Almost the end of the month

Here we are, almost at the end of July and I’ve been very remiss in doing any postings over the past week or so…

Water levels continue to drop steadily now, this picture was taken on the 25th…and shows, on the far right, the boat launch path gradually re-emerging…

You can now walk to the end of the upper portion (if you can stand the mosquitoes) giving hope that one day we’ll be able to walk out there again.  I understand that the path in the park is almost ‘walk-able’ again, except for two problems – there is still water in the very deepest section and there is also a large tree that has come down completely blocking the path – no doubt parks will take care of that pretty quickly now that the place is ‘dry’.

Not a lot has changed in the bird department….lots of young birds around now, American Goldfinch, Pine Siskin, House Finch, White Crowned Sparrows, Junco, Steller’s Jay, Black Headed Grosbeaks etc….

Purple Finch too,

and we’re seeing more and more of these Townsend’s Chipmunks…so speaking of chipmunks I thought I’d post a few photos I took up in Manning Park last Sunday – normally I would post these on by ‘Birding by Shantz’ blog, but I’m still working on my last Tunkwa trip on that one…so here goes..

up in the alpine meadows….

I found this Blue Grouse having a dust bath….the bird was very co-operative for picture taking…

at the lookout there were the usual Clark’s Nutcrackers…..

Common Raven….

and very pushy Chipmunks and Golden Mantled Ground Squirrels..

Look at the cheek pouches on this greedy little ground squirrel!

 

 

 

At the Beaver Pond there were a few Flycatchers, a Song Sparrow, and this Mallard family.

Lots of wildflowers everywhere, but those pictures will wait for when ever I get back to the other blog.

 

Any time now we can expect the shorebird migration to start….it would be nice to have some ‘shore’ so there would be a chance of some of them stopping by the estuary!