11 September

11 September

eBird data:  https://ebird.org/checklist/S94509021

weather:  7:30 am 15C, wind calm.  10:30 15C wind SE 4, cloudy then raining heavily

tide:  9 am 4m, at peak, falling

13 September

eBird data:  https://ebird.org/checklist/S94615449

Weather:  7:30 am 10C, wind W5,  11:30 am 17C, wind N8.  Initially scattered cloud, then clearing

Tide:  9:30 3.2m, rising

Finally, on Saturday morning, a good soaking rain.  Today (Monday) there is new grass sprouting, and the woods and fields smell heavenly.


It wasn't all that great a morning for photography, but there was a red-breasted sapsucker, working away diligently.


Today and Saturday were both days for what I understand to be charitably called "photos of record."  Not good photos but present the birds that I've seen.

The rain threatened for a couple of hours:


Then, as soon as I settled on my duck-watching bench and poured a coffee it began to rain, not heavily at first, but showing determination.


It was quite a full tide.

I gave up on the coffee, and made my way along the river, which looked high, in part I guess because of the tide, but also because there has been rain falling in the high country.

Until recently this was a swimming hole for dogs and humans.  Although I didn't get a photo, there were two seals swimming today--undoubtedly fishing.  By the time I got home, it was raining heavily.  My camera's raincoat seems equal to the situation.


Today (Monday) started out grey and ominous, but cleared to a fine autumn day, with a good breeze but warm sun.  



I was asking myself, the other day, whether I'd eventually find my visits to the Estuary repetitive, but there always seems to be something new.  The trees are starting to shed leaves and look more autumnal.

The tide was lower than the past few days, and rising.  There are starting to be mallards in substantial numbers, and, although I didn't manage a photo, there were a pair of otters out on the islet.



Again, I'm afraid, another "photo of record," because it was a bird I don't see very often out here:


a black merlin.  It was unmistakeable in flight, but I was drinking coffee and was a bit slow to grab my camera.  So here is a shot, far too distant, but for whatever it's worth.

Walking back along the river, there were several big salmon jumping and making their way upstream, and a pleasant young man fishing who said he'd landed a ten-pound fish yesterday.  I guess the season is beginning.  

Rain forecast for tomorrow.








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