11 December

11 December 

eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S123832306

weather:  9:30 am 5C wind W6, 2:00 pm 6C  wind WNW10, cloudy

tide:  12:00m 4.1m falling

It begins to look as though I'm going into hibernation.  Yet another late Sunday morning start, but again, one that was rewarding.

It also begins to look as though I'm moving into gumboot season.  It was a high tide last night, and the west trail leading into the Estuary was impassible, or at least in hiking boots, on which the waterproofing has ended.  I'll do something about that, but for now, I think it's gumboot season.  


So I re-routed to the bank of the river, where I was happy to watch the dipper for some time.



I'm not sure what he was doing with the willow leaf...

I was joined by Janet and her really nice little dog, Sadie, who is mostly a Nova Scotia Duck toller, a small retriever with an absolutely delightful personality.  We chatted a bit and she mentioned that there was a beaver construction project downstream.  Somehow I'd missed it until today--I think it was an example of very speedy beaverwork. 

It's not really clear in this photo, but it looks as though he/she/they are assembling a larder of small branches and bark across the river.  I don't actually think they're building a lodge here--the river is too deep and swift and I'm pretty sure beavers know better than to do that.  (Unlike some developers I might mention...)




I suspect they're bank-dwellers, who are cutting down quite big trees (these would have about 30" diameter) to gather the branches to store as food.  Beavers are apparently the only mammal that can digest wood pulp.  I've never actually seen this but apparently their excreta is rather like sawdust.   

That was an interesting find, but eventually I made my way downstream.  The eagle construction project looked to be paused for the moment.

Out at the point, I sat, drinking my coffee (most welcome--it was a rather dank and chilly day), and counting ducks.  There was an unusual visitor:




I hadn't seen a red-breasted merganser along the Estuary shore for over a year. 

There were also the usual abundance of wigeons, American and Eurasian, mallards, a few buffleheads and goldeneyes, and two noisy oystercatchers.  (A noisy noise annoys a noisy oystercatcher?)  I don't know, but they were doing their usual calling.

A long but very enjoyable morning.  Home to a pot of hot soup, much needed.


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