3, 5, 6 December

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 eagles showing off.



The river was rising, after recent rains.  


As I walked along the river, a young eagle flew up and appeared to attack something on the opposite shore.


I never could see what he was feeding on.  As I watched, a second eagle, also immature, but with more mature plumage than the first, settled in a tree slightly downstream.  He has more yellow on his beak, and the feathers on his head are starting to show white.  He, too, watched the younger bird.


He didn't look as though he approved.

Eventually he flew down to the shore where the first bird looked to have finished its meal.


The younger bird had a wash in the river as the elder bird fed.



His ablutions finished, the younger bird looked as though he was trying to drive the elder bird away...



...but the elder wasn't persuaded.


Matters escalated--at this point there were shrieks from both birds--rough language.  


And then the younger bird surrendered.


I should have stayed longer to see what ensued, but it was getting late, and chilly, so I took one last photo,


and moved on.  The rest of the walk was beautiful, but a bit anticlimactic.  The waterfowl migration is increasing, with lots of noisy wigeons.


5 December

A day following on an atmospheric river, in which we got about 4 inches of rain.  It was warm, and much of the snow accumulation inland melted, which, with a relatively high tide, brought up the Englishman River







There was also a high tide, which changed the appearance and the duck population substantially.




A heron watched the tide and ducks, looking a bit sceptical.


It does seem as though changes in weather bring about changes in bird location.  I haven't seen pileated woodpeckers in some time, but there was a pair of them in the woods today.  This is the male;  the female stayed at a sufficient distance that I didn't get any good photos.


6 December

A dry, if grey morning.  

The forest is very quiet, and has a sombre beauty of its own.


The tide is a bit lower than yesterday.



The hooded mergansers, who used to stay in the "Merganser Pond," now seem to be spending their time offshore.


A northern harrier has been surveying the duck population the past couple of days.  After many "jinxed" photos, I was happy to get a clear photo of the female finally today.




More high tides are ahead, as is the Christmas Bird Count.  We'll hope the Estuary fields will be somewhat navigable.







 



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