Blog of the Plague Year(s)

28 March   eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S105787410 weather:  8:00 am 7C wind W6,  12:30 pm 10C wind WNW 13, cloudy, then clearing tide:  10:30 3.2m, low, turning 29 March eBird data:  https://ebird.org/checklist/S105850599 weather:  8:30 am 5C wind calm,  12:30 pm 10C wind ESE 9, high cloud tide:  10:30 2.9m, low, turning Spring is springing.  The light these past two days has been glorious, although there are still some spectacular cloud formations. The eagle continues on her nest, although for the past two days only the top of  a white head has been visible in the nest. Shorebirds are beginning to appear.  There were more yellowlegs along the beach in the community park a couple days back.  I didn't have my camera, but here's the one from the Estuary. Today another regular to the Estuary and I managed to clear a path of sorts through the brush that had been hauled down to the link between Nerbus and Mills road...

  24 March eBird data:https://ebird.org/checklist/S105496007 weather:   8am 2.6 C, wind calm  12m 7.7C wind E 7, clear patch frost initially tide:  10:30 am 4.2m, falling 25 March eBird data:  https://ebird.org/checklist/S105557719 weather:  8am 5C wind SSW 2, 12:30 pm 9C wind NE 6, cloudy tide:  10:30 am 4.1m, falling Two very mixed days.  (I'm writing all this on the 25th.)  Some nice waterfowl at a high tide, a lovely flight of trumpeter swans.  I love the sight and sound of swans in flight, even though I didn't get photos this time.  The eagle is on her nest. Unfortunately there is once again a strange situation on the path leading to the Mills Road Trailhead.  I had really thought that the Nature Trust had cleared the fallen willow trunks and that the path would be open and manageable happily ever after. No such luck.  This is the path and for about thirty feet, it's virtually impassible.  I couldn't manage ...

19 March   eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S105164921 weather:  8:30 am 5C wind NW 5, 1:00 pm 8C wind NNW 8, cloudy, then clearing, wind variable to NW 19 tide:  11 am 3m, falling 22 March eBird data:  https://ebird.org/checklist/S105378839 weather:  8:30 am 8C wind SE 8, 12:30 m 9C wind E 14 tide:  10:30 am 4m, falling An unusually fine morning.  Initially cloudy and threatening over the Gulf Islands, with some striking lighting effects. There was an handsome great blue heron at the far end of the Merganser Pond. I opted for the loop into the forest in hope of finding the great horned owls nesting, to no avail.  There was a black merlin who took flight before I could manage a photo. I'd heard the surf on the Salish Sea during the night, and it persisted this morning.  Despite the Canada Weather Office, there was a chilly and strong wind. The eagles on their nest pose me a question:  What am I seeing? Both of them flew into ...

13 March   eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S104764413 weather:  9:30 am 6C wind calm  12:30  7C wind E 12, cloudy, then scattered clouds tide:  11 am 3.5 m 15 March eBird data:  https://ebird.org/checklist/S104890225 weather:  9 am 5C wind ENE 2, 1 pm 10 C wind SW 3,  unstable, cloudy, intermittent showers, intermittent sunshine tide: 11 am 3.2 m, low, turning 16 March eBird Data:  https://ebird.org/checklist/S104951468 weather:  8:30 am 0C, wind calm,  12:30 m  8C wind E 6,  patchy frost, clear then gradually cloudy and light rain tide:  11 am 3.1m, falling 13 March The weather is warming up gradually, although the skies often remain ominous.  I set out late this morning, because the forecast was for the early morning rain to abate by mid-morning.  Indeed it did. I've been seeing this strange rabbit, clearly domestic, wandering the neighbourhood.  I guess it's angora?  Its fur is grad...

8 March  eBird Data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S104455020 weather:  9 am 7C wind WNW 9, 1pm 8 C wind NNW 6, initially cloudy with light showers, then clearing tide:  11  am 3.6m falling 9 March eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S104507294 weather:  9 am 5C wind WSW 4, 12:30 pm 7C wind NNE 8, clear tide:   10:30 am 3.9m falling 11 March eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S104622530 weather:  10 am 4C ESE 16 1pm 5C SE 16, cloudy tide:  11 am 3.7m 8 March The herring spawn continues, although there doesn't seem to be much action off the Estuary.  There are many gulls and many boats, all headed northwards along the shore to where, presumably, the action is. (Those aren't flaws in the photo--enlarge the image and you'll see a big flock of gulls.) The morning started out quite ominous, and there were showers, but gradually things cleared. It was definitely one of those days when the clouds told their tales. ...And t...