16, 17, 19 September

16 September no data

17 September

eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S118913611

weather:  8:30 AM 13C, wind W5, 12:30 m  16C, wind WNW 17, partly cloudy

tide:  10:00 am, 3.3m, rising

19 September

eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S119041583

weather:  8:00 AM 10C wind WNW 6, 12:00 M 17C wind NW 10, brilliantly clear, felt colder than weather stats indicate

tide:  10:45 2.7 m, rising

16 September

On checking the reports on eBird, I saw that Deep Bay (about 40 minutes drive north of here) had several unusual birds reported.  It's an interesting area, because as the name suggests, the coast drops abruptly and the water offshore is quite deep.  This makes it a different habitat for birds than most of the coastal areas hereabouts, and different species can be seen there without a boat.  

It's also a very beautiful area.  In fact the First Nations folks there called the area "Where it is so beautiful."  



It was a cloudy day, with intermittent showers.

I've never seen such numbers of oystercatchers.  I know I posted an oystercatcher-Bonaparte's gull photo recently, but this one starts to show the density of the population.


The eBird report listed three species that I'd hoped I might see:  parasitic jaeger, common tern, and marbled murrelet.

I drew a blank on the first two, but by dint of asking a lot of my zoom lens, I managed an identifiable photo of the murrelet.


17 September

Another overcast day, with a high tide and views of the marsh and the Straits.



I had hoped to see more waterfowl with the high tide, but there wasn't much of a showing.  

There was a comparative rarity--a sanderling, probing the sand near the channel.  Another photo that asked a lot of the zoom on my lens, but will do as a photo of record.


19 September

A brilliantly sunny morning with a chilly wind.  The later sunrise backlights the forest, and the maples and birch are turning.  The combination is quite glorious at times.



The view of the Arrowsmith Massif now awaits a new snowfall--likely a trace next month.


It's some time since I've seen an owl.  This rather small great horned owl was very cooperative with photos.  I think it's a first year owl, with close to adult plumage although he lacks the white eyebrows of the full adult.  



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