Wildlife

They’re back

As the temperature begins to rise look up and you may spot a turkey vulture soaring overhead. These birds arrive back in the Columbia Valley in April using thermals to move through the air with very little ...Full story

Butcher bird

The following discription from the Canadain Museum of Nature should work up your appetite. “Northern Shrike is known as the ‘butcher bird’ because of its unusual practice of impaling prey on thorns ...Full story

Bruce Kirkby keynote speaker at Wings gala

Bruce Kirkby keynote speaker at Wings gala

May 12, Invermere – The Wings Over the Rockies festival’s gala evening on Saturday, May 12th promises a delicious meal at Radium Resort, a raucous live and silent auction and an entertaining ...Full story

Calling all birds…

Calling all birds…

Finally it’s spring again, and these turkeys are certainly raving about it. But they are not the only ones to do so. The valley is home to a gazillion species, many of whom will soon arrive to hang ...Full story

What’s up — prairie crocus

What’s up — prairie crocus

The prairie crocus seems fitting to be the first flower in the Friends of Kootenay ‘What’s Up’ series as it is one of the first flowers to bloom in the park. This harbinger of spring emerges from ...Full story

Monitoring carnivores with cameras

Monitoring carnivores with cameras

Motion-activated cameras have been set up in Kootenay National Park as part of a carnivore monitoring project. Cameras are mounted on trees or encased in rock cairns to monitor wildlife use in both frontcountry ...Full story

Flight cage grand opening celebration

Flight cage grand opening celebration

May 12, Invermere – The 2012 Wings Over the Rockies festival will include a celebration of the grand opening of a new flight cage for the rehabilitation of injured raptors on Saturday, May ...Full story

You can help the bears!

Changing a few habits can have a big impact on bear-human conflicts. In the summer, with the hustle and bustle of the towns in the valley, it can be easy to forget that we are still sharing the ...Full story

Wildlife

The badger, a 4-legged digging machine

The badger, a 4-legged digging machine

On April 29th, Wendy Schuck had a little help digging her garden, from her neighbor — the badger. “The American Badger is a nocturnal member of the weasel family. Low-slung, with short, powerful legs ...Full story

Love song

Almost everyone can identify the bird that sings a rapid, nasal chickadee-dee-dee. It is the call the chickadee uses to challenge intruders or to express alarm and it can be heard anytime during the year. ...Full story

Heads up!

Kootenay National Park has been keeping track of when Columbia ground squirrels emerge from hibernation. Their appearance dates in April can vary from year to year. However their emergence pattern is ...Full story

Autumn wildlife watching in Kootenay National Park

Autumn wildlife watching in Kootenay National Park

The scenery is exploding with the brilliant yellows and golds of autumn leaves and the rich reds of spawning kokanee salmon. We can hear the iconic crashing sounds as the bighorn sheep rut deep in the ...Full story

Save the frogs

The northern leopard frog (southern mountain population), is designated endangered by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. The population is threatened by low recruitment, disease, ...Full story

Radium area cougar alert

Radium area cougar alert

Parks Canada has issued a cougar warning for some of the hiking trails in the Radium Hot Springs area of Kootenay National Park. Two cougar attacks occurred upon sheep within a period of a week during ...Full story

Honky-tonk geese

Honky-tonk geese

The Canada geese have started ‘pairing up’ for nesting and the Columbia Valley is sounding quite musical with lots of “honk-a-lonk” filling the air. If you listen closely you can distinguish ...Full story

Wildlife

JAS Tupperware