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Saturday, October 1, 2016

It's October!

It is October and we are back home for the duration and ready to start getting serious, because this is the month when life gets interesting here at IBA BC033.

So lets set the scene....


water levels just about exactly where you expect them this time of the year.  No salmon yet but I hear there are lots of them at the mouth of the Harrison River, right where it joins the Fraser, so shouldn't be long before they start to show up.


it is starting to get busy out there.  Just a few Bald Eagles so far and the gulls are staying out along the Harrison River.  They'll start moving in as the fish arrive.


a lot of Canada Geese....well over a hundred spread out over the area with much activity amongst them.


Mallard, American Wigeon and Green Wing Teal are starting to show up.  This morning this was one of a pair of female Common Merganser busy fishing....


and of course you can usually find one or two Great Blue Heron.  There have been a few Killdeer but haven't seen any other shorebirds since we got back.


there is usually at least one Belted Kingfisher too.

Things are still fairly quiet in the bushes along the shoreline although....


numbers of Spotted Towhee are increasing noticeably.



and saw some Dark-eyed Junco this morning.  A surprise this morning was spotting this.....

young Common Yellowthroat.  Also heard a Marsh Wren but couldn't spot it.  Yesterday a Pileated Woodpecker was in the area and there have been a number of Ruby Crowned Kinglets.  What I'm not seeing or hearing right now are the Eurasian Collared Doves....I'm sure they aren't too far away.  If it like last year they will be wintering over at Harrison Bay.

and speaking of wintering over....


the numbers of Anna's Hummingbirds is astonishing.  Looks like it will be like last year, they will be the most commonly seen species....well maybe excepting the Steller's Jay and the eagles.  Hope to get over to Harrison Bay in the next few days to see what is going on over there....shall keep you posted!

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