Blog of the Plague Year(s)

30 July   eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S92511342  weather:  6 am  16 C wind calm,  10:30 am 25C wind NNE 7, clear tide:  8:30 am 2.9 m 31 July eBird data:  https://ebird.org/checklist/S92556548 weather:  6 am 18C wind SW 3,  10 am 23 C wind W 4 , increasing clouds tide:  8:30 am 2.4 m Two of the least birdy days that I've seen here.  That said, the Estuary remains rich in its changes in weather, tide, and inhabitants. Saturday morning's light left me wondering if I was seeing smoke, or just early light. As the day wore on, it seemed that what I had seen was just early morning light.  Time will tell. Although the bird presence seems limited just now, the deer are still present. A doe and youngster have been evident for some mornings: The doe was incredibly tame this morning.  This photo isn't cropped--she was just standing there, studying me. There are two young great blue herons hanging about, often roostin...

26 July   eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S92335290 weather:  6 am 17C wind WNW 10, 11 am 23 C wind ENE 10 tide:  8:30 am 3.8m 27 July eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S92382309 weather:  6am 15C wind W3, 11 am 21C wind N 10, clear tide:  8:30 am 4.0m 28 July eBird data:  https://ebird.org/checklist/S92425810 weather:  6 am 14C wind W3,   10:30 am 23 C wind NW 10 clear tide:  9am 3.00m peak tide, falling Clear mornings, warming up as the day progresses.  Still lots happening with young critters. Shortly after this photo, everybody disappeared into the berry vines.  I think I saw the young deer browsing on the berries, which aren't really ripe yet.   The tides have been high when I went out the past few mornings.  There were yellowlegs and black-bellied plovers visible on distant sandbars--way too distant for photographs, but I note that I'm the first in the season to report the plovers....

21 July   eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S92095402 weather:  6 am 10C wind W2, 10:30 am 19C wind NW 16 tide:   9 am 0.8m, rising 23 July eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S92185300 weather:  6:30 am 15C wind SW 3, 11 am 20C wind E 13, cloudy tide:  9 am  1.7m, falling 24 July eBird data : https://ebird.org/checklist/S92233830 weather:  6:30 am 14C wind SW 2, 11 am 22  wind NNE 11 tide:  9 am 2.4m, falling Three days of young birds and fine morning light.  I never was that much of a morning person--I think my early career as a musician rendered me at least somewhat nocturnal, but my early walks here and in Victoria have brought me to an awareness of the wonders of early light, regardless of season.   I find myself stopping, often, now to take in small wonders brought by the summer light. The merganser family has shrunk from eight to five, but the remaining ducklings are growing well. Momma...

  19 July eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S91997618 weather:  6 am 12 C wind calm, 11 am 20 C wind N 8, clear tide:  9 am 1.3m 20 July eBird data:  https://ebird.org/checklist/S92051228 weather:  6:30 am 11C wind calm, 11 am 21 C wind NNW 8, partly cloudy tide:  9 am 0.8m 19 July A contrast with the birding on Saturday, when there was so much to see.  Today was very slow and quiet, until, as I walked along the river, I heard a low-pitched, but loud "GWOK."  Sure enough, it was Momma Merganser and her little brood.   Looking at their growth I'd guess that they are a maturing version of the little pile of fluff I photographed a couple of weeks back.  Alas, the numbers are down.  There were eight when I last saw them, and now there are only five.  This is the sort of thing that happens in an environment with eagles, owls and a peregrine falcon, all preying on youngsters.   That said, the survivors seem ...

 eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S91888836 Weather:  6:30 am 14C wind calm, 10:30 am 19C wind NNE 9, cloudy, clearing Tide:  10 am 3.1m Not a day for a big variety of species, but a very satisfying morning anyhow, filled with young birds and parents and even young mammals and parents. A chipping sparrow, fetching a yummy grasshopper to her offspring... There were several young robins.  This one was exceptionally cooperative and, I think, quite beautiful. Walking toward the observation mound that overlooks the fields west of the shore, I heard what had to be a pileated woodpecker.  Not unusual herabouts, but worth attention. Sure enough, there was an adult female and two newly fledged pileateds.  When I first looked, I didn't realise there were in fact two birds, but sure enough the adult was feeding one of the youngsters. Then I noticed the second youngster sitting on the fence nearby, perhaps hoping for a share of the breakfast. I watched as t...

14 July   eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S91747430 weather:  6 am 13C wind calm, 11 am 20 C wind N6, clear tide:  8:30 am 3.9 m 15 July eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S91791285 weather:  6 am 14C wind WSW 5, 10:30 am 19C wind NNE 10, clear tide:  8:30 am 3.6m, turning from full 16 July eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S91837962 weather:  6:30 am 15C wind S3,  11 am 18C wind E 18, cloudy tide:  9 am 3.2m Three days of cooler weather, and some "interesting" birds.   Since the path into the Estuary was cleared, the quail population seems much more evident.  I've seen mixed flocks of 20, juveniles and adult males and females.   The males are, as is usually true of birds, the most photogenic: ...I'm hoping to get a shot of the flock in all its rather goofy activity, but haven't managed yet. For the first time in some weeks, I've found goldfinches along the path. They seem drawn to the seed clusters...