16 May

 eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S110402970

weather:  8 am:  10 C wind WSW 9, 12:30 pm 14C wind NW 19,  partly cloudy

tide:  10:30 am 1.4m, falling


16 May

A chilly morning.  Springlike in its vegetation, but the wind made it cold.



In addition to hawthorn, the pacific crabapple is in bloom.


The river is high, muddy, and swift, after several days with heavy rainfall. (More about this anon.)



As a general practice, there is a "goose control" group who come out in the spring and shake the eggs of Canada geese, as (I guess) a form of contraception.  There are, however, always a few survivors, and I have to admit that the goslings are rather cute.


These were the first I've seen this season, out for a walk with their folks.

An annoying and worrisome episode:

As I sat, drinking my coffee and enjoying the view, a group of VERY young children (the oldest maybe five and the youngest barely toddling) appeared, rather casually overseen by two young women and a rotweiler (at least he was on a leash).  The women weren't paying much attention to the kids, chatting busily.  The little ones were really running about quite unsupervised, and passed out of sight.

Then one of them (maybe four years old) re-appeared, making his way quite independently back toward the path along the river.  It has some pretty well undercut drop-offs and sharp drops into the (as I said) swift, muddy, and full river.  No one seemed to notice his absence.  I shouted at where the group probably was--I could hear the two women blethering--"Hey!  Are you missing a kid?"  Neither of them appeared but after a moment or so, one of them shouted, "Nathan!  Where are you?"  And Nathan made his way back to them. 

It just didn't seem to me like a good place for loosely supervised very young kids.  I assume they were part of a daycare (sic) group.  It left me rather grumpy.  Seems like the geese did a better job of tending their kids.

…

On reflection, although this is a rather short and off-topic post, I think I’ll post it.  I spent today as part of a group of very congenial birders, learning some good stuff.

Tomorrow I need to go to one of the big-box hardware stores in Nanaimo and will hit Costco as long as I’m down there.


Thursday looks like a brooming day.  It’s supposed (fingers crossed) to be dry weather.


So Friday (maybe dry) is going to be the next day for me to explore the Estuary on my own, and write up.




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