New Year's Eve

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year.  Between weather and other complications just haven't had a chance to get out there with a camera ~ maybe tomorrow as we are having yet another dump of snow and then the temperature is supposed to drop and the sun shine which sounds promising.

Have to say have never seen the numbers of Bald Eagles along the slough at Nicomen and at the western end of Harrison Bay as there have been the last week or so ~ hopefully will be able to get some photos.

Wishing you all good birding in 2017!

Christmas Eve Day

What a beautiful Christmas Eve day we had here!

We'd had just enough snow over night to put a sparkle on everything.

these Bald Eagles were just at the start of our walk....feasting on one of the gooey salmon that are slowly get uncovered as the snow recedes.

conditions were so nice we decided to continue on over to the park.  This is the path as it currently exists!

got to the log bay and was busy concentrating on trying to get a picture of the Red-wing Blackbirds that were there....

when I realized I was being stared at by....

by this guy who was perched on the piling at the end of the bay....

here he is....and he continued to be completely undisturbed by my being there.  I turned to look back into the bay....

and notice somebody huddled in there soaking up the morning sunshine....

it was this Great Blue Heron.

Meanwhile....

my friend continued to happily sit there.

Leaving him in peace we headed for home and lunch before going over to .....

Harrison Bay where it was equally beautiful although without nearly as many birds as we've seen on our last few visits.

there were some swans, all Trumpeter's this time I think, and some eagles scattered along the shoreline beside the highway.

more eagles in trees along the shoreline, like this young one right beside the dike.  A number of Ruby-crowned Kinglets were flitting in the bushes but never did manage a photo of one, likewise the Spotted Towhee and Downy Woodpeckers.

we shall leave you with this....

First day of winter

So here we are, it is finally, 'officially' winter!  Seems like it has been winter for weeks now.

we got over to Harrison Bay today and what a difference a week makes.  Of course there is still snow but now it is walkable. 

We set out along the dike....

found a couple of Ruby-crowned Kinglets down in the brambles and actually managed to get a phot that even shows the 'ruby' crown!

There was a frustrating flock of....

House Finch that just kept flying along ahead of us.  This was the best I could get.  Also, lots of ....

Dark-eyed Junco. 

and as for Bald Eagles.....well they were everywhere!

perched on a stick....

perched in a tree....

perched in pairs.....

and then there was this....

don't know what the attractant was but think there are 18 of them out there, and that wasn't all....oh and then .....

there was this one, back to working on the nest!

Swans you say, well yes there were swans....close to opposite sides of the bay...

probably 40 or so on this side and a mix of Tundra and Trumpeter.....

and a hundred or more along this side and again, a mix....and then there is this line up of Double-crested Cormorant, with few on top of the pilings as well.

a lot of assorted ducks but all way out so hard to see just what....closer in...

this is one of two Common Loon we saw.

Back up our end, today was also the day when we finally were able to walk over to the park again....

and what a difference.....where did all the water go!

We'll maybe concentrate on this area more tomorrow but I will end with this....

Great Blue Heron in the afternoons rising mist.

Eagles and snow.....

With a reprieve in the weather department today we spent most of the day out shopping making sure we had necessary supplies for a Christmas dinner.....but before we set out did get for a walk down to the estuary....

it is still a vast expanse of white.  Normally you couldn't get this view but all the bushes are still flattened by the snow.

the ice on the water is melting and where ever there is open water there are birds...

including Bald Eagles.

At one point I was standing trying to see what was scrabbling in the undergrowth when this guy....

landed in a tree right across from me.  Purely an accident that I managed to get his photo!

He then proceeded to dare....

a second one from perching in the same tree....

it didn't pay the slightest attention and landed anyway.

One more eagle photo to leave you with...

sounds like tomorrow is going to be a decent day and with duties now done hopefully we will get out and get some pictures.

Snowed in Harrison Bay

As promised, we attempted accessing Harrison Bay today.  The road was fine and we were able to pull into the parking lot which isn't completely cleared but had enough room for a few vehicles.

the beach is covered with snow except for right along the shoreline which is all ice as the river levels drop.  With about 4/5ths of the bay itself frozen over....

the waterfowl are all concentrated where the water is open, and boy are their waterfowl!  Guesstimate would be well over 3 thousand.  That group of Swans are Tundra Swan....much more active and noisy....there are also Mallard, American Wigeon but also some Northern Pintails out there.

Trumpeter Swans were spread all over, including quite a few right along the shoreline.  These ones accompanied by some Bufflehead ducks which were also spread all over the open bay.

this group were accompanied by a Canvasback duck!  Not a species we see here very often.

here is a closer look at the female Canvasback.

Walking through the campground....

proved to be impossible.  No wonder it is closed 'until further notice'! 

here is another general look...

and here in this one there is a fluffed up Great Blue Heron, a few Canada Geese, some American Coot and some scaup among others.

As temperature was a steady minus 6 it didn't take long for fingers to go numb despite gloves and many clothing layers, so headed back home, with one last look....

now we wait for the next snow to arrive and to see how much we will get this time.

A few of today's visitors

With the temperatures still down well below the zero mark and the out flow winds continuing to blow we haven't even ventured down to the shoreline the last couple of days so am just going to post some pictures of a few of the many birds hanging about in our yard.

One of many Song Sparrows.  This one sitting in the sun.  We've got a few Fox Sparrows as well but haven't managed a good photo of one yet.

this Varied Thrush was headed to our little patio table that has become a bird feeding table.

Spotted Towhee spend a lot of time in the sunshine....

caught this Douglas Squirrel today eating snow.

the Anna's Hummingbirds are still hanging in there....

and today, the big surprise was....

a couple of male Purple Finch.  First ones I've seen since August.

Going to attempt Kilby and Harrison Bay tomorrow before the next snow storm hits.

Snowy estuary

Well we attempted doing a count today.

that is what the estuary looks like right now from Morris Valley Road where there is only one spot where you can pull off the road so rather difficult to see anything, especially with snow banks all along the edge, so it was a surprise...

to find this Wilson's Snipe....had to climb half way up the bank and sort of lean over it to get the photo....we actually got a glimpse of a second one as well.  Speaking of 'glimpses' there were 4 Pine Siskin on the road...eating seeds or salt, not sure which.

there weren't a lot of Bald Eagles visible but this guy was right down there and notice it has a leg band.

Next we drove down to the Harrison Bridge to see what was out on the river in front of the golf course....

again we were having to view over snow banks.

there were quite a few sleepy Canadian Geese down on the shore. 

hundreds if not thousands of assorted waterfowl out there, unfortunately just not possible to actually view and count them all.

Attempted to get down  into Eagle Point park but that was impossible too, so back home....

where again there is just no way to get over to the park right now unless you have snow shoes, which we don't, and even if one did the trail by the first bay would be impassable because of all the bushes being weighed down.

there was one Great Blue Heron out there...that was about it.

Now for the real frustration....99.9% of the time when I venture out of my door I have a camera with me.  Today, just once I didn't, I was just going to our laundromat to put a load of wash in a dryer and was a few minutes early so wandered around outside waiting for the time to be up....spotted 3 birds on the road....walked closer and they were....

Cassin's Finch!  Of course the above picture wasn't taken today but 14 or 15 years ago which was the only other time I have ever seen this species here.  It was a winter with conditions much like we have right now.  My big hope is that they will hang around and I'll be able to get some current photos.