16-18 August


16 August

 eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S93323018

weather:  6:30 am 19C wind N7, 10:30 am 18C wind NNW 7

Tide:  8:30 am 1.6m rising



17 August

eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S93365823

weather:  7 am 14C Wind WSW 7,  9 am 17C wind WNW 11, partly cloudy, clearing

tide:  8 am 1.0 m, at ebb, rising 

18 August

eBird data https://ebird.org/checklist/S93412024

weather: 7 am 13C wind W8,  11 am 18C wind NNW 14,  increasing clouds

tide:  9 am 0.8m, at ebb, rising


The air quality has improved the past few days, although we're still awaiting rain.  ...actually, as I type this, on the evening of the 18th, I think I can smell rain.  Here's hoping.  It's definitely cooled down nicely, at least for now, and is starting to feel autumnal.  Wonderful.

On Monday, there was a flight of ducks, too high and distant to identify beyond "duck, species", but headed southbound.  I'm thinking they were the beginning of the seasonal waterfowl migration.  

There was also a small flight of brant geese, again, too distant to photograph.  That's regrettable, because as ever, I submitted my observations to eBird and got a rather starchy email from the ornithologist who reviews eBird submissions here.  I can't say I blame him, because it's quite odd to see brant hereabouts in August, but the tone was more starchy than I really think was warranted.   I'd put money on their having been brant, strange as that may seem.  I shall keep a lookout for further brant or additional reports from other birders.

It does indeed start to look like autumn, particularly in the skies.




The high tides of last week have given way to quite low tides at the mornings I've visited.  It makes it harder to spot shorebirds--I'm not sure where they're hanging out just now, but I'm not seeing them.  I've heard occasional flights of peeps, but haven't spotted much.

Just today there were a dozen turkey vultures out on the distant mudflats.  It wasn't apparent what was drawing them, but that's more turkey vultures than one usually sees here.  

I've been keeping tabs on this stand of birch trees since I arrived here, as seasonal markers.  I'd guess their turning colour is in part the drought, but perhaps seasonal changes as well.


And finally, the Arrowsmith massif is almost entirely bare of snow.


As I recall, it began showing white in late October last year.  Time will tell.



 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

8-10 August

Image
  I find myself wondering if I'm becoming a party poop in my old age.  My home, across from a community park, near the sea and an estuary, is a delightful place to live--most of the time.  August is the exception.  It's not the climate, although we do get a few toasty days, but the annual Beachfest, which attracts hordes of visitors.  The nadir of the event is the Rock the Park weekend, when there's incessant VERY LOUD pop music.  In previous years, I've found it hard to escape and  tiresome.   This year, I decided to spend the weekend at Cluxewe, my favourite campground, up-Island by Port McNeill.  It was a good choice. I left early Friday morning, driving north by the Oceanside Route--there's a faster inland highway, but the slower route is pleasant and has good spots to stop, eat lunch, enjoy the view.  It's consistent with a decision to seek quiet.   I knew Cluxewe would be busy, but it's set up in such a way that it h...
Read more

6 July

Image
  Summer has definitely arrived in the Hamilton Forest and Wetlands.   The distinctively warm light on the vegetation signals the change. The huckleberries are ripening, and are more abundant than I've seen in past years. The very durable foamflower continues to bloom. Although described as common, ghost pipe hasn't been evident in the Forest for the past three years.  This year there is an abundant patch of it near the path. Pojar and MacKinnon file ghostpipes under their heading, "Oddballs," and indeed they are.  As the photos show, the plant has no chlorophyll, gaining its nourishment from mycelium beneath the ground.  It typically appears in a spell of warm weather after a rain--not so in this case--it's been warm and dry.  They seem to be abundant this year; reports and photos are appearing throughout the region. This big trillium is fruiting, its flowering completed.   Two other, smaller, younger, trilliums are visible in the photo abov...
Read more

Two days up-Island

Image
  A somewhat fleeting trip up-Island to explore Alert Bay and attend the T'sasala Cultural Group's final public performance of the season.  There was a lot to see in that brief time. We made our way up, first along the Island Highway, then shifted to the Inland Island Highway to avoid the traffic of Courtenay and Campbell River.  Past Campbell River the highway narrows, and there are many signs warning drivers of elk and other wildlife on the highway.  We didn't see any elk, and the highway was, for the most part, sparsely travelled.  It appeared as though the tourist season is waning. I had misread the ferry schedule from Port McNeill to Alert Bay, but as is often the case, the ferry itself was running late.   We were able to spend time at the dock, where we admired the view across Broughton Strait of Mount Waddington and the Coast Range. We were also impressed by the drinking fountain along the quay, which accommodates both humans and dogs. Arriving ...
Read more