6 November

 eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S75905753

Weather:  8 am:  4C  wind W 9kph.  12m: 8C wind NW 18 gust 27

Tide:  8 am 4.3 m;  10 am 4.5m

Scattered clouds, gradually clearing

The morning started out quiet.  Even the usual hordes of juncos were reduced, although there was a sizeable flock of pine siskins.  A steller's jay seemed to follow me on my walk.  

There were three mallards on the pond--the hooded mergansers were elsewhere.  Even the ravens and eagles weren't in evidence initially.  

 There is a new frosting of snow on the Arrowsmith massif and on the ranges north on the Island.


 It begins to feel like November if not full winter.  As I recall, BC can start to get snow even on the coast by Remembrance Day, which is at hand.  Although there is still foliage, it is becoming more sparse.

Again, a very high tide and today it was apparent that there was a high wind in the Straits.  The coast here, usually calm, had a surf breaking offshore, where the sandbars have formed.  


Inside the sandbar, the water was calmer, and there were flocks of widgeon and mallard, with a few other species present.

 


The phrase, "getting one's ducks in a row," occurs.

In among the maybe 200 American widgeon, there was one Eurasian widgeon, who seemed accepted by the locals.


I'll call this "a photo of record."  It's certainly not much of a photo, but it was nice to see the Eurasian.

And there were four green-winged teals.  I've not seen many of them here.  Pretty ducks, smaller than mallards or widgeons.


Need I add, another "photo of record."

The river is still high.  It's not at flood stage, but it's quite full.  



The dipper must have moved on.  Perhaps when the river goes down (will it?  I don't really know) he will return.  I hope so;  I miss his song.



 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

8-10 August

Image
  I find myself wondering if I'm becoming a party poop in my old age.  My home, across from a community park, near the sea and an estuary, is a delightful place to live--most of the time.  August is the exception.  It's not the climate, although we do get a few toasty days, but the annual Beachfest, which attracts hordes of visitors.  The nadir of the event is the Rock the Park weekend, when there's incessant VERY LOUD pop music.  In previous years, I've found it hard to escape and  tiresome.   This year, I decided to spend the weekend at Cluxewe, my favourite campground, up-Island by Port McNeill.  It was a good choice. I left early Friday morning, driving north by the Oceanside Route--there's a faster inland highway, but the slower route is pleasant and has good spots to stop, eat lunch, enjoy the view.  It's consistent with a decision to seek quiet.   I knew Cluxewe would be busy, but it's set up in such a way that it h...
Read more

6 July

Image
  Summer has definitely arrived in the Hamilton Forest and Wetlands.   The distinctively warm light on the vegetation signals the change. The huckleberries are ripening, and are more abundant than I've seen in past years. The very durable foamflower continues to bloom. Although described as common, ghost pipe hasn't been evident in the Forest for the past three years.  This year there is an abundant patch of it near the path. Pojar and MacKinnon file ghostpipes under their heading, "Oddballs," and indeed they are.  As the photos show, the plant has no chlorophyll, gaining its nourishment from mycelium beneath the ground.  It typically appears in a spell of warm weather after a rain--not so in this case--it's been warm and dry.  They seem to be abundant this year; reports and photos are appearing throughout the region. This big trillium is fruiting, its flowering completed.   Two other, smaller, younger, trilliums are visible in the photo abov...
Read more

Two days up-Island

Image
  A somewhat fleeting trip up-Island to explore Alert Bay and attend the T'sasala Cultural Group's final public performance of the season.  There was a lot to see in that brief time. We made our way up, first along the Island Highway, then shifted to the Inland Island Highway to avoid the traffic of Courtenay and Campbell River.  Past Campbell River the highway narrows, and there are many signs warning drivers of elk and other wildlife on the highway.  We didn't see any elk, and the highway was, for the most part, sparsely travelled.  It appeared as though the tourist season is waning. I had misread the ferry schedule from Port McNeill to Alert Bay, but as is often the case, the ferry itself was running late.   We were able to spend time at the dock, where we admired the view across Broughton Strait of Mount Waddington and the Coast Range. We were also impressed by the drinking fountain along the quay, which accommodates both humans and dogs. Arriving ...
Read more