27, 30, 31 March, 3 April

27 March 

eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S131998209

Weather:  9:00 am 6C wind ESE 8, 1:00 pm 9C wind E10

Tide:  11:00 am  3.8 m, falling

31 March

eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S132317750

Weather: 9:00 am 7C wind SSE 12,   1:00 pm 7C SE 27, gust 38, cloudy, then light rain

Tide:  10:30 am 3.3m, turning


3 April

eBird data: https://ebird.org/checklist/S132632237

Weather:  10:00 am 6C WNW 17,  2:00 pm 8C NNE 11, clear

Tide:  2.6m, low, turning

27 April

A splendidly sunny morning.  Both the bird populations and the flora are springlike, although the nights are still frosty.

Red-winged blackbirds chime in the thickets.  They now display their splendid red epaulettes on taking flight, but I've yet to capture a photo.


It was a brilliantly clear morning, but the wind still has fangs.  


The low tide reduced the view of waterfowl, but there was  a clear vista of Lasqueti and Texada Islands, both finally clear of snow.


A red alder tree displayed male catkins and female cones.  

I still saw red crossbills.  The females are yellow.


It's delightful to see the first wash of green over the smaller shrubs, glowing in sunlight.


30 March

I spent the morning of March 30th in the woods of the French Creek Estuary Lands.  Jim Helin, a First Nations carver and singer, and Richard Boyce, a film-maker also very knowledgeable about trees, led a walk and then spoke about the area.  It was very informative.  I'd planned to spend more time in the area in the afternoon, loading more photos of flora and birds, but did a quick detour to French Creek.  (No washrooms in the FCEL.)  

On my way back I stopped at Columbia Beach to sit and enjoy a bit of lunch.  As I sat, I could hear Brant and scoters offshore.





Abandoning my cheese sandwich, briefly, I fetched my camera and binoculars from my truck.  Sure enough, there was a big raft of mostly surf scoters offshore, swimming about and in true scoter fashion, arguing vehemently.


A flight of what I estimated to have been about 300 brant flew past.



I thought they might have headed along the shore for the Tryon Ponds, where people had reported brant sightings earlier in the week.

Still nibbling my sandwich, I made my way to the Ponds.  Sure enough, there they were.


I spent about half an hour watching them, and in that time, they were joined by another two flocks of about a hundred each.  Lotsa brant!


There were also a few black-bellied plovers.


Eventually I returned to my truck, and drove back to the French Creek lands.  Two herons were fishing in the pond.  One hid (mustn't say "ducked") behind a tree, but the other was quite cooperative with photos.




31 March

Back at the Estuary, with March going out like a lion.  Windy, then light rain.  Not really inviting, but good to be out.

A mid-tide turning, a good showing of ducks and the inevitable mix of gulls.


The duck population was watched by this quite intent young eagle.


Spring continues her approach.


As I was photographing the cherry plum below, I had a rather sad conversation with a pleasant man I often meet walking the paths.  He asked me what I was taking a picture of, and when I replied, "the flowers," he said he hadn't even noticed them!  The tree has been in bloom for well over a week.



3 April

Although the nights and mornings have remained chilly, the season is advancing.  Trees are in full bloom,


to the apparent satisfaction of this song sparrow, who is snacking on the blossoms of a crabapple.    

I've always found the first blossoms on salmonberry vines a cause for celebration.


More will have appeared by now, but this rose pink always attracts my attention.


The first skunk cabbage are appearing.  Although the leaves and blooms are toxic for humans, bears seek them out as a laxative after emerging from hibernation.  Go figure--lying about in a torpor for six months, things must slow down considerably.  First Nations folks wouldn't eat skunk cabbage, but found it very useful as a wrapper for food.  

AND!!  After some weeks of not seeing the eagles on their nest, there one was!  

Not real obvious.  I saw her (...I think, beak looks chunky) fly into the nest, and another adult leave.  And then, as usual, I couldn't see her, but as I walked along the river, looking back, I caught a glimpse of white above the edge of the nest, and then, yes indeed, an white head and a golden beak.  It's a difficult spot, but I now think there's an angle where I can see the nest's occupant.  I hope.  

As the newscasters used to say, "That was the week that was."  A fine week.














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