16, 17 November

 16 November

eBird Data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S97672733 

weather:  8 am 3C, wind W6, 12m 7C, wind NW 15, clear, patchy frost

tide:  10:30 am 2.8m, rising

17 November

eBird Data:  https://ebird.org/checklist/S97715187

weather:  8:30 am 1C, wind  calm,  12:00m 5C wind E 10, cloudy, occasional clearing, patchy frost

tide:  10:30 am 2.9m, low, turning

A brilliantly clear day after three days of what the Weather Office called an "atmospheric river."  I think perhaps an "atmospheric Mississippi."  

Near my home there was a handsome young heron roosting in a fir tree.  

Sure enough, the campers had left the path, now a stream, navigable in gumboots, but just.  They've also left some rubbish, of course, but at least that obstacle is now cleared.  The fallen willows are still posing a challenge, but I think I'm getting the knack of them.

Apparently the Englishman River was under a flood watch, and the Estuary certainly got very wet.

Ordinarily, this is the path that goes from the Shelly Road parking lot to the River.  It was definitely impassible today, as were other areas.  The flooding had subsided, but it was evident that much of the area had been immersed.

The river was swift and turbid.  Again, typically there's a big gravel bar here.    

The eagles were working at their nest.  It's progressing nicely.  Watching them is a treat--they actually work together, the male passing sticks to the female.  Once they paused and spent some time preening one another.  With beaks like theirs, it must take considerable trust!  Anyhow, it was actually kind of sweet.

The shore was at mid-tide, and teeming with eagles, the most I've seen this season.  There were at least a dozen, and I suspect I'm counting conservatively.

17 November

Folklore tells us that the coldest night of a month is the night of the full moon.  We should not always dismiss folklore, but we're moving toward the full moon and it was definitely a cold night.  I was reluctant to leave my warm duvet this morning, but eventually spoke to myself sternly, emerged to coffee and breakfast and set out to see what the day offered.

There was patchy frost throughout the Estuary.  The path that would have taken me to the Merganser Pond was a bit boggy but navigable, but the way toward the shore was deeply flooded.  I proceeded toward the river, to find that it has subsided quite a bit.  

There was a small hairy woodpecker beside the path.  It was small enough to be a downy, but the tail feathers and beak length lead me to believe it was just a very small hairy.  Cute, in any case.

The flooded trailhead from yesterday has cleared, but there are certainly signs that the river actually breached its dykes and flooded the forest.  

There were a lot of trees down, some quite big.

Along the river, the grasses and sand showed how the river had flowed over its banks.

This used to be a rather rocky, rooty spot to watch the dipper.  He's safely out there somewhere, I hope, but caution is indicated re standing on the bank looking for him.

Further downstream a good six feet of bank had fallen in for about fifteen feet distance,  and again the river had flowed along the remains of the path.

Trees had fallen along both shores, and as I saw yesterday, some had washed out to sea.  None of this shore was sandy until the past few days.

The tide was just turning when I reached the duck-counting benches.  

There were fewer eagles than yesterday, lots of buffleheads, and, strange to relate, not many widgeons.  The sea was very calm.  

I made my way home, re-routing around flooded areas.  Possibly a dry day tomorrow.

I have to say, that the effects of the flooding along the Englishman River, although considerable, is trivial compared to what has hit the Fraser Valley and the Interior of BC.  It's disturbing to think that this is the beginning of the rainy season here.