8, 9 February

 

8 February

eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S80668045

Weather:  8 am 0C, wind WSW7, clear,  1 pm,  3C wind NNW 13, partly cloudy

Tide:  11 AM, 4m, rising

9 February

eBird data:  https://ebird.org/checklist/S80718428

Weather:  8 am -1C, wind W5, cloudy;  1pm 2C wind NNE4 cloudy, clearing

Tide:  10:30 am 3.7m turning

8 February

The weather is definitely cooling down this week, but at least it isn't raining.  The morning of the 8th started brilliantly clear, but clouded over as time passed.  The merganser pond has shrunk to its usual dimensions, but as of today, it's frozen over, nearly at the stage where one could tour on ice-skates.  



By the time I reached the shore yesterday it was growing dark and rather windy--I'd never had quite this view of the Straits and Texada Island.  There was more of a surf than I'm used to seeing.


The river is clearing and subsiding.  No telling what it will do after this week when snow is forecast, but for now it looks clearer.


I'm still monitoring the eagle nests, but no one is visible.  


9 February

It was colder today.  There was a bit of snow falling--just a few smallish flakes, of dry snow, quite unlike the big wet flakes of our last snowfall.  Much preferable, in fact.  



One of the other Estuary Regulars (there are a few of us who seem to turn up out here daily) tells me that he thinks we're due for a "Snow Dump," of a couple of feet.  I'm not persuaded, but he could be right--he's lived here for 30 years and is a mine of information.  

Anyhow, the Straits looked really wintry today:


I must admit that I like this dark weather.  It has a sombre beauty, undoubtedly Northern.  

On the path back I came across a patch of birds:

Two downy woodpeckers (here's the male--they were in dense shrubbery and I'm amazed I've actually got a shot of this little character, even though I had to chop his tail off...)


And two brown creepers, usually very difficult because they have a sneaky way of creeping behind branches...Here's one:



And there were golden-crowned kinglets but they were very uncooperative and I didn't manage any photos.

So we'll see what tomorrow has to offer--forecast is for snow, which is ok if it's not the wet stuff.  



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