Blog of the Plague Year(s)

22 October  eBird Stats: https://ebird.org/checklist/S121126387 weather:  8:30 am 7C  wind  W 7,  1:00 pm  11C wind NNW 9, clear tide:  11:00 am 2.0m, rising 24 October eBird Stats: https://ebird.org/checklist/S121259249 weather:  8:30 am 5C wind WSW 3,  1pm 10C wind E 12 tide:  11:00 2.3m falling 26 October eBird Stats:  https://ebird.org/checklist/S121359021 weather:  8:30 am 4C, wind  SW 6, 1:00 pm 9C wind ESE 3, cloudy tide:  10:30 am 3.5m, falling Here I am, back in home territory.  The Estuary looks a bit different after a few days of very welcome rain. Of course, it's not verdant.  It's the end of October.  But at least it's not that depressing dried out vegetation grey any longer.   The birding situation is a bit on the slow side, in part because there have been quite low tides the past few mornings.  This means that shorebirds and waterfowl are waay beyond view. That sa...

6 October Today I'm setting out for Banff, at present camped at Peter Hope Lake in the fine hill country between Merritt and Kamloops.   A really nice campsite with a lovely breeze.   The campground is quite full, and yes, there’s a rather talky family camped beside me.   There are young kids, so I’m hoping they’ll settle down early.   Mom seems to use the f-word a lot, which I find kind of odd around little kids.   There are four dogs, not unfriendly.   A pit bull looking sort who seems pretty calm, a little American Husky, a black lab puppy, and a huge mutt.   Actually, I’m really tired and don’t think any disturbances could keep me awake. I was up at 4:30 this morning to catch the 7:45 ferry out of Nanaimo.   The view from the ferry terminal was striking. Somehow I didn’t sleep well last night—I think it was one of those nights when you worry about waking in time so you don’t sleep.   Feh…   I misunderstood the regulations and left my...