Blog of the Plague Year(s)

3 December eBird data:  https://ebird.org/checklist/S155699428  Weather:  1:30 pm 10C, wind NNW2, 3:00 pm 10C wind S3 clear Tide:  2:30 pm 3.8m falling 5 December eBird data:       https://ebird.org/checklist/S155810539  Weather:  10:30 am 8C, 1:00 pm 10C cloudy to patchy clouds Tide:  11:30 am 4.6m, rising 6 December eBird data:  https://ebird.org/checklist/S155859839  Weather:  10:00 am 5C wind WSW2 1:00 pm 8C wind NW9, cloudy, then clearing Tide:  11:30 am 4.5m, rising   3 December The morning of December 3rd was genuinely ugly--dark, wet, and windy--sufficiently unpleasant that I woke up, looked out my bedroom window and said, "Hell with it and went back to bed."  Eventually I arose, breakfasted and did domestic chores until around mid-day when the weather cleared.  I decided to take a short turn around the Estuary.  My decision was rewarded by spectacular sunshine and two young eagle...

9 November   eBird data:   https://ebird.org/checklist/S154088732 Weather:   9:30 am. 9C wind ESE 14;  1:00 pm 8 C wind ESE 14  cloudy, then rain Tide:   11:00 am  10:47 m, rising 10 November EBird data:   https://ebird.org/ebird/edit/checklist?subID=S154158408 Weather   10:00 am  7C wind W 9,  1:00 pm 10C wind SE 14 cloudy Tide:   11:00 am 3m rising 14 November  eBird data:  https://ebird.org/checklist/S154467084 Weather:  11:30 am 6 C, wind E8,  2:00 pm 8C wind E7  partly cloudy Tide:  1:00 pm 3.6m, rising 9 November Definitely November:  grey, chilly, sometimes wet.   The autumn foliage is starting to make its exit. My favourite bitter cherry is now showing its very distinguished profile. My botanist wizard friend Lynne suggests that it should be Grandma Maple--I see her point, there are indeed at least a couple of generations of progeny. The river is high and swift, th...

eBird data   https://ebird.org/checklist/S153974954  Weather:  9:30 am 8C,  2:00 pm 10C  clear to partly cloudy Tide:  11:00 am 3.7m rising If we are to believe weather forecasts, this was the last dry day for the entire week.  In any case, it was a gloriously beautiful day--possibly windier than I should have been out in the forest, but I took a chance, and was rewarded.   The river was very high--after heavy rain in past days, and a high freezing level, much of Mount Arrowsmith's snowpack had melted and was coming down the river.   There were two dippers, in what again looked like a territorial dispute. foliage along the river is spectacular. I took a detour from my usual route along the river, to check on Momma Maple--a truly splendid bigleaf maple with numerous progeny within the forest.  She, and her her offspring, all seemed late in turning golden this past month.  She is now quite magnificent. Back along the r...