January 6-8 2021

 eBird data 6 Jan: https://ebird.org/checklist/S78780466
                    7 Jan: https://ebird.org/checklist/S78842706
                    8 Jan:  https://ebird.org/checklist/S78894281
Weather:   6 Jan.  Data unavailable, cloudy, then rain
                  7 Jan:   8 am 5C, wind SE 14;  1pm 7C, wind SSE 20,  cloudy
                  8 Jan:  9 am 5C, wind WNW  4;  2 pm 8C wind NNE 5

Tide:       7 Jan  11 am:  4.8m
                8 Jan 12 m:  4.7m



January 6:

I set out walking toward the Estuary on a largely flooded path at 8:30.  The weather forecast was for clearing, but after a half hour it began to rain steadily, not as heavily as days before but nothing I wanted to stay out in.  In addition, the path by the pond was flooded to a depth that my gumboots couldn't manage.

I made my way home, and opened up my laptop to enter a brief report, only to find news from Washington.  I watched, horrified, and then my internet began to give up on me, intermittently.  I spent time tweaking and kludging, and then gave up to get some lunch.  

What to my wondering eyes should appear, but a varied thrush beneath my neighbour's hedge.  


I've been trying for years to get a decent photo of one of these beautiful birds.  Finally!

Back to kludging and intermittent watching in horror.  Not a restful night.

7 January

...The weather office notes that this is the 3rd wettest season on record.  So far.  It's supposed to let up a bit, although the forecast continues to predict rain most days.

I needed a walk after the previous day.

Relatively dry weather, paths are boggy but nothing over the top of my gumboots.  Once of twice it felt as though the mud was going to hang on to my boots, but I managed to free myself.

The main path to the Estuary was still flooded.  I made my way to the river to see how it was behaving.  It had actually subsided a bit from the last time I was there, but still high.  There are many trees washed along from the banks.  It looked very full, but no danger of actual flooding that I could see.  












It wasn't very birdy--there were mergansers on the river, but even the duck numbers were down.  I don't know where they hang out when the tide is very high but it isn't anywhere I see.  

I sat and drank coffee and studied the view.  It was quite windy out in the Strait, but calmer close in to land.  There was the small flock of brant who seem to winter here, and an eared grebe--the first I've seen around the Estuary.  

The route home was flooded, so I re-routed through the forest.  

Usually I avoid the dense woods, especially if it seems as though the wind is picking up, but it is actually quite calm within the woods and sometimes rather magical.  This maple stands in among dense ferns ringed by fir and cedar.  It's very still, and fragrant.



8 January

The weather office predicts gradual clearing this morning, and sure enough, by 9 am it's clearing and by 10 it's glorious sunshine.  Amazing.

First route to the Estuary is still flooded.



No way I can get through here;  well over the tops of my gumboots.  (Note the beer can at the lower right--someone is a slob.)

So on to the upper route to the river, which is subsiding a bit...





Riverbank is still collapsing, so it's important to pick one's route.  It would be cold and unwholesome to be immersed in this...

Still very high tides, and the duck and goose population is elsewhere.  No idea where.  I can hear geese out there somewhere, but they aren't visible.



And as I was sitting down to have a coffee and a granola bar I realised that one of the covers for my binoculars had fallen off somewhere.  I'd a pretty good idea where, because I remembered doing battle with some brambles not too far from where I was sitting.  I decided to make my way back by the route by which I'd come in, after the coffee.

And that's what I did, looking to the side of the path where the bins would have been.  But very shortly I met a man walking along, swinging a lens cover!  Sure enough.  "Excuse me, is that from your binoculars," I asked.  He grinned. "No, I'll leave them on the gate up the path."  So I waved my bins at him, showing the missing cover and thanked him profusely.   Simple pleasures.  

By this time, the sky had cleared beautifully, and the woods were gleaming with sunlight.  



It was certainly good to see sun in the woods this morning.  Not sure what is forecast for tomorrow.  











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