February wrap up

 February 2022 has come to a damp close....

with the milder temperatures and rain, all the little guys that have been hard to find lately, were out in force today....

like this Song Sparrow, one of many.  As well there were lots of Fox Sparrow and Spotted Towhee down on the ground scratching up the grasses looking for bugs.

Days like today are loved by Varied Thrush, and there were quite a few of them out today.

As has been the case all month....

lots of Canada and Cackling geese....and every time one of the local Bald Eagle pair flies over, they all take flight....   I don't think the eagles would take down a goose, but they are certainly picking off the ducks that are out there.....with no salmon left to eat, they don't have any choice.

So, tomorrow it is March....one of the months that brings change....how quickly depends on the weather.  It is possible, the next sunny day after the beginning of the month, that Tree Swallows could show up. By the middle of the month, it will be time to start watching for Rufous Hummingbirds.  Mountain Bluebirds and Western Meadowlarks could be seen as they migrate through.  Numbers of Northern Flicker and Dark Eyed Junco also tend to increase as they too, migrate through....and of course the plants will be waking up too.  Dandelions should flower soon,  also Salmon Berries....and on and on it goes.

Nesting season will also get under way with some species....

this female Northern Flicker appeared to be checking out a potential nesting site today while her mate perched nearby.

This return to winter has continued.....

 with even a dusting of snow over night. The cold temperatures have led to some beautiful sunny days though!

the fields in the area have been full of Trumpeter Swans.  Probably 300 or more all told

there have been lots of them out on the water as well.

the Bald Eagles have been active.  Yesterday this pair were working on their nest again...

while the other pair were enjoying something I could quite make out.  This one, the male I think, was eating...

while it's mate was either objecting or cheering him on....not sure which!

on the river there have been Common Mergansers

some Northern Pintails (this one the male)

and Common Goldeneye - also a male

today's offering was a Common Loon.

Despite the cold temperatures....signs of spring are showing up...

the Osoberry (formerly known as Indian Plum) is leafing out with the flower buds showing, probably another week and they should be in flower...

and then I noticed....

Horse tails, just starting to poke through the ground.

these pussy willows have been out for a month or more....still waiting to see a dandelion in flower....don't imagine it will be long once the cold weather moves on.

Back to Winter

 Well it seems that winter has returned.

and that means that we have nice sunny skies but brutal cold winds.

due to the winds, there wasn't much of anything around....these few Mallard and Northern Pintail, were about it.

yes that is ice along the shore.....with a male Northern Pintail duck riding the waves

ice forming around the pilings again....fortunately this weather is supposed to ease in another day or so....sub zero temperatures are easier to take in early January than in late February when you've been getting keyed up for spring.

just as cold here at the estuary

playing with a new camera....obviously need some practice....this Spotted Towhee was about the only bird around, or at least brave enough to venture out from under the vegetation.

a Song Sparrow was the other.

Half way through the Backyard Bird Count

 As usual, the weather hasn't been terribly cooperative for the 4 day Back Yard Bird Count.  Neither have the birds been....but seems they never are!

The first day we counted here at the estuary and then walked along one portion of the dyke

found a Song Sparrow at the estuary....

then over at Harrison Bay, the sun shone....

started off by spotting this Cooper's Hawk, which maybe explains why there wasn't much else.

it was nice to see the Bald Eagle pair at their nest...

there was a very quiet Steller's Jay as well.

Today most of our birding was done by vehicle as we drove around nearby Nicomen Island and checked out the Deroche Slough.

Hopefully tomorrow won't be quite so wet, and Monday promises to be sunny but chilly....we will take chilly over wet!

A couple of rarities

 I guess the rarity for today was sunshine!  Actually there was one rarity noticed today..

one Eurasian Wigeon mixed in with hundreds of American Wigeon and Cackling Geese in the fields....

it was yesterday that had a couple of surprises....

it had been another dull, grey, cloudy day....

in the morning I'd had a couple of cooperative Anna's Hummingbirds....this one a male....

and this youngster.  

but it was in the afternoon when first I heard a call that sounded 'finch like' and finally spotted....

this, way up in a tree.  Had no idea what it was until I downloaded the photo....turns out it is a Common Redpoll!  We do see redpolls in winter sometimes, usually mixed in with Pine Siskin...have no idea why this one was all by itself but a treat to see and actually the first time I've seen one over by Harrison Bay.

could hear a number of very agitated crows a little further along....

and this is why....a Peregrine Falcon! that had obviously just had a very good meal judging from the size of it's crop!

worthy of another look as this is another species I've never seen over at Harrison Bay...and only about the 3rd time I'd seen one in the IBA area.

heading home, the fields continue to be well populated with mixed Canada and Cackling geese.

There otta' be an Otter, and there was!

 IBA's aren't just for the birds.....they are bio diversity areas, and today we got a chance to prove that....

out there on Harrison Bay, noticed something on the floating logs, closest to the middle pylon...

a River Otter!  

not something we get to see everyday....

worthy of one more picture....

apart from the Otter sighting....

there wasn't a lot on the dead calm river....

a couple of Common Loon, like this one, a few Common Goldeneye and that was about it.

down in this little puddle, which will become larger later in spring...

a pair of Mallard, suggesting spring is on it's way.

Geese, geese and more geese

 Things have been pretty much the same since the last posting....weather has been kind of cool, grey and drizzly.....

lots of beach and the last few days, probably due to lack of human activity....

the beach has been covered by geese....both Canada Geese, like the two laying down, and the smaller Cackling.  There are still hundreds of them in the fields as well....

also out in the fields....

ducks - masses of Northern Pintail and American Wigeon with a few Mallard thrown in.

A few other things have been spotted as well....

a Cooper's Hawk.....

an American Kestrel....this is a male 

you can usually see a Downy Woodpecker everyday

in the quiet pond, a pair of Mallard and a male Hooded Merganser.

It has been quiet up at the estuary too...

this was this morning...

Now, a bit of an explanation......the areas showcased in this blog are a small part of a very large I.B.A.  I.B.A. stands for Important Bird and Biodiversity Area.  IBA's in B.C. usually have a volunteer 'caretaker', which is a position I have had for many years and am pleased to now share, and are overseen by a provincial Coordinator.  

Introducing our provincial coordinator, Liam Ragan whom we met with last weekend and new co-caretaker, Mary and myself.