Back!

We're back.  In fact everything's back!  We are back from our travels, the Chum Salmon are back, the Bald Eagles are coming back and even some Swans are back....

So let's break it down....

Finally found the time to get out for a walk today....as you can see, what isn't back, is the water!  In fact it is extremely low....but that has been a common theme the last few years at this time.  Remember last year we were concerned about the lack of water and then within just a few weeks we had too much water....always an adventure to see what each season will bring.

and here is the 'first bay'....no fish spawning in here until water levels rise.  No Bald Eagles anywhere today either, at least during the walk, but we have been hearing them and yesterday afternoon there for 18 or so soaring over the estuary....so they are around, just not in great numbers yet.

There was a small flock of....

Yellow rump Warblers moving through the area around the first bay while we were there, also heard a Song Sparrow but not much else seen or heard in the way of birds.

Fortunately, there is enough water just off of the 'log bay' to support a few salmon (and gulls)

here is a closer look at some of the Chum Salmon....

seem to be a number of the smaller, daintier, Mew Gull....like this one... This is the gull that likes to either fly up, diving in head first for salmon eggs or else to spin around in tight circles, which disturbs the bottom and causes eggs and other tidbits to rise up within grabbing distance.

Not sure about this one....can't really tell if it has a light eye or not.  If it does, it's a Herring Gull, if it doesn't, most likely a Thayer's Gull.  Thayer's have bright pink legs, but as you can see, the legs are visible.

this view, looking south shows just how lacking in water it is out there right now.  Look, though, at the mountains in the distance with their topping of snow. Even Mount Woodside, the little mountain on the east side of the estuary, had a topping of snow this week - the earliest I can recall that happening.

  The fact that winter has arrived hard and fast to the interior is probably why some Swans have already been spotted on Harrison Bay...pretty much a month sooner than normal.  Going to need a lot more water before we can expect to see any up our way.

Just a view of the log bay itself.  There were a few Dark-eyed Junco's on the edges but not much else.

Only other thing of interest were these fungi growing along side the trail.  Ones closest to the trail had been stomped on (why do people have to do that?!).  Fungi are one of those things that just says 'Autumn'.

Should note that there have been Canada Geese around and a few ducks.  Lot's of Steller's Jay....of interest is one whose entire tail consists of one pure white feather!  Have also had reported to me a pair that are lighter blue than normal and 'pleasanter' 'less obnoxious' in behavior.  Haven't spotted them myself, at least not yet.  Although Steller's Jay are strictly a B.C. bird, they do vary slightly in different regions and I'm wondering if these might be ones normally found further north that have been forced south in search of food.  With the thousands of hectares of burned forests in the center of the province, there are liable to be all sorts of birds this winter, forced further a field in search of food.  It could be a very interesting winter. 

Project Feeder Watch starts in less than a month.  If you are interested in taking part in this Citizen Science project, just go the Bird Studies Canada Website.

Sounds like the coming week is going to be wet, which might bring water levels up a bit....we will try to get out between showers, and check out what is happening at Harrison Bay.