21 April

 eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S86041651

Weather:  7 am 8C Wind W5, 12m 13C wind NNW 10

Tide:  9 am 3.3m falling

Writing this on the 22nd--Earth Day, and gloriously beautiful, and I'm sitting at home.  Oh well.  I had my 1st COVID vaccination yesterday and decided that either brooming (usually scheduled for Thursdays) or schlepping about 6 pounds of camera and lens for 4 hours (my usual routine) might not be in my best interest today.

Yesterday, in addition to the long-awaited and welcome vaccination, was -- hm--quite a good day, with a couple of odd riffs.

Not quite as birdy in terms of numbers of species, but not without interest.

I set out early--just a bit after seven.  The path through the berry vines was chiming with birds.  I could identify quail, siskins, song sparrows, juncos, spotted towhees, robins and red-winged blackbirds by ear.


There were other voices that I couldn't recognise--either a different spring song or new birds.  In addition to the immediate songs there were Canada geese and sea lions in the distance.  

I find myself wishing  I could record smells on this walk--there's the sea, pine, cedar, something that smells like sweetgrass, and just a general morning freshness.  There's starting to be a smell of drying meadow, and I'm sure the roses will make their contribution in a week or so.

The morning light made the paths beckon their welcome.



Arrowsmith continues to shed its snowpack.


The Straits were calm.  There were few ducks, a pair of snoozing mergansers on the shore (they seem to take a lot of naps, mergansers).

The eagles were both on their nests.  A raven was circling, croaking out threats to the eaglets, but not acting on them.

The river is high, now--not at flood as in the winter, but definitely raised by the snowmelt.  

Making my way home along the path among the berry vines, I saw what I thought was a mystery pair of birds:


At a distance, I thought I was seeing the Townsend's warbler again, but no, no eye ring, tail wrong, and eventually, a beak that was way too chunky for a warbler.  But what on earth is the black and bright yellow bird?!!  A mystery. 

I made my way closer and realised I was looking at female (in one case possibly juvenile male) crossbills.  And then I realised that the bright yellow and black was the effect of shadow.  Duh.  






One of the lessons birders learn eventually is that colour doesn't necessarily tell the whole story about a species, but I'd never, to my knowledge, been foxed by shadows before.  Hmm... anyhow, crossbills are always a treat in my book.  

Proceeding further along the berry-lined path, I found evidence of a tough neighbourhood.  (No photos--too grim.)

A little pile of wing feathers from a siskin, and oh dear!  a pile of fur and bunny entrails.  And then I remembered that I'd seen an eagle swooping into the area after I'd passed through it.  I've thought for some time that this area was like a deli for raptors, and, alas, sure enough.

Rain forecast for tomorrow, but it's been an amazingly lovely week.  


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