Well we haven't left yet....and the water continues to climb, albeit slowly....so we went for another walk along the dike at Harrison Bay yesterday evening....
it was dead calm out there....so here is the flooded parking lot...
and towards the campground. Two days before we could actually walk into the campground- not so now.
quite a few damp spots like this now in all the fields, in fact all the properties that back the dike a bit further back have standing water in them, along the back edges.
this is a little disconcerting as this water is coming in from under the railroad tracks which form the dike in this spot.
As for bird activity....well there was quite the carry on ....
it seems the European Starlings have fledged 'en-mass' - they were all over the bushes and making sure everyone knew they were there!
caught sight of this female Common Yellowthroat....
this American Robin obviously feeding a family somewhere....
Speaking of families, while I was looking at a male Mallard in a flooded location, wondering if there were any mallard ducklings yet, we spotted....
Canada Geese in the few dry spots still in the campground and one pair had some freshly hatched goslings with them, but I couldn't get a photo through all the vegetation between us and them.
that poor Osprey nest is still hanging in there....just wish boat owners were a bit more considerate of their wakes. The eagle nest was occupied with one of the parents sitting up in it. Youngsters still too small to show up from the ground.
White-crowned Sparrows were much in evidence - especially this guy who really stood his ground as we walked by. Obviously a nest nearby.
a few Song Sparrows, like this one making themselves more visible than they have been lately...
This male Red-wing Blackbird is usually hanging about in this location, so again, must be a nest nearby. Notice the Red-Osier Dogwood flowers are now getting past their peak.
while the Viper's Bugloss is just starting to flower. Hopefully they won't mow it all down like they did last year.....all that vegetation sucks up water which is what is needed right now. Of course if they do mow it, we won't be here to see it. Sounds like they don't expect water levels to peak for another week or so yet.
The water out here continues to rise and already these photos will be out of date as they were taken yesterday when we headed over to Harrison Bay for a walk. Had to park at the Kilby Historic site because....
there is the parking lot where we usually park!
part of the campground was still dry but I doubt that is the case today.
rather concerned that that Osprey nest could be underwater if it reaches the forecast levels, especially when you have senseless boat owners creating huge wakes, as we witnessed yesterday.
speaking of nests, both parents were at the Bald Eagle nest yesterday and from the sounds, suspect that we have baby eagles....
thought this American Robin was packing food, but instead it appears to be muddy nesting material.
no doubt about this one though....see the baby European Starling peeking out of the nest site which is a crevice in this mature Cottonwood Tree.
hard to spot, but there is a male Bullock's Oriole in this cottonwood. Heard quite a few of them.
lots of American Goldfinch too, busy feasting on the dandelion seed heads.
Saw 4 different species of swallows - Barn Swallow above....
Violet Green swallow...
Tree Swallow, and we also saw some of the Cliff Swallows that nest under the highway bridge.
Singing White-crowned Sparrow. There were a number of Spotted Sandpiper all along where ever there was something resembling 'shore' but the photo I took wasn't focused.
still haven't seen a baby Canada Goose, but there continue to be a number of adults around.
Now, I'm not sure if I'll get another post done before we head out for a few weeks....so just in case I don't and you wonder what is going on - this is why. Should be back mid-June.
OK I know it is a while since I've posted on here but I hadn't realized quite how long until I saw the first picture of the last post.......It is now the 10th of May....so in less than 2 weeks we have gone from grasslands just getting damp to.....
this. Taken yesterday, we were canoeing into the log bay over top of the path....and the silly sign that is normally on that path? Well we canoed over the top of it too.
and you want the log bay? Well there is is and I'm willing to bet that by the time the water recedes in 4 months or so, there isn't going to be much of a bay anymore. Seems the beaver have pretty much destroyed all the vegetation that used to grow along the top of it.
the good news? The Purple Martin are back and enjoying the new nesting boxes.
counted at least 14 of them yesterday.
Here is another one.
Over at Harrison Bay the farmers have been busy getting a hay crop off before the ground water starts seeping up and the Turkey Vultures are very interested ....guess there have been little critters falling victim to the mowers.
The flowering trees are just spectacular this year....
Both the Black Hawthorne....
and the Pacific Crab-apple.
have seen the Snow-shoe Hare a few times....
Common Yellowthroat have settled in for the season....
as have the White-crowned Sparrows.
The Bald Eagle nest is occupied, have seen Song Sparrows and Starlings carrying food....spring is well under way.
