Well, what a surprise ! Stewart that is the first time I've ever seen the pair together and glad you were able to spot them.
Now I'm thinking that if they're hanging around together in that area that "just maybe" there is a nest close by. Maybe it's not on the other side of the highway like we first thought.
From years of watching our HWF cameras eagle pairs seem to stick together when they are near their nesting territory.

This morning there was a surprise waiting for us in our class. Judy (jkr), had called me last night to ask whether our class would like a mallard ducks' nest. Presumably no one had requested it from the District Resource Centre in a long time, so it was going into the garbage unless I could give it a home.

The children were excited and interested to view the nest housed in a wooden drawer. After everyone had a chance to examine it, I had each tribe (group) choose a recorder. It was her/his job to write down tribe members' observations about the nest. If anyone had any questions, they were to be written down too. There was a flurry of activity as individuals went back and forth between the exhibit and their tribes to share any new observations.

Some of the questions included:
Where did the feathers come from (that lined the nest)?
Why were the eggs see-through?
Was the nest reused?
What happened to the eggs?
What happened to the mom and dad?

Then students were given a piece of paper to draw the nest using only the clues that their tribe had recorded.

Our two kindergarten classes went on a trip to Fort Steele Farms yesterday. They learned about where some of our fruit and vegetables come from. Judging from their faces they had fun especially when they got to pick their own pumpkins.

It's been more than three weeks since my class has been to Elizabeth Lake. I hope to take them back before too long. It will be interesting to see what changes they observe. When I walked there yesterday and this morning, the first thing I noticed was the poplars, trembling aspen and larch continue to change colour with the arrival of fall.



There is no sign of Canada geese or some of the other birds commonly found in and around the lake during spring and summer. But there are still lots of ducks including the mallard.


Coots are also evident as they feed and preen themselves. This trio looked like they were having a conversation.

Yesterday I spotted two white birds on an island about two hundred meters from the shore at Elizabeth Lake.


At first it was difficult to tell what they were. Luckily I had brought binoculars. They looked like some kind of swan or goose.


Even when one stood up and stretched out its long neck, I wasn't sure of what I was looking at. A google search at home still left me uncertain of the type of bird. But thanks to a friend, who is knowledgeable about birds, I learned that I had seen a pair of tundra swans, which used to be known as whistling swans. This morning, when I searched the lakeshore, it appeared they had gone.

During yesterday's walk around Elizabeth Lake, I also spotted a bald eagle circle overhead before landing in a poplar tree on the east shoreline. I took this shot from 200 to 300 meters.


This picture was taken from the same spot using the zoom.


Although I tried to move as slowly and as quietly as I could, the bald eagle took off before I could get any closer.

Hi SMW It was nice running into you at Elizabeth Lake this morning.

If you recall I told you I had spotted two of what I thought at first may be red-tailed hawks, but the lighting today wasn't all that great and the birds were quite high up when I saw them. Well, once I got the photos loaded, and zoomed this photo in within an inch of it's life, it turns out they were juvenile bald eagles. The one had headed into the tree area so it is possible that is what we were seeing in the poplars when I ran into you.

Here is the photo of the one juvie in flight. Unfortunately I had to crop the photo immensely to make out any detail on the bird for identification.


I did actually see one lone goose. I hope his entire family hasn't left him behind this Fall.


And I also got a shot of one of the ducks.


I never did see any swans so perhaps they were only stopping by for a few hours to refuel for another stretch of their migration.

Today we went with our grade 6 buddies to Ft. Steele Farms near Bummer's Flats, a well-known wetland, close to the Kootenay River. We got to dig up potatoes, and then we picked our own carrots too.


We also harvested our own beets.