2 April

 eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S84620445

Weather:  8am 4C wind S2, 1pm 9C wind ESE 11 gradual clearing

Tide:  10:30 4.1 m, falling

A great morning.  Much to see, much to photograph.  

Initially cloudy and calm, then clearing and windy.

Many changes in the flora.

The wild rose bushes, which have been red vines throughout the winter, now have a wash of green.

There are an increasing number of new wildflowers.  These delicate pink buds are Nuttall's toothwort, possibly so-called because the First Nations folks here chewed the root when they had a toothache.  

There was a very handsome young eagle (looks to be maybe four years old--not fully white, but enroute) sitting atop a fir tree, looking very serious.  

Here's a thing:  someone sent me a clip recently about "nictating membranes" on eagles (apologies--I can't find the clip and can't remember who sent it--senior moment).  Although eagles sleep with their eyes closed, they have an translucent eyelid that blinks frequently to protect their eyes while awake, called a nictating membrane.  Other critters have them as well.  They look a bit spooky...Anyhow...

Sure enough, I got an unintentional shot of this youngster nictating.  Nothing at all wrong with his eyes--they look fine in all the other photos I took, but enlarge this photo and you'll see what I'm on about.

There were a pair of deadly serious and patronising twitchers watching as I photographed the eagle.  They grilled me about what I'd seen.  I happily said, "trees, grass, water, my rooftop..."  One said, indignantly "BIRDS!!!"  "Oh!  yes, the usual suspects..."  It appears they weren't interested in anything except someone had said that there was a mountain bluebird sighted (some days back) and they wanted to add it to their lists...

They really didn't seem too interested in anything else.  There was this quite wonderful solar halo, which I pointed out to them, and got an uninterested “uhuh.”

And then there were the first warblers I've seen here this season.

There were three females and this showy male yellow-rumped warbler.  I was delighted to see them.

The twitchers moved on, I think disgusted at my stupidity.

I sat down on my duck-counting coffee-drinking bench, looked into the adjacent fir tree, and...!!!

Oh wow!  Red crossbills!  I took lots of photos, some of which are ok--and then a flock of about 12 flew away.  

The tide was high, falling, but high, and the Straits were almost flat calm when I sat down.  The wind was picking up a bit.  

The eagles were at the downstream nest.  A nice couple of birders were trying to find the nest, which is a bit tricky at first.  They were friendly and interested.  

This time there was one on the nest, and the mate watching nearby.

The flicker continues to tend the nest cavity.  I see on eBird that flickers are among the birds that build fake nests --could be, I guess, although the fact that there there seems to be someone there whenever I come by makes me think there may be youngsters within, as does the disorder in the feathers.

I'll continue monitoring the situation.

There was a cute little covey of quail on the homeward path.

This seemed to the the alpha quail.   I almost always hear quail but don't often see them.

It was a good day, and promises a good spring.  I'm looking forward to more warblers.