Blog of the Plague Year(s)

24 August   eBird data:  https://ebird.org/checklist/S148005193 weather:  9:30 am 15C wind WNW 10, 12:30pm 19C wind NW  13, partly cloudy, some smoke tide:  11:00 am 3.4m rising I've been out in the Estuary occasionally of late, but haven't posted much.  Partly I've just had too much other writing to do, partly, the bird situation has been very quiet, and partly, the drought is sufficiently depressing that I haven't wanted to write about it. But this morning I screwed my beanie on and headed out.  It's cooled down quite a bit lately, and is starting to look autumnal. Unfortunately the autumnal appearance may well be due in part to heat stress and drought, but at least it's cooler.   The river is low.  I gather that the Arrowsmith water services are holding back water from the dam with the intent of releasing it a bit later in the season so there may be enough water for the salmon migration.  Here's hoping.  Meanwhile, it's low....

    27 July eBird data:  https://ebird.org/checklist/S145761646  weather:  9:30 am 17C wind NW 12,  12:00 m 20C wind NNW 9 partly cloudy tide:  10:30 am 1.6m, rising 1 August eBird data:  https://ebird.org/checklist/S146205234 Weather:  8:30 am 18 C wind WNW 10, 12:30 pm 22C wind NNW 9 Tide:  11:00 am 0.4m,  falling 2 August eBird data:  https://ebird.org/checklist/S146285483 weather:  8:30 am 19C wind WSW 3, 12:30 pm 20C wind NW 11, cloudy, brief light rainshower, gradually clearing tide:  10:30 am 1.3m, falling 27 July A belated start to a visit to the Estuary, with an early visit with a young buck, cleaning the weeds out of my gravel walkway. The depredations of deer in our neighbourhood is a mixed emotion, but I appreciated this youngster's clean-up job.   The river is very low, the Estuary alarmingly dry.  In general, the expectation is that trees will fall in wet and windy weather, but heat and dr...