10 to 14 April

10 April  Shorebird survey at Deep Bay, no data available

11 April  Brant count, shore NW of Parksville 

14 April

eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S133741674

weather:   8:30 am 3C,  wind SE5, 1:30 pm 9C wind ESE 18 gust 20, sunny

tide:  11:00 am 3.7m, falling

A week of more or less spring like weather.

10 April

The shorebird survey at Deep Bay was more productive than last month, although the tide still seems too high for observing shorebirds.


There was a little cluster of harlequin ducks.  I'm not sure what these two were up to--it looks like a confrontation.

11 April

An unsuccessful brant count, sorta.  No brant, but some nice shorebirds.  


There are some very nice beaches northwest of Parksville.  I'd not seen many of them, but going out on the survey with locals has broadened my view.

There were big flocks of Bonaparte's gulls.


Dunlins fed along the shore, joined by a lesser yellowlegs.


There were two black-bellied plovers feeding along with the dunlin.


12 April

Spring has definitely sprung, ...


...just ask this robin, if she can find time from gathering nesting materials to reply.


The band-tailed pigeons are returning.

As are the rufous hummingbirds, although I don't yet have a photo.  


I do have a photo of red currant in bloom, which seems to draw the little rufouses.

There are starting to be shows of wildflowers.


Nuttall's toothwort is appearing



as are trillium, although they are still rather scarce.  

14 April

A sunny morning, with a brisk wind.  


Two black-tail deer browsed in the fields.

 

A handsome young eagle surveyed the shore.

Along the river, an eagle is on her nest.


It's quite a big nest, even for eagles, and it takes a bit of looking to spot her.  If you can't see her, enlarge the photo and look at the top of the nest.  She's there, watching.



The skunk cabbage is flourishing.  

And finally, a sleepy barred owl.


I watched for some time, and saw something new to me.  Every now and then (not often enough to video) s/he would click her/his beak, apparently still sleeping.  Now I need to know:  do birds, dream?  It looked like a dreaming critter.

And so the season advances, most welcome.
















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