I'm still, ridiculously, without internet at home. Here's a post I wrote yesterday and am posting from the internet cafe. I hope I'll be back in regular action soon! Then I can catch up on all your comments and blogs as well as post more often.
The other day I said it seemed like we had been experiencing all four seasons in the span of a couple weeks. Here’s a photo that demonstrates the meeting of winter and spring: some blossoming purple dead nettle (Lamium purpureum) half-buried in the results of our torrential hail storm :
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLeC2Y3RbP1-WViJ3Y5ul8JaSPOBuyo-wjihNn0NZqcxhEz_mXibrxcPlQ4LZffT4xQ0dhzkzQFKUevVp6EcY9me8sY-N9qsF9ZoSuLyp9KE5vfDKcxkSjc6YRKic1PMuqcFm5jrloTvU/s400/ClashofSeasons.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVtNvin5dCZZlxwMDPKD2KaL8wzxhSzg0lVQtpgPcaK9AyqcNoC9OVxXkw80PS3i-VeQ1suygT-Dgg9CEMvwZLgia9Z5Enp8JWWjih6evdSo42m7PRNQhr-sKvnROsLRtfiu_pRCiarPQ/s400/CardamineNuttallii.jpg)
The weather has remained windy every day, and cloudy every day except one. I took advantage of that afternoon to head down to Third Lagoon near the south end of the island. On the way there, I had to pull over to take a photo of this impressive cloud formation looming over Vancouver Island.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXuHXR7lZVDmJM6aetZWalG5r776h_JotbGV2u8lVbjuo_pZlVdz1sLrxOGf2tJjCXvZ5haIGSr_WGZHG6MgciCTeE9MGhkfPa9rxNzE7SoffJtsGSDHCrbAFA6cADbadon5j_LSCa6XE/s400/ImpressiveClouds.jpg)
It was beautiful at Third Lagoon, where we were partially sheltered from the breeze.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHumz9MpZuZMYqrzDMRqbhCTwmKZZHUxArH9MqlSQUlZsa3LHSjjhswF08EKDTlKiRh_hD1CsCFcLjO-_jHdYtq1M684r0ehWny_6qb-K0P2Q2dyaEs7vXaJVpHH7X8gyk5fkS0aLVcGo/s400/ThirdLagoon.jpg)
There were some neat plants and intertidal creatures that I’ll feature in my next post, but the bird-watching was pretty good as well. Several small flocks of bufflehead still in the bay, and some green-winged teal in the lagoon being watched over by a belted kingfisher. Check out this photo of a foraging great blue heron with a feeding sub-adult bald eagle in the background. A black oystercatcher was nearby with a limpet in its beak, but I couldn’t quite line all three up in the same photo!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZ0basWvwyALhObak4t11QyAhj0OnDhVyAdYwahUXKl1Sofl3cuFRlnPNYeY5NtrR-t8suwcBJyZSP8V2c8MhdvAvVewbcTYbsphRC0HVnUOXbLVmBN9ONwjTkBQ7hp7P-WjDBueL-00/s400/HeronAndEagle.jpg)
Here’s a closer look at the young bald eagle:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisQtQZfttRF5fru_yfXr9iAYZ49qkSBpS-NDr8WptOLRqfgSI6T62ByzP8yiOzqhJiYhvbxxBQCASsBtsRDhYu2Guutej8MTXZUHNXXol-L_H5a7kozMLaEYsY-GVH3-O7hpIZAqad4p4/s400/SubAdultBaldEagle.jpg)
On Tuesday it was back to being overcast and chilly, but I still wanted to get out a bit to bird watch. I went to South Beach hoping to see a loon, grebe, or duck species I hadn’t yet picked up this year, but what I found was even better! As soon as I set foot on the beach three black-bellied plovers (135) flew by – a bird I have only seen once before, and that was 10 years ago in California! I followed them a way down the beach in hopes of getting a better look. I did, and much to my surprise right with them were also three sanderlings (136). Those two finds, as well as the northern shrike I saw later on my drive around the island, made for a more than decent hour of birding despite the weather!
3 comments:
You are ahead of Dave in the bird race Monika - I think! He doesn't post much about his year list ;-)
Warren - button it!!! - it's 136 each!!! Tighter than a tight thing from Tightsville; Arizona! 267 days to go...
Monika - can't believe I didn't spot your Self Heal mis ID as both grow in the garden here at Base Camp.
Cheers
Davo
Dave - you'll have to post a photo of self heal when it comes up so I can compare. The ones in my field guide are no good and I'm pretty sure I haven't seen it myself!
Post a Comment