7, 8, 9 December

7 December

eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S123608438

weather:  9:00 am 3C wind SE 7,   12:30 pm 4C wind  ESE 13  cloudy

tide:   11:00 am 3.6m low, turning

8 December

Day trip to Deep Bay, data unavailable

9 December

eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S123700636

weather:  9:00 am  0 C, wind SSE 8, 1:00 pm 4C wind SE 18 gust 27  cloudy

tide:  11:00 4m falling

7 December

Warming up a bit on a grey day.

The Merganser Pond is still mostly iced over.


It isn't evident but there are a little cluster of mallards at the far end of the pond.

It begins to appear that the peregrine falcon has taken up residence for the season.


He looks a bit less fluffy today, thanks to the warmer weather.

The tide was moderate, and the duck population was well represented out on the straits.


I watched Big Momma Eagle working at her construction project.  She is quite amazing, lifting and arranging branches.  (NOT twigs--branches!)  





The dippers were busily hunting goodies at the upstream rapids.  


8 December

Finally the weather is warm enough that I don't have to worry about black ice on a drive up-Island.  People have been reporting that there's a Whooper Swan up with the Trumpeters near Courtenay, so I've been looking forward to driving up to see this bird--quite uncommon in these parts.  

Off I went, also hoping I might get some photos of long-tailed ducks offshore at Deep Bay.  And of course, buy a batch of oysters.

Struck out on swan and ducks.  Oysters were scrumptious.

There were some nice shorebirds at Deep Bay.


Dunlin tend to cluster together.  It's behaviour that makes them easier to spot.


This black-bellied plover is in his winter plumage although there does look to be a trace of the black plumage left.



I can't remember the First Nations' name for Deep Bay, but as I recall, it translates to "The Place Which is So Beautiful."  Quite right, too.

9 December
A very dark and ominous morning.  Still, it was a birdy morning, as Curtis, the alpha birder for Nature Trust told me when I met up with him.  

Actually I've seen more species on other mornings but it was fairly lively.

The hooded mergansers were busily fishing their pond.



The tide was fairly high, and yes, it was ducky.



The wind made sitting, drinking coffee, and counting ducks less enjoyable than usual.  I moved on, eventually, to find Big Momma Eagle sitting in her tree, at a guess waiting for her partner to fetch construction material.  She mostly does the construction, he brings the material.  



There was a nice pair of varied thrush in the Pacific crabapple tree beside the river.  Only one cooperated with photos.



It was a better morning than the weather had led me to expect, but I certainly heard the call of hot soup for lunch.  
















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