Mornings are the best time to see wildlife - Mission Creek Park Kelowna

Photographed on March 26, 2025, Mission Creek Park, Kelowna, about 9:00 AM

I find that diurnal animals tend to be most active in the mornings.  I have seen this time and time again, but the thought was recently revisited last week.  I had gone for a walk with a friend early Wednesday morning along the Mission Creek walkway in Kelowna.  I saw and photographed half a dozen different species, the muskrat was the one that was least expected.  I had never seen one in that area before.

On Friday, I did the same walk with another friend and saw very little.  I had my camera with me and only managed to photograph a now-defunct wasps' nest.  The time was around 1:00 PM.  The reason for the vastly different experiences is simple.

Diurnal animals are not active at night and in the morning they are eager to find food.  Even though temperatures are a lot cooler, they will still go out to find sustenance.  The cooler temperatures also means that cold-blooded organisms will be easier to catch.  Organisms such as the nuthatch and woodpecker can glean creatures hiding in the various nooks and crannies of trees and surface leaf litter.  Neither of these birds are known for capturing insects on the wing.

Whether I am walking, driving, or kayaking, I know that mornings are the time to be on the lookout for wildlife.  There is a second reason why mornings are better.  There are fewer people out and about.  Animals (including birds) are more likely to show themselves when humans are not about or sparse.  The fact that people often have dogs with them doesn't help that matter much. 

Mornings are the best time to photograph wildlife.  Diurnal organisms are up and eager to find food and there aren't many people and pets around to affect their foraging.  Besides, the light is usually good with the sun being at a lower angle and shadows being softer.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com

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