cluxewe

 Three nights camped on the shore of Broughton Strait.  A lovely spot, owned and managed by the Kwakiutl band of the Kwakwakawakw people, who have made their home here for countless generations. 

This was my fourth visit here--I'm always pleased by what I find, although it's definitely nicer out of peak tourist season.

A view along the shore:

Port McNeill in the distance.

Pulteney Point Lighthouse on Malcolm Island in the distance.

There were two incredibly persistent steller's jays, who tried to persuade me to part with my pistachios.

I explained that I never feed wild animals, but they weren't persuaded.  It's possible they don't consider themselves wild.  

Jays tend to be chatty:  

Me:  No, I'm sorry, I don't feed wild animals.  

Jay:  squawk!  

Me:  Really.  I just don't.  Jay:  

Squawk SQUAWK!.  

Me:  I don't care what you say, no pistachios for you.  They're probably bad for you.  

Jay:  They look delicious!! 

...Nope, I didn't feed them, but they were persistent.  They showed up this morning, in hopes.  I've always had conversations with corvids, but I've yet to win an argument with one.

There was wonderful light in the morning.

"Cluxewe" has two meanings:  "Place of the changing river mouth," and "place of refuge."  It is on an estuary of the Cluxewe River, which was interestingly birdy this time of year.  

There's a fine walk along a spit, separating the estuarine area and the strait.  

There was an assortment of waterfowl in the river--

There are Canada geese in this photo, and I heard white-fronted geese flying over one night.   I thought the northern pintails were possibly early arrivals, and I'd not seen shovelers this far north before..

As I guess is true of most ducks, pintails in flight have a distinctive silhouette.   That said, I must say that my "bird in flight" photo skills are beginning to improve...  

The spit has very few trees, but they were habitat for two meadowlarks--one juvenile,

one adult in non-breeding plumage. (Still striking with the bright yellow breast!)

An eagle nests in the forest across the estuary.

I'll need to check it out next spring.

The spit abounds in driftwood and vegetation.

Offshore, there is a different assortment of waterfowl from that in the estuarine waters.  

Loons are close in to shore.  Only one retained its summer plumage.

There were several in winter plumage.

The water was decidedly choppy on Friday, giving this loon a chance to peek above the waves.

Harlequin ducks were present in good numbers.   

These harlies seemed to hang out with the horned grebe--at least on the two days I observed.  

One of the females has found a little fish--I didn't see a lot of successful fishing among the waterfowl, but they dove a lot, and it's possible I just missed their catches.

There were rafts of surf scoters by the mouth of the river, and this family (?) gathering:

Left to right, an adult male, an adult female, and an immature male, distinct from the female by the beginning of the white patch on his nape.

Further offshore, a flight of white-winged scoters made their way to join a raft.

 I'd never been at Cluxewe during the autumn migration before.  It was a very satisfying and restorative two days.