Some pleasant surprises!

 The weather hasn't been the best the last couple of days, but even so, we have found a few surprises.....

before we get to them though, things have continued pretty busy at the estuary, pretty much equal numbers of Tundra and Trumpeter Swans..which is pretty typical for this time of the year.  Lots and lots of ducks as well....

I've already commented on the numbers of Robins and Varied Thrush eating the fruit of the Pacific Crabapples - well yesterday, this female Evening Grosbeak was also joining the feast.

Today we headed over to Harrison Bay....

it was such a dreary windy day we didn't expect to see much, but set off along the more sheltered part of the dike...

definitely looking very fallish!  and then....

we spotted this....a Northern Pygmy Owl!  Fortunately these little guys aren't timid so was able to get a better shot....

Quite the thrill.... a little bit further on

along the river....this gull was perched on the pilings but in the water at the base was...

this young Red-neck Grebe - still sporting the stripped markings....

and near by, this adult one.

A little further along...

spotted a pair of Bald Eagles carrying nesting material!  Watched where they were going and it appears this is a new pair building a new nest which is really exciting!  Will watch and see how it develops.

After seeing that pair at work, and with the wind having died a bit, we walked the other route as far as the nest that has been here for a number of years....

and were happy to see that pair busy at work as well.

Getting very busy!

 My Goodness but things are getting very busy here now!

this is just a small section of the 'flats' now that the water levels are dropping.  A 'guesstimate' would be 300 Bald Eagles out there today.

and they aren't just 'out there' - I don't recall seeing so many lining the shore line quite this early in the season before.

Seem's there are eagles perched everywhere you look!  Of course it isn't just eagles...

Seems to be a pretty good return of Chum Salmon too - look at them all along the edge.

and then there are the swans....both Tundra (on left) and Trumpeter....there were about 30 today but they are still hanging way out, not coming in near the shore yet.

and then there are ducks....lot's and lot's of ducks of all sorts...here some Hooded Merganser heading right and a couple of Red breasted Merganser looking the other way.

always a few Great Blue Heron around as well.

Today, there was also a pair of Belted Kingfisher flying around.  This one settled momentarily.  

The bird activity wasn't all out on the water....

the native Pacific Crabapple trees were full of American Robin.....

and Varied Thrush....

while Dark eyed Junco were in another section.

We'll leave today with this....

Trio of young Bald Eagles, along with one adult, seen this morning at the estuary.

They're back!

 The waiting is over.....

The Swans are back!  Of course it was so cold and windy that they were all hunkered down.

and it isn't just the Swans that are back...now the water levels are starting to drop, you can see there are a lot of Bald Eagles in the area as well....this was one section...

and another section....plus there were many riding the thermals over head as it was the sort of clear, cold windy day that eagles love.

Something else that has arrived...

is snow!  Really don't expect to see this in October!  Makes one wonder what is to come.

Waiting.....

 So far this month it seems like we are waiting.  Waiting for the rain to stop.  Waiting for the water levels to drop so we can at least see the salmon....and so the returning eagles will have some where to sit - at least where we can see them.

this is the log bay right now....still very 'full' 

the estuary isn't any better, although levels are dropping and with cooler weather in the forecast, that should help.

it is looking very fall like over at Harrison Bay....

yesterday there were a number of American Robins eating the fruit of the Pacific Crab Apple.

also some Gold-crowned Sparrows, like this guy.  Varied Thrush and Pacific Wren are both being heard....

I managed to get this little guy (Pacific Wren), today in nearby East Sector park (Harrison Hot Springs)

Back here at the estuary, we are now waiting for the first of the swans to settle, a few have been seen flying over, so they are on their way.

Mid Month already!

 Here we are, the middle of the month of October already and in keeping with the theme of this year of 2020, nothing is quite normal.

For example, here we are with the estuary once more covered in water!  Good for the fish, that I hear are arriving, not so good for the eagles that are starting to gather to feed on the fish as there is no where for them to land.

A lot of birds around right now....

of note, this, one of a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers seen this morning.  Also, I'm pretty sure I heard a Varied Thrush today.  Lots of Black capped Chickadees and a few Brown Creeper.

We got for a good walk over at Harrison Bay this afternoon....

you can see how high the water is.  Virtually no beach there at all.

still the Bald Eagles are gathering, like this adult....

and this juvenile......counted 13 in total along the length of the walk.

the usual smaller birds were out today as well, like this Song Sparrow.....

and this Spotted Towhee - I think this is a young one just changing into adult colours as the eye isn't as bright red as it will be an it doesn't have that many spots yet.

A bit of a surprise was this.....

Fox Sparrow - seems early for these guys to be showing up, but then everything seems to be pointing to an early and severe winter - and why not?

There was also a fairly large flock of these....

which I haven't been able to ID.  At first I thought they were Yellow-rump Warblers, but no,they aren't....they definitely acted very warbler like and were busy going over the poplar trees.

Last thing of note....

a couple of these large King Bolete Mushrooms - this one being nibbled on.

ELK!

 Have to say it.....never, would I have believed that one day we'd be able to look out on the estuary and see a herd of elk grazing!  I think I mentioned in my last post that people had been reporting seeing them.  Well tonight was my turn.

there they are.  In total, there were 7.  3 males, 3 females and a young one.

This shows their location from the road, and on the estuary itself....seeing them tonight was just the icing on the cake for a spectacular fall day that started out ....

with a misty sort of morning.....if this picture doesn't just scream 'Chehalis Estuary', I don't know what would, with a Heron siloutted on the shore, a bunch of Canada Geese swimming past and a Bald Eagle photobombing the whole thing.

 after lunch, it was a walk over at Harrison Bay with a perfectly calm picturesque scene...

another Great Blue Heron over here.  In fact there were all kinds of birds....

including a Hairy Woodpecker.  Must have been at least a half dozen Northern Flicker although none cooperated for a picture.

all kinds of American Robin eating everything they can find.  In this case, the berries of a Virginia Creeper.

Dark Eyed Junco were everywhere!  Also a number of Song Sparrows and Steller's Jay.

all in all it was just a spectacular early fall day!