Pileated Woodpecker

Seems there is a change coming in the weather but today’s walk was done under cloudy skies but with still pleasantly warm temperatures…

Started off with spotting a dozen or so Mallards quite close to shore…the males are just starting to get back into their colourful plumage…they were very flighty as ducks tend to be this time of year.  Could hear some American Wigeons out there somewhere too, along with lots more Mallards.

Remembered binoculars today, so could make out 15 or so Bald Eagles way over by the Harrison River…a lot of gulls way that way as well – too far away for any ID.

The surprise of the day, was finding a Pileated Woodpecker…

and what was really surprising was where I first spotted him, and where he later flew back too – he appears to be eating the berries on a Red Osier Dogwood!!  I’m going to try and find out if this is something that they normally do.

Back over in the grasslands, wanted to show how important Pacific Water Parsley is to a variety of bugs…I don’t know what these bugs are but they are definitely attracted to these flowers…

It is so nice to have the Great Blue Heron back as daily residents….this was one of 3 or 4 out there today.

and the Dragonfly for today…

is a ‘Darner’….whether it is a Canadian Darner or some other variety I am not sure…I’m using a book by Robert Cannings entitled ‘Introducing the Dragonflies of British Columbia and the Yukon’ for these identifications but haven’t got down to studying the minute details needed to differentiate the various species yet.  All I know is that the ‘Darners’ are the ‘big guys’ out there…