8, 9 December

 8 December  

no eBird data entered

weather:  clear, sunny and warm

9 December

eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S98672678

weather:  8:30 am -1C, wind calm,  12:00m 5C wind NW 20, initially cloudy, clearing

tide:  11:00 am 5.0 m, at peak, falling


8 December

I headed up-Island with two items on my agenda:  One, to get photos of trumpeter swans in the fields around Comox.  There have been several reports of large numbers of swans on eBird, and I thought I'd see what was up there.  Two, to buy a batch of very fresh, very scrumptious Baynes Sound Oysters for my dinner.

According to the Cornell Ornithological website, during their migration in British Columbia, trumpeter swans forage mostly on grasses.  This is consistent with what I've seen here on the Island and in the Lower Mainland of BC.  This means that the birds are very visible against the green and brown of mowed grass crops.  I assume that that was what the folks reporting their numbers had seen this past week.

Unfortunately the Comox Valley had had an heavy snowfall recently before my trip.  It's not all that easy, spotting white birds on a snowy field.  I saw a few in flight (when I was driving in heavy traffic near Courtenay), and a few on fields, but didn't see much in their usual foraging spots.  By later in the day, when the sun cast shadows, they were an easier spot, and this cornfield showed them up quite well.


Ah well, I'll try again in January.

Despite the swan situation, the trip was rather amazing bird-wise.  

I stopped, thinking the tide was too high to see much, at Deep Bay--a very popular birding site.  As the name says, the water off the shore becomes very deep very quickly.  Because of this, in winter there is often an abundance of deep water birds, not usually visible offshore in most spots along the coast.  

Sure enough.  There was an abundance, as well as an abundance of birders and photographers (whom I did not photograph).  I wouldn't be surprised if there was a million bucks of camera and optical equipment on a short stretch of beach.  Wow.

But of course, the good stuff was paddling about offshore.

All three types of scoter, kicking up their usual uproar.  A bit far for me to photograph.

Long-tailed ducks in their winter plumage, also chatting away.




The lower shot includes a surf scoter.




...A loon, and a red-necked grebe, both in winter plumage.  These aren't particularly deep-water birds, but it's usually easy to find them here.

Also, definitely not deep-water birds, but jus 'coz it's fun to photograph them,


and the light was really good, an oystercatcher.  A very cooperative oystercatcher, who posed obligingly for all of us.

And on the subject of oysters, yes, I did pick up a little tub of oysters for my dinner and yes, they were scrumptious.

9 December

A very frosty morning.  One of the people I chat with in the Estuary commented recently that, among the other things that make it such an interesting place to visit, the changes in light can be endlessly fascinating.  I think he's entirely right, and this morning was a case in point.



The merganser pond, and the mergansers, also showed the light to fine effect.



Along the path leading to the trailhead, there were a pair of house finches--the male, an orange morph, quite striking.


They posed nicely for photos.


The heavy frost showed to effect on the Queen Anne's lace in the fields.

It was a very high tide, at 5 metres among the highest I've seen here.


The waterfowl moved into the flooded fields.

A great blue heron remained by the shore, preening 




The two eagles building their nest were at work when I arrived at the river, but one flew away before I could get a photo.  I think it was the male.  The remaining eagle stayed on for a bit, then she (I think) flew off as well.


The river was high, but calm.  There was a common goldeneye fishing busily.   I'm not at all sure what that is on his beak.


Again, I found the winter light on the river exceptionally beautiful.


Tomorrow the weather is supposed to be very windy and wet--a day for household chores, and reading.






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