Countdown Thursday

As the count down continues, the weather cooperated with only a brief shower today...

this was the scene this morning....the water level is dropping and it isn't visible in this photo but....

there is snow on the tops of all the surrounding hillsides.  This is to the west of the estuary but even Mt. Woodside had just a dusting at the very top.

It became apparent that there is a lot of activity out there...

there was a very large flock of diving ducks out there, this was just a very small part of it.  These appear to be mainly Barrow's Goldeneye but also noticed a few Common Goldeneye and...

Common Merganser....

and even a Bald Eagle....drip drying....

So we headed home after our first walk of the day...

the signs are getting ready to be put out by volunteers tomorrow afternoon.

So mid-day we wandered down to the boat launch again....

could hear Mallards...and if you look carefully they are all along the shoreline in the submerged bushes.  This Great Blue Heron flew by as well...

and....

spotted several eagles.  This one on the tip top of a tree over by Eagle Point Park, there were also a couple in the trees by the viewing platform and several up on the hillside beside the estuary.  I heard too that there were lots of them all along the slough as you drive across Nicomen Island on highway 7.

Our last walk of the day....

it was really active....lots of ducks all along the edges....some swans way over there and if you look really close there are about a dozen Bald Eagles in those trees.

another trio of Trumpeter Swans flew in at the same time.

Tomorrow morning we have been offered the chance to get out on the river in a neighbour's boat so hopefully I'll get a really good idea of just what is actually out there....