Well we are half way through the four day Backyard Bird Count, and it has been a pretty chilly endeavor! Yesterday, about the only birds that got counted were the ones that were going through seed and suet like crazy in our yard.
This morning, with the wind having died down a bit and just the odd snowflake coming down we ventured out....
this was the scene over at the log bay....a lot of the water is frozen, but there are actually little springs that feed into this, and the other bay, and that has kept the water open....those were all a mix of.....
Red-wing Blackbirds with some European Starlings mixed in....one wonders how birds can actually bath when the temperatures are well below freezing....but these were certainly busy doing just that.
The most exciting find this morning (in fact all day) was a Red-breasted Sapsucker. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get a picture.
After lunch we got brave and ventured over to Harrison Bay....
it was snowing on the hills, but no where we were. Started off in one direction, but it was obvious all the activity was back off of the beach at Kilby. Had to be well over a hundred swans,
This adult and young Trumpeter were some of a few in close by the beach. You can see the ice build up along the shoreline...also the young one is getting that 'patchy' look as it molts into adult plumage.
We turned around and headed the other direction...
more ice lining the shoreline...
that is the Fraser River way over there...
and when you zoom way in....that is ice flowing down the Fraser....
So back to birds...
here are a few bottom's up Mallards....there were also Green-wing Teal, a few American Wigeon, a very few Northern Pintail and one Ring-neck...
Tomorrow is another day and the temperature should be more bearable...whether we get snow or not is yet to be seen. We didn't really get any today...perhaps the birding will be better, or at least pleasanter to stand around looking for them!
No comments:
Post a Comment