Merritt Christmas Bird Count, 17 December 2022. © Alan Burger

A Sharp-tailed Grouse in the Quilchena area, 17 December 2022. © Alan Burger

This White-throated Sparrow was a regular visitor to our backyard feeder for the last half of December and was the feature species on the Logan Lake Christmas Bird Count. © Alan Burger

A Great Horned Owl roosting in a willow tree near Nicola Lake – Merritt Christmas Bird Count, 17 December 2022. © Alan Burger

A Northern Pygmy Owl at Paska Lake on the Logan Lake Christmas Bird Count, 21 December 2022. © Alan Burger

A typical scene in the early morning at Mamit Lake – a few herons & shorebirds and hundreds of ducks.

There are about 6 pairs of Killdeer that breed around the lake – mainly foraging on the open mudflats. The photo shows an adult (behind) and a fledged juvenile (in front). Compare the fresh but dull feathers on the juvenile with the brighter worn feathers of the adult.

Wilson’s Snipe breed in the marshes bordering the lake. They are quite secretive birds but one occasionally sees them along the lake edge – usually in places where there is some emergent vegetation as in this photo.

There are usually one or two pairs of Common Loons on the lake in summer. In 2022 they didn’t seem to raise any chicks.

Great Blue Herons nest somewhere near the lake. In late summer there are often 2-3 newly-fledged juveniles around the lake. This bird with a dark crown is a juvenile.

This Merlin was around the lake on a couple of my visits. The bushes around the lake usually had numerous sparrows and warblers, which would be potential prey for this little falcon.

More than 50 Canada Geese hang around the lake, often with a gaggle of goslings in tow. These ones are fully grown in mid-August.

A pair of Red-necked Grebes successfully raised a chick on Mamit Lake in 2022. Here the young chick is following one of its parents – 31 July 2022.

Several pairs of Barrow’s Goldeneyes breed on the lake. By late summer one sees only females and ducklings or newly-fledged juveniles

This group of Green-winged Teals is mostly almost-full-grown ducklings – perhaps from two broods that have joined up.

A female Ring-necked Duck leads her brood of ducklings – 7 August 2022

I regularly see Mule Deer when paddling around the lake. They are often quite curious to see the unusual sight of a kayak – like this doe.

The large numbers of ducks breeding in the shoreline vegetation and waterfowl loitering on the mudflats attract Coyotes. Like the deer, this Coyote was very curious at the unusual sight of a kayak and emerged from the thicket to get a better view.

I encountered this family of River Otters on several visits in 2022 – a female on the left with two full-grown pups. They were always fun to watch – a mix of apprehension and fascination with my kayak.

“I’m going to hide behind my Mom while I watch this scary thing!”

An adult Ring-billed Gull – one of the visiting species that breed relatively close to Mamit Lake. There is a breeding colony of this gull on Shuswap Lake at Salmon Arm.

Solitary Sandpipers also breed in small numbers in southern British Columbia. This is a relatively rare bird to see anywhere in B.C. so I was delighted to have three on 31 July 2022 and two a week later.

The elegant Lesser Yellowlegs – a fairly common visitor to the lake and one of my favourite birds to see and photograph.

A couple of Lesser Yellowlegs reflected in the water as they preen.

Greater Yellowlegs are also regular visitors to Mamit Lake from late summer through fall.

Another Greater Yellowlegs. These long-legged birds often forage by wading.

Wilson’s Phalaropes also breed in southern B.C., but not at Mamit Lake. This group of six newly-fledged juveniles was on the lake on 31 July 2022. Unlike most other shorebirds, phalaropes often forage by swimming.

A closer look at one of the juvenile Wilson’s Phalaropes. Phalaropes have lobed toes which allow them to swim more efficiently.

This juvenile Red-necked Phalarope remained on Mamit Lake for a week in late August 2022. This species breeds on the Arctic tundra and overwinters out at sea off South America, so it was a treat to have it on Mamit Lake on its southward migration – 21 August 2022.

Here is the same Red-necked Phalarope at the same location on the lake five days later – 26 August 2022.

Two peep sandpipers that look very similar at a distance but are identifiable at close range. The Least Sandpiper (left) has diagnostic yellowy-green legs and fairly bright plumage. The Semi-palmated Sandpiper (right) has black legs and dull plumage. Both were at the lake on 7 August 2022.

A couple of Least Sandpipers – these are the most common migrant shorebird at Mamit Lake and occur from late August through mid-October. The bright green deposits behind these birds are accumulations of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) which can produce toxins and led to the closure of Mamit lake for human swimming and fishing in summer 2022. These blooms are indicators of excessive fertilizers and cow manure running into the lake.

A couple of sandpipers that are regular visitors but never common on Mamit Lake: the Western Sandpiper (left) is extremely common on the B.C. coast but less so in the interior; Baird’s Sandpiper (right) is uncommon across B.C. but more common migrating across the Prairies. Notice how long the wings are in the Baird’s Sandpiper – this is a super long-distant migrant – they go all the way to Tierra del Fuego, the last bit of continent before the Antarctic.

Somewhat larger than the peep sandpipers (Least, Western, Semi-palmated etc.), Pectoral Sandpipers are another species that regularly stops over at Mamit Lake on its long migration from Arctic tundra breeding grounds to South American wintering areas.

Several juvenile Semi-palmated Plovers were at the lake in early September 2022.

In early fall small flocks of 10-20 American Pipits arrive at the lake to forage on the mudflats, often in among the shorebirds.

Four White Pelicans spent the late summer and fall at Mamit Lake. The traces of brown on their backs and heads indicate that they are immature birds. White Pelicans breed on only one location in British Columbia – at Stum Lake west of Williams Lake, over 200 km direct flight from Mamit Lake. Non-breeding immatures, like these, are free to wander far afield.

This incoming White Pelican is disturbing the peace at the pelican roost site.

Horned Grebes don’t breed on Mamit Lake but they are common breeders in several other lakes in the BC Interior. These little grebes appear in fall as they move away from their breeding grounds. 11 September 2022

A male Ring-necked Duck along with two Horned Grebes – 30 September 2022.

A Horned Grebe taking flight.

Long-billed Dowitchers are regular visitors and appear to remain for some weeks at the lake. They breed in the high Arctic tundra many hundreds of km from Mamit Lake and migrate to the southern U.S. and Mexico in winter. This is an adult bird in the process of moulting from its bright cinnamon, white and black breeding plumage into a dull grey winter (basic) plumage. 26 August 2022.

Two Long-billed Dowitchers stepping out in the mud – 7 August 2022. These are adult birds still in breeding (alternate) plumage with bright white-tipped back feathers.

The fields around Mamit Lake are often used as a migration stop-over for Sandhill Cranes heading south in fall – 11 September 2022.

My friend Nigel paddling on Mamit Lake in fall – 30 September 2022.

A Great Blue Heron topping a big Ponderosa Pine tree makes an interesting silhouette.

The Sea Wolf

The U.S.S. Observer – minesweeper in San Francisco Harbour 1942. Photo: Wikipedia

Part of Ketchikan harbour.

One of three monster cruise ships that were in Ketchikan port the day we departed.

Heidi and Alan on the bow at sunrise, crossing Dixon Entrance into B.C. waters, 20 September 2022. Photo: Tim

Mountains at Dixon Entrance on the Alaska/B.C. border

We encountered many mixed-species feeding flocks, dominated by Common Murres and several species of gulls. The murres dive down and attack schools of fish from below, driving them up to the surface where the gulls can access them.

Common Murres on the water. Notice the stubby wings – they use these to “fly” underwater in the same manner as penguins. But murres can also fly in the air – although they have to beat their wings very rapidly and use a lot of energy to do so.

A Common Murre with a chick. Murre chicks leave their cliff nesting sites when one-third grown and just 3 weeks old. They go to sea with their father, who provides them with fish until they are able to catch their own. This pair had swum many kilometres from their breeding colony.

Adult Black-legged Kittiwake. Notice the gaps in its wings as it moults and grows new flight feathers.

Sunrise in Grenville Channel – 21 September 2022.

One of the dozens of Humpback Whales that we encountered along the Inside Passage.

Humpback Whale

We were surprised to see this Grey Whale in Royal Channel. They are most often found on the open coast. This one appeared to be sleeping – it didn’t move as we cruised by, except to blow every minute or so.

A typical scene as we traveled southward through the narrow channels of the Inside Passage.

One of a pod of Orcas (Killer Whales) that we passed.

Tim on the bow in wonderful calm conditions.

Ivory Island lightstation at the south end of Milbanke Sound.

Sunset on Milbanke Sound as we entered Seaforth Channel, 21 September 2022.

A juvenile Black-legged Kittiwake. One seldom sees these oceanic gulls in the sheltered waters around Vancouver and Victoria, but they were quite common in Queen Charlotte Sound and the northern end of Q Charlotte Strait at the northern end of Vancouver Island.

A juvenile Short-billed Gull (until recently known as Mew Gulls). This species was one of the most common gulls throughout our voyage.

We passed numerous scenic islands with mountainous backdrops.

A big male Orca in Queen Charlotte Sound.

Another scenic island with dozens of roosting gulls, and interesting mountain vistas. Queen Charlotte Sound, 22 September 2022.

A small flock of Red-necked Phalaropes. These shorebirds breed in tundra habitat but become seabirds for most of the year, typically picking up tiny food items along tide rips and slicks.

We saw a few dozen shearwaters, but mostly at a great distance so separating Sooty and Short-tailed was sometimes impossible. This I figured was a Sooty Shearwater, with a bulkier body and a paler underwing.

This bird passed close enough for half-decent photos and I was fairly confident in recording this as a Short-tailed Shearwater. These birds breed in Tasmania but migrate up to the most northern reaches of the Pacific during their non-breeding season (northern summer).

One of the many mixed-species feeding flocks we passed in Queen Charlotte Strait.

Identifying large gulls at this time of year is a challenge. With black wingtips and dark eyes this is likely a third-year Thayer’s (Iceland) Gull, a regular fall and winter visitor from the Arctic.

A line of Common Murres. The bird with the black face is still in its breeding plumage, the others are moulting into basic winter plumage.

Common Murres – another half-grown fledgling accompanied by its father.

Short-tailed Shearwater – Queen Charlotte Strait.

Cassin’s Auklets attempting to take off. These stubby-winged divers have trouble getting airborne. In this case, as the ship approached they gave up trying to fly and dived underwater to avoid us.

What a delight to see a few Fork-tailed Storm Petrels. They normally feed out in the open ocean but the nearby Storm Islands are an important breeding colony at the north end of Queen Charlotte Strait.

Dozens of Steller’s Sealions hauled out on an island – Queen Charlotte Strait.

Sea Otters are slowly making a come-back in B.C. waters. We saw about 10 in Queen Charlotte Sound and Q. C. Strait.

Gulls roosting – Queen Charlotte Strait.

September 23rd was the only cloudy, misty, sometimes drizzly day we had on the whole trip. But some interesting scenery with the low clouds and fog. A small island in Johnstone Strait.

We passed by the mouth of the Tsitika Valley – one of the small areas of old-growth forest on northeastern Vancouver Island that was preserved only as a result of intensive pressure from environmental groups. This was all slated to be clearcuts.

A closer view of the Tsitika Valley with its magnificent old-growth conifers. Much of Vancouver Island looked like this before industrial logging took hold.

Alan on the bow on 23rd September.

Surf Scoters heading south.

Greater White-fronted Geese are not a common sight in British Columbia. This flock was heading south along with many other waterfowl.

Pacific White-sided Dolphin bow-riding, Discovery Passage near Seymour Narrows. These were extracts from a video.

Sunrise near Comox, 24th September 2022.

A Parasitic Jaeger (Arctic Skua) – a rare bird in the Strait of Georgia. These jaegers often steal food from smaller gulls, by harassing them in flight until they regurgitate their meal.

Pelagic Cormorants heading to foraging grounds.

We encountered more Red-necked Phalaropes in the Strait of Georgia.

Red-necked Phalaropes on the water.

The lightstation on Jenkins Island next to the larger Lasqueti Island with the mainland beyond.

Flat calm sea next to South Pender Island as we neared the end of the British Columbia portion of our travels. The islands on the right in this photo are some of the San Juan Islands in Washington.

Mount Baker in the sunrise glow, 25 September 2022. This dormant volcano, just south of the BC/Washington border, is 3,288 m (10,786 ft) high. Many years ago I reached the summit with a group of friends.

Sunset on my final evening on the Sea Wolf, at anchor off Bellingham, WA. The end of a memorable week-long voyage.

Panorama taken from Quiniscoe Peak. On the left is Quiniscoe Lake with the lodge on the far left of the lake and the campsite on the far right. Going to the right are Lake of the Woods, Pyramid Lake and Glacier Lake. Across the valley is Lakeview Mountain.

Looking west from the Rim Trail on 16 August under clear skies. Mount Baker is clearly visible on the horizon, 120 km away.

American Pipits are the most common birds I usually see long the ridge trail. They breed here.

Horned Larks also breed in the high alpine areas and one of the pairs I encountered was feeding a fledgling.

A closer look at a Horned Lark.

This Fritillary butterfly – probably Freija Fritillary Bolaria freija – is one of the more common butterflies in the alpine areas of Cathedral Park.

On the exposed ridges with gravelly sandstone substrates, the cushion-plant Moss Campion (Silene acaulis) with pink flowers provides a stable organic base for other plants to get established – in this case some grasses and a yellow groundsel (Asteraceae).

Shrubby Cinquefoil (Potentilla [Dasiphora] fruitcosa) is one of the plants to continue blooming into late summer, providing bright splashes of yellow.

Looking across at the mountain ridge above Ladyslipper Lake with Grimface Mountain behind.

The southern mountain ridge of Cathedral Park.

An immature Northern Harrier soaring over the mountain ridges.

On 16 August I had three separate sightings of a Prairie Falcon – perhaps the same bird. On the last occasion it was close enough for a photo.

One of the interesting geological features on the Rim Trail is the dramatic transition from black basalt to pale tan sandstone. Here the sandstone is an intrusion between basalt areas.

The Stone City area on the Rim Trail has wonderfully weather-sculptured outcrops of sandstone. Endlessly diverse and scenic.

One of the lovely sandstone outcrops in the Stone City area.

Spot the ptarmigan? This female White-tailed Ptarmigan was on high alert as I was watching because there was a Prairie Falcon circling nearby and she was well aware of its presence. She had two half-grown chicks nearby.

A closer view of the female White-tailed Ptarmigan. Note the feathered legs – one of the features that allow this hardy bird to live in high alpine areas year-round.

One of the two White-tailed Ptarmigan chicks I encountered on the Rim Trail.

Hoary Marmots spend up to eight months of the year hibernating underground. To do this they have to end the summer with a hefty load of fat. On mid-August 2022 I saw very few marmots and I suspect some of them might already have started hibernating.

Hoary Marmots spend a lot of time in summer feeding on vegetation and also a lot of time basking on rocks. From a high perch they can more easily spot the approach of a predator. In Cathedral Park this would include Lynx, Coyotes, Golden Eagles and perhaps occasionally Cougar and Wolves.

A young Mountain Goat passing by the Quiniscoe Lake campground.

This young kid – just a few months old – was very curious to see humans, but kept close to its mum as the group passed by.

Approaching the Red Mountain Meadow from the north side of Red Mountain, with other mountains to the west and Mount Baker just peaking above on the far right.

Panorama view from Red Mountain Meadow looking east with, left to right: Scout Mountain, Red Mountain and Quiniscoe Peak.

A weathered old tree trunk garnished with yellow-green lichen on Red Mountain Meadow

Fresh cones of Subalpine Fir (Abies lasiocarpa).

Tiny ripening berries of Grouseberry (Vaccinium scoparium). This is a very common plant carpeting the open woodland sub-alpine areas.

A mass of yellow alpine daisies, pale purple asters and red paintbrush flowers.

A Rocky Mountain Apollo butterfly (Parnassius smintheus) nectaring on a groundsel flower.

A tiny Anna’s Blue butterfly (Lycaeides anna) nectaring on yellow groundsel flowers.

Butterflies are not the only pollinators in these alpine meadows. Here a couple of large bees are visiting a Small-flowered Penstemon (Penstemon procerus).

Paintbrushes (Castilleja sp.) are common in the alpine areas, but because different species often hybridize they are not always easy to identify. These ones are growing in a bed of Mountain Avens (Dryas octopetala) which has already gone to seed.

Columbia Ground-squirrels (Spermophilus columbianus) are common wherever there are grassy meadows in Cathedral Park.

One of five Spruce Grouse chicks that came wandering into my camp area on 17 August.

Three of these Spruce Grouse chicks flew up into the nearby larch tree and were eating the buds along the branches.

A female Spruce Grouse – the mother of the truant five chicks.

A regular visitor to my camp was this Cascade Golden-mantled Ground-squirrel (Spermophilus saturatus). The northern edge of this species’ range just barely makes it into British Columbia. Cathedral Lakes Park is one of the few places where they are common. Here the setting sun is highlighting its fur.

Another regular visitor to the camp area was this Mule Deer doe.

An impressively large fly visiting a daisy flower.

One of the most spectacular butterflies – Milbert’s Tortoiseshell (Aglais milberti).

Insects from three different Orders visiting a daisy flower; left to right: Diptera (fly), Lepidoptera (moth) and Hemiptera (bug).

Pikas are one of my favourite critters. Living in rock piles they are always extremely active collecting vegetation to add to their drying hay piles to provide winter fodder.

Among the dozens of Yellow-rumped Warblers in the sub-alpine trees, I was surprised to find this Nashville Warbler. I snapped this photo just as it grabbed a caterpillar in a fir tree.

Yellow-pine Chipmunks are common throughout Cathedral Lakes Park – from the highest alpine to the thickest forest.

Departing from New Denver to cross Slocan Lake.

The maiden voyage of Andrea’s new Delta kayak on Slocan Lake, 5 July 2022.

Our camp at Wee Sandy Creek campsite.

Wee Sandy Creek campsite.

This female Common Merganser regularly came fishing in the shallows near our camp.

This lush carpet of Twinflower (Linnaea borealis) was right at our campsite.

A closer view of the tiny Twinflowers (Linnaea borealis) with the flower stalks less than 10 cm tall.

Sunset on the mountains to the south of Slocan Lake.

Enjoying the view from the lookout bluff overlooking Slocan Lake.

Paddling along the western shore of Slocan Lake, 6 July 2022.

Our flotilla heading up the shore of Slocan Lake.

Tom and Kim along multi-coloured cliffs.

Andrea below another colourful cliff.

Floating pollen producing amazing patterns. Photo: © Cynthia Bush

In many places along the shore the yellow pollen layer covered most of the water surface. Photo: © Cynthia Bush

Paddling through pollen.

Patterns in the pollen.

Yellow pollen on the waterline and colourful cliff plants make an interesting display.

Along the shore we encountered many flowering plants, including this rose – likely Nootka Rose (Rosa nutkana).

A bumblebee busy pollinating the rose flowers.

A thick carpet of moss and lichens coming down to the water’s edge.

Paddling in calm water – Slocan Lake, 6 July 2022

Cindy checking out the flowers among the carpet of moss.

White-veined Wintergreen (Pyrola picta) with the flowers not yet opened.

Round-leafed Rein Orchid (Plantathera orbiculata) just starting to flower.

Prince’s-pine (Chimaphila umbellata) with flower buds not yet opened.

And lots of Twinflower (Linnaea borealis).

An adult Bald Eagle perched along the lake edge.

The trail along the roaring Wee Sandy Creek. Parts of this trail follow an old early-1900s logging trail.

One of many big red cedars along the Wee Sandy Creek trail.

In the deep forest were many Queen’s Cup (Clintonia uniflora) and mushrooms.

Kim and Helene along the Wee Sandy Creek trail.

Helene and Alan relaxing at camp. Photo: Cynthia Bush.

Helene and Cindy heading home – New Denver is visible across the lake.

Alan with Helene in the background. Photo: Cynthia Bush.

Heading back to New Denver with the peaks of Kokanee Glacier Park in the distance, 7 July 2022.

Common Mergansers were diving for small fish where creeks entered the lake.

Yellow Monkeyflowers (Mimulus guttatus) with an unidentified white flower behind making a colourful shoreline display.

Common Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia) was indeed a common plant along the shoreline.

And did I mention that we saw many clumps of flowering Twinflowers (Linnaea borealis)?

Andrea and Helene crossing the glassy-calm Slocan Lake.

Cindy powering across the lake.

A Great Blue Heron along the shore of Kootenay Lake.

A wolf spider, about 1.5 cm in length, on the cobble shoreline at Irvine Creek beach, Kootenay Lake.

Pictographs on a cliff overlooking Kootenay Lake. We speculated that this is an ancient memorial to honour those who drowned when canoes capsized on this immense and unpredictable lake.

Two species of Swallowtail butterflies mud-puddling (sucking up water and salts) at a wet spot on the shore of Kootenay Lake. Photo: © Alan Burger

Canadian Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio canadensis) – Kootenay Lake. Photo: © Alan Burger

Pale Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon) – Kootenay Lake. Photo: © Alan Burger