Blog of the Plague Year(s)

 23 June:    eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S113644265 weather:  6:30 am 11.4C 10:00 am 14C, clear tide:  9 am 1.4m, at ebb, turning 24 June eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S113685675 weather:  7:30 am 14C wind WNW 7, 12m 19C, wind NNW 11, clear tide:  10 am 1.4m, turning  25 June eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S113761064 weather:  7:30 am 15C wind NW 14, 12:00m 19C wind NNW 11, clear to partly cloudy tide:  9:30 am 1.2m, falling Three days of fine weather and some nice birdy encounters. 23 June Out with Curtis for an early bird count.  Somehow although he always invites all of the Arrowsmith Naturalists, they seem to find 6:30 am way too early.  This is somewhat odd, as my experience is that birders will often take themselves out very early of summer mornings, more often 5:30 than 6:30.  And I have to say that the Estuary is very lovely of a summer morning. ..It does leave me incli...

17 June  eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S113131738 weather:  8 am 12C wind NW 14,  12:00m 15C wind NW 13, clear tide:  10:15 am 3.0m falling 17, 20 June A relatively quiet week, bird-wise.  Big tides, as (I gather) happen with the full moon in spring and autumn. Still not all that warm, although due to warm up on the coming weekend. Two charming females at the feeder by the entrance to the Estuary paths. ...Not a great photo, but  as far as I can figure, the upper bird is a  purple finch and the lower a black-headed grosbeak.  It's the first time I've seen a grosbeak at a feeder here. Offshore, the sandbar had a flock of Caspian terns as visitors along with gulls and Canada geese.   I did my usual cheaty bird id--photograph, crop and enlarge.  (I just can't be bothered to carry my not very good spotting scope along with a camera and binoculars.  Too durned heavy!)  If you enlarge the photo a whole bunch, it w...

14 June  eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S112942858 weather:  8 am 13C wind NNW 12  12:00 m 15C wind NNE 12 gust 27, clear tide:  10:30 am 0.8m 15 June eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S113005876 weather:  8 am 13C wind NW 12, 12:00m 15C wind NNE 6 cloudy tide:  10 am 1.7m falling 14 June Finally, a gloriously clear day, but rather windy. The massif shone, and is still snow-capped.  I think it makes a nice backdrop against the roses.   Very big tides just now.  I'm missing the high tides, which have happened at night, although I can hear the surf from my bedroom. It was quite birdy despite the wind.  There were more birds to hear than could be seen, but this quail and his lady friend were easily spotted. ...She was relatively quiet but the male was very vocal. There was an unusual sighting for the Estuary:  a juvenile red-tailed hawk circled. Not a great photo, but my bird in flight shots are improving ...

7 June eBird data:  https://ebird.org/checklist/S112396426 weather:  7:30 am 10C wind calm,  1:00pm 17C wind E 11, sunny tide:  11 am  3.2m 8 June eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S112483752 weather:  6:30 am 13.8C,   10:30 am 18C partly cloudy tide:  9 am 2.6m 10 June eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S112612569 weather:  8 am 15C wind ESE 3 12 m 18C wind E 12, partly cloudy tide:  10:30 am 1.8m 11 June eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S112704792 weather:  7:30 am 13C wind S 6,  12:00m 16C wind ENE 6  initially partly cloudy, then occasional showers,  tide:  10:30 am 1.2 m, ebb, turning A week of changes.  After a week away, foliage has definitely turned more towards summer.  Birds who have been busily nesting are now out and about, gathering bugs for their offspring.  There is still nesting in progress--late, it seems, perhaps because of the late arrival of...

  31 May Ralph River Campground, Strathcona Provincial Park 3:45.  I arrived around 2 o’clock, after departing Parksville at 8 am.  I stopped in Courtenay at the Canadian Tire—the best stocked CT on the Island, I think, and I was down to one bag for my vacuum cleaner.  No replacements were available in Parksville or Nanaimo, and Courtenay is enroute, sorta.   Campbell River is really growing. Yuk.    Lots of what look like time-share condos along the shore.  Gottoo be a cultural change from the salmon fishery and logging town. I headed west on Highway 28 for Gold River at around 11:30, starting to be ready for a bite to eat and a biffy break.  Nothing really presented itself until after maybe 30 km, a sign pointed to “Miller Creek Forest Service Recreation Site.”  I thought it was worth a look.  Indeed it was.  It’s quite a big campground, with a host-manager, lots of well-maintained spaces, many of which are on a big, ...