Getting chilly!

A mainly dry day today but a bit on the chilly side….

maybe it was just looking at all the white stuff on the mountains that made it feel that way!  Water levels have now dropped back to last weekends levels.

Pretty typical for Bald Eagles today.  I ‘guesstimated’ in excess of 600 out there.

a total of 51 swans today.  The Tundra Swans, like this group were further out and in the largest numbers…  They were being quite vocal and occasionally rather agitated, not sure why, perhaps because they are sensing it is time to move further south – we usually only see the Tundra’s early in the winter season.

While the Trumpeter Swans, like this pair, were closer to the shoreline.

these are 2 of 3 young Trumpeter, making up one family group, for a total of about 7 Trumpeters.

There were more than that many people lined up taking pictures of them!

this pair of gulls, Glaucous-wing I think, although they look slightly different, were ignoring all the spectators and enjoying a salmon lunch.

Steller’s Jay and Black Cap Chickadee were mobbing something in one of the cedar groves….couldn’t spot what, but suspect a small owl, probably a pygmy.  Fox Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Towhee and Varied Thrush put in appearances and a huge flock of Pine Siskin, numbering probably several hundred kept flying about restlessly.

these female Common Merganser were the only ducks I saw today other than Mallards.  I love how they swim along with their faces in the water, searching for food.

There were various individual Bald Eagles scattered along the shorelines eating….sometimes being disturbed, but settling back pretty quick.