Getting busy!!!!

It is getting busy out there!

water levels are dropping down to almost ideal viewing conditions.  As we approached the estuary this morning this quartet of Bald Eagles was just across from us, busy feeding on salmon that had been left high and dry as the water drops.

up the other way...

could see some Swans and ducks. Most of the swans appeared to be Trumpeter Swans but....

but this one is definitely a Tundra Swan.  Now there are 2 types of Tundra Swans.  The usual is the American or Whistling....the amount of yellow on the base of the bill of this bird probably signifies it although I'm almost wondering if it could be edging into the rarer Eurasian or Bewick's version.  Maybe if it sticks around I'll get a better look as I had to really crop the photo to get this close.

here is the same bird with a bunch of Mallard and an American Wigeon....  so that was this morning, then after a trip into town, later this afternoon we put our boots on and made it over to the park and were we glad we did!

there was so much activity just too the south of the log bay...

lots of Canada Geese....

Ducks, including Mallard, Northern Pintail, Common Merganser....and a Glaucous wing gull.

and then a Trumpeter Swan family came gliding out of the little pond to the side.....

to join in the party!

In the bay itself...

there were a number of Common Merganser.  This is a young female....seems to be a late family.

also at the log bay...you can see the swirls from the spawning Chum Salmon and there is one lone crow perched at the edge....

not sure what it was doing just sitting there.

heading back there was yet another group of swans....the front adult is a Tundra (note the tiny bit of yellow at the base of the bill), the young one is also a Tundra but the one in back appears to be a Trumpeter....

and way out there, lots more swans and ducks...

and eagles galore!  Tomorrow am going to have to make a concerted effort to do an actual count as it is extremely important to get the high numbers counted and recorded in order to keep our IBA designation...

and for tonight's feeder section....well sometimes when you feed birds, you feed other things as well.  This was taken at  4:30 am the other morning...a Raccoon of course.

the peanut feeder was already on the ground....so now the feeders are getting taken down when it gets dark and put out again in the morning....including the hummingbird feeder which had been drained.

Relocating nest....for the 3rd time

Yesterday we got over to Harrison Bay....

it was a beautiful sunny, unseasonably warm day and the first day we'd managed to walk down to the location of the resident Bald Eagle pair nest since that wind storm we'd had a few weeks ago....

and here's what we found....a brand new nest is under construction...you can just make out the white head of the one in the nest....this looks like a rather precarious position for a nest the size of an eagle nest....but necessary.....

this was the location of their previous nest (took this photo on November 4th last year)....that whole tree top came down during the wind storm so that nest is no more.

here she is in the new one under construction.  Eagles do work on their nest in November and December, then often move on in search of food before returning, usually in March.  

There wasn't a lot of bird life around, probably due to the wind....not conducive to see seeing small birds....

there was one Northwestern Crow...

and the male Pileated Woodpecker.

Should show the water levels....

which are high, but dropping again, but means there was very little in the way of waterfowl out on the bay.

Now for some more feeder birds....lets consider the woodpecker family....in some areas almost all of the woodpeckers, Pileated, Hairy and Downy will come to feeders...and very occasionally they might in our area too, but the only one that comes regularly is...

the Northern Flicker....like this guy who was in my yard yesterday.  Peanuts in a peanut feeder like this one, or suet, are the favorites of these guys although I have had them come to just about any feeder and type of food.

another feeder bird is the cheerful little Chickadee....this one is a Chestnut backed (see the brown colour on the back), the Black-capped is another regular visitor in this area.  They love Black-oil sunflower seeds....well any sort of sunflower seed for that matter, also peanuts from a peanut feeder and suet.

Swans! and water?

So what is with the rising water?  Started out for a walk, expecting to go over to the park like we did yesterday and....

the path is underwater again.  The weather has been beautiful so where did it come from?  Only thing I can think of is there must have been snow on some mountain tops that has now melted.  Seemed strange...

What wasn't strange but exciting was seeing...

the first Trumpeter Swans of the season!  Haven't checked, but this seems a bit early to see them but I'm not complaining....have to be my favorite winter visitors.

there was more 'white' further out, but these are gulls, not swans.  A few Bald Eagles out there but partly due to the higher water and partly due to some duck hunting that was taking place out there today, there wasn't a whole lot around.  

just the general scene on another picture perfect fall day!

there was a large flock of mixed Black-capped and Chestnut-backed Chickadees in the bushes at the edge of the grasslands but none cooperated for a photo.  Also saw an Anna's Hummingbird but only guy that came out long enough for a shot was this Dark-eyed Junco.

Beautiful Fall Day

What an absolutely beautiful fall day!

brisk 'out flow' winds kept the air stirred up and allowed temperatures to rise to a record breaking 19 degrees....

if there is one thing Bald Eagles love, it is a clear, sunny day with a wind.  The above shot isn't as clear as I'd have hoped but I'm posting it as I took it this morning and shows not only the numbers of eagles are growing, but also the increase in ducks.

here is part of a mixed flock of ducks...mainly Mallard and American Wigeon....

I really cropped in on another section...this one shows a few Common Merganser and Canada Geese as well.  In other words there is just a lot of waterfowl out there right now.

here was the scene at the log bay  today....you can just make out the Chum Salmon spawning at the edge of the water.

more salmon visible in this shot.

Eagle close up for the day would be this guy who was in the 'eagle tree' beside the viewing platform....keeping his eye on what me and my dog were doing.

Back to feeding birds.....

A number of common feeder birds, basically all of the sparrows, like these White-crowned Sparrows are what is referred to as 'ground feeders', meaning they prefer to feed on the ground.  Throwing food loose on the ground isn't the best idea as it can attract rodents.  Fortunately these 'ground feeders' will also feed from any sort of flat platform feeder.  

Dark-eyed Junco also fall into the ground feeder category.  Fortunately none of these little guys aren't fussy eaters, they are happy with most of the inexpensive bird seed mixes out there.  Anything containing white millet, cracked corn, Black oil Sunflower seeds etc.  


If you really want to put the feed 'on the ground' then put just a small amount at a time in something like a clay flower pot saucer and don't replace until it is completely empty.  Of course this goes for any sort of feeder.  A little bit at a time.....so there is nothing left for the undesirables in the neighbourhood.

Up and down it goes

It is an 'up and down' time of the year!

Once the rain let up we got out to find all the paths down at the grasslands, underwater.  In fact at the height of it we couldn't even get down onto the grasslands....

but once the rain stopped, it quickly started draining away.  This was taken this afternoon.  Yesterday all that mud was underwater.

out there the gravel bars, or at least the grass growing on them, is starting to emerge again.  Another day or two and we should have optimal viewing conditions of the birds that are here.

Bald Eagle are perching where ever there is some dry land, the Canada Geese, of course are enjoying the 'lake' and those white things out there are gulls.  No Swans yet but that should start happening pretty soon.

spotted this native King's Cup Gentian growing in the grass out there today, a little beat up but not bad all things considered.  This is about the last plant to flower.

and now, a few people have asked recently about feeding birds....what and where to feed them....and since this could be a winter when the birds really need our help, thought I'd start giving some hints....

we'll start with the Steller's Jay....they can be loud and a bit bullyish although I've never found it to deter the other birds all that much.  If you want to be really nice to Steller's Jay, feed them peanuts.  Peanuts in the shell if you are really kind or to make it a bit more difficult (they can be gluttons) put shelled (raw) peanuts in a peanut feeder.  They also love sunflower seeds.  Cracked corn, often found in cheaper brands of bird seed also makes them happy as does suet.  If you are putting out suet this time of the year, before the cold really hits, then put it in a feeder that jays find difficult to hang onto, otherwise they will just devour it.

Next posting we'll deal with some other species that commonly come to feeders in this area.

After storm number two

All I can say, is 'oh my goodness' ......with 2 storms done but with a 3rd due to arrive, managed to get briefly....and here is how it looks around here right now.

at the estuary, the gravel bars have completely disappeared...and walking over to the park is now impossible...the path is underwater.

a few days ago there was barely a trickle of water out there....look at it now.

Over at Harrison Bay....

it wasn't just water....although our walk was cut short by this rain storm rushing in...

but the winds...that had been just screaming on Tuesday....wrecked a lot of havoc.  The Campground on the left side behind this screen of trees had to be closed while they clean up the mess....

of course all of this is actually 'normal'.  It is natures way of pruning and creating habitat....when big branches or tree tops break off like this, it creates future nesting sites for birds and other creatures to use.  

back up at the estuary, the high water is being made use of by the Canada Geese....

and there are a few Bald Eagles around, like this pair arguing over the same log.

Now we have another rain warning so who knows where water levels will be when that one is over!