It has been a while!

Well I knew it had been a while since I'd posted anything - but I didn't realize it had been quite that long!!!  Almost 3 months....geesh!

We were away, came back, went away again for a little while and have been home again, guess my biggest excuse has been the weather - just too darn hot most of the time to go for walks....so looking forward to fall, but before that happens, we'll be away again, probably until October.

So lets do a little bit of catch up....where are the water levels?

well they are dropping....but still enough water out there for canoeing and kayaking and the path over to the park is still under water although won't be for much longer.  You will notice the haze in this photo taken the other evening....like most of B.C. we are getting smoke from all the wildfires....

this was Harrison Bay Sunday evening....see the beach is reappearing.

I guess the most important thing to report on is the success of the 

Purple Martin colony.  Every single one of those martin boxes has been used this year....in fact I'm wondering if they have each been used more than once because we've been seeing young purple martin since June and there are still young being fed.

here is a young one begging for food.  The colony has actually been so successful that this year another group of martin boxes have been placed on pilings just out from Kilby campground....hopefully this years feeding martins have taken note and when they return next spring, will start expanding there as well.

Appears there has been a good crop of 

Great Blue Heron this year too as there are young ones scattered all over out there, in fact there was one day a few weeks ago when we were canoeing that we had....

Twenty some odd heron circling around over head - these were just a few of them - something I've never seen before.

Of course....

Canada geese are out there in large numbers, in fact numbers are increasing daily it seems.  Mallard ducks are starting to return as well.  Up to 4 Common Loon spent the summer out there and quite a few Pied Bill Grebe, but no unusual visitors like last years Red-necked Grebe.

Haven't noticed anything too unusual in song birds either....

Eastern Kingbirds nested over at Harrison Bay again....

Common Yellowthroat were quite abundant.

and there seems to be a healthy population of Barn Swallows....in fact all swallows have been quite prominent.

Someone else that has become quit prominent and busy....

are Beavers!  Beaver houses and dams are popping up all over the place!

This being mid August we keep watching for shorebirds, but so far all we've seen are...

are Spotted Sandpipers....which of course spent the summer with us.

I guess I should mention Bald Eagles....seems there are more of them here this year than we've had other years....but just seem to be seeing adults so have no idea if the nest at Harrison Bay was successful this year or not.

So that is about it.....

I'll leave you with a peaceful scene from the other night on the river....with just a bit of mist rising....a sign that fall isn't all that far away!