28, 29, 31 October, 2 November

28 October

eBird data:   https://ebird.org/checklist/S121460401

weather 8:30 5C wind SW 6,  1:30 12C wind SSE 10, cloudy

tide:  11:00 am 4.4m

29 October

eBird data:  https://ebird.org/checklist/S121520943

weather:  8:30am 9C wind SE 7, 1:00 pm 14C wind calm, cloudy

tide:  11:00 4.7m, falling

31 October

eBird data:  https://ebird.org/checklist/S121643410

weather:  9 am 9C wind NW 9 , 12:30 pm 10 C wind NW 22, scattered cloud

tide:  11 am 4.5m, rising

2 November

eBird data:  https://ebird.org/checklist/S121753195

Weather:  8:30 am 4C wind WSW 7, 12:30 pm 8C wind NW 14, clearing

Tide:  11:00am 3.5 m, rising

28, 29 October

Two days of high tides, and abundant ducks.  

Fine light over the fields in the morning, showing deer to good effect.

In the ponds and channels in the fields, many ducks gathered.

On the 28th, the hooded mergansers were back on the pond.  

The male fished busily, while the female circled about the pond looking patient.  

There are sizeable flocks of songbirds in the shrubbery along the paths, waxwings, assorted finches and sparrows, big flocks of bushtits, 

and innumerable robins.

The Pacific crabapples attract many birds. There was a big flock of house finches this morning.

I've yet to see fox sparrows in flocks, but there are always a few present. 

Offshore, the high tide showed abundant ducks, particularly after three eagles set those in the field into a state of panic.

A young eagle looked to start the panic, observing from a fir tree over the fields.

The river is now high, in part due to the high tide but also due to the higher snow level leading to snow melt.

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The higher tide and raised river levels are encouraging the salmon migration.  I didn't manage any photos of migrating salmon, but I certainly saw them.

31 October

October ended chilly, but with some glorious light effects.  The cherry trees across the street from me were splendid.

Later that morning, there was a very bright rainbow over the Gulf Islands.

The tide was quite high, for a couple of mornings, 

and the duck migration is looking very busy.

There was a very industrious little hairy woodpecker in the forest.

Between the high tides and snowmelt from the mountains, the river has been very full.  

This is great news.  There was a concern that the river was going to be too low to allow the salmon to make their way upstream to spawn, but I'm now seeing salmon, eagles, and seals in the river.  All hopeful signs.

2 November

Although I often say that the Estuary is a wonderful place--never, dull, always something interesting to see--sometimes there are days that are just exceptionally wonderful.  Today was one such day.  There were interesting new seasonal visitors, good photo opportunities, fine albeit chilly weather, and some quite odd bird behaviour:  

The morning light over the fields,  often glorious, was--um--glorious.

Thank goodness for photos; words clearly fail me.  The second of these, somehow, reminds me of van Gogh.  Obviously the location is unlike anything Vincent was fortunate enough to see, but the colours and lighting call him to mind.

I've taken to ignoring the Nature Trust's notice about a closed pathway.  Obviously I'm not alone in this, as it's remaining well used.  It always was a very birdy bit of my walks, and today there was this curious flicker.

I gather that it's an "intergrade" flicker--an interbreeding of red-shafted and yellow-shafted flicker.  Never saw the like in these parts.  Folks seem to be finding it of interest, as indeed so do I.

The hoodies, bless their little cotton socks (oh well, I know--they don't wear socks but you know what I mean?) were on their pond, 

and today the male actually swam about close enough that I could get a good photo.  He's not displaying his hood, but I still think he looks rather charming.

Out on the observation mound, a flock of bushtits were busily feeding on the dried gumweed.

If you look closely, or enlarge this photo, you'll see that she has a gumweed see in her beak.  It WAS cold, and she's looking fluffy.

While sitting out on my duck-counting, coffee-drinking bench (warming up a bit), I watched what I think was a rather strange interaction.  There aren't good photos, but they show the event.

I can't recall an eagle and a raven sitting together as these two did--for maybe five minutes.  It wasn't just a raven hassling an eagle, which is not at all unusual.  They sat, and it really did look like a conversation of sorts.  You can see the open beak on the raven, if you enlarge the photo.

And then eventually, the raven flew off, and shortly thereafter a young eagle joined the adult...

...I'm appending a caption:  "MOM!  What did that raven have to say to you?!"  As far as I know juvenile and adult eagles don't really pair up after they leave the nest, but it certainly was an interesting interaction.  Or at least, I thought it was...

And THEN!!!  Oh Frabjous Day!  Back at the river, The Dipper Was Back!

Distant but unmistakable, and enjoying a catch of a small fish.  I'm thinking, not sure, but possible I guess, that the salmon migration has drawn the dipper as well as seals, mergansers, gulls, and eagles.  Dippers, by all accounts, are very partial to salmon eggs.  I'd surmise that some wash downstream below where the salmon are spawning.  I've seen dippers with salmon eggs in their beaks here.  Anyhow, I was delighted to see the return and shall certainly continue to monitor the spot.  

And now another Atmospheric River is headed out way, and snow next week.  I can't say I'm ready for winter, but the changed season has brought some fine sights.