a fairly pleasant, albeit a bit chilly day. There were a pair of swans here, but also a photographer blocking the site line so didn't bother attempting a photo - we've seen them before!
the Red-wing Blackbirds are getting into their mode where they hide down in the bushes....often bursting out when someone walks by....
and there are still a few Bald Eagles around...including this guy posing nicely!
Now the reason I thought I'd chat about Wrens is because of a sighting I had yesterday, not here at the estuary, but not all that far away... I'll back up a bit. Wren's, generally speaking, are little nondescript brown, insect eating birds that spend most of their time down close to the ground. Most sport a perky up-right tail and have voices much larger than their size would suggest. They also sing beautifully. There are a total of 9 species in North America, 3 have been documented here at the estuary and a 4th must have been here sometime, somewhere....
The most commonly seen wren here is the Pacific Wren (used to be called 'Winter' Wren)....
these little golf ball sized birds with the short stubby tail are the ones I've been trying to get photos of all season as they scuttle about in the underbrush, this photo was taken here several years ago.
The next most common is the Marsh Wren....we can expect to start to hear their buzzy calls along about the end of February and some nest here at the estuary on the northern side where there is the proper 'reedy' vegetation that they need to construct their nests.
The 3rd wren that has been documented here is....
the House Wren....I can't find the picture I took a couple of years ago of one at the log bay, this photo was taken in southern Alberta....we are sort of at the extreme western edge of their summer range, so it was actually a surprise to spot one.
Now the wren that must be here....is....
the larger Bewick's Wren, a species of wren who's year round range, includes this south western most part of B.C. Up until yesterday the only place I had ever seen them was at Island 22 Regional Park, across the Fraser River in Chilliwack. Yesterday we were walking in an area just west of Lake Errock - Lake Errock of course, joins into the western end of Harrison Bay and Harrison Bay is part of this IBA, so it was 'almost' here, but not quite. Certainly there are large areas of the sort of habitat that this bird likes all around the estuary so sooner of later I guess I'll be able to definitely add it to the species list.
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