Blog of the Plague Year(s)

  A mid-afternoon visit that felt like a late-afternoon visit--still feeling the change from daylight saving time.  The low sunlight gave some fine effects. The juxtaposition of dark fir trees and open, lighted glades at a distance gave an almost mystical quality to the forest. There was a good fall of snow on the inner ranges and Mount Arrowsmith in the past week, but the weather has been unseasonably warm recently.   The snowfall has melted and the river is now in spate. Downstream, Mr. & Mrs. Eagle continue their nest renovation.   There was evidence of serious re-arrangement of branches and leaves, and the nest looks bigger.   In addition to the run-off from snowmelt and rain, it was a very high tide. The Salish Sea was host to many gulls, and a flock of at least 100 wigeons. I was happy to meet up with Deb Freeman, a very fine nature photographer and very pleasant person, near the duck-counting benches.  We chatted briefly, and she m...

  Glorious days in the Estuary. The River is high and swift,  and bordered by gold. Chum and coho salmon are making their way upstream, attracting eagles, mergansers, gulls, and the occasional seal at high tide.  The merganser in the foreground of the photo below is a male.  In transitional plumage, his wings are now black  and his head is starting to show the beginnings of the glossy black of the male birds.  The female behind him looks a bit bemused at the change. A beaked hazelnut tree along the path highlights the forest. Granny Maple (so-called because there are at least three generations of maples growing around her and because she is the Alpha Maple of the Forest) has retained leaves at her crown.    Downstream on the River, the eagles continue their autumn renovation.   Dad brings sticks to the nest.  Careful observation (and enlargement of the photo) shows Mom's back between the two big branches at the front of the nes...

  9, 23 October A return to the Englishman River Estuary after a ten day absence.  After three years living beside it, I still find the ERE endlessly fascinating.  There's always something new to see.  In my absence, October has definitely arrived.   The deciduous trees aren't yet in full glory, but there are patche s that simply gleam. Grandma Maple seems to be turning earlier this year. Last year, for reasons I don't understand, she was the last of the maples to turn. It was a high tide, and with the recent rains, the river is beginning to rise. Hearing sounds of construction upstream, I made my way along the bank to investigate.  No fresh outrages seemed to have appeared, although the area that will be under development certainly warrants monitoring.   I hadn't seen this tree before.   It looks to be a pair of maples, one of which has died, and become a resource for pileated woodpeckers, and the other half continues to grow into...