Friday, November 8, 2013

It's that time of year :)

It's that time of year when I find myself pulled to 'where the river meets the sea'.


I didn't get far from home before I saw signs of wildlife ~ sea lions cavorting or basking on a sand bar


and farther down the beach, a heron looking out of its yellow beady eye.



I stopped for the third time when I noticed a few birds in trees overlooking a river.









I arrived at my destination, and thoroughly enjoyed spending a couple of hours observing the scenery and wildlife. I had taken a plastic bag to sit on the wet logs so I could just watch silently, without too much discomfort.

Just a few of the many ducks!


Harlequin ducks with their attractive markings:
and a little biddy one:


As I was sitting on the log, a song sparrow landed and sang just to my left:



I spotted a juvenile bald eagle on a post ~ at first I wondered what it was from the back!

Later I moved in from another angle:


I saw it, or one of its ilk, eating a salmon on the shoreline rocks:


Meanwhile, predators with sharp teeth were slipping through the waters.  It is difficult to know when they will surface, but the sound of their breathing and growling are indicators...screeching gulls descend when there is a salmon kill, and I hope to catch a good shot.  Nothing too momentous today, though, but I'll definitely be returning soon.

One climbing out and quickly back in:

Can you see what this is?


 Nothing goes to waste!


On the home front, I received the Shadow of the Wind book from Snowbird, which will be my next read.  Thank you for sending the book and card :) Nowadays, it is not often that I receive real mail, so it felt like Christmas! The history of this particular book and its travels to date can be found on Snowbird's blog here.

By the way, we have a nice new neighbour across the street who happens to have brought with her this very large Maine Coon cat!


 I wonder what SuperSquirrel(TM) (see Nikki's comment on my last posting) will think of the new 'kit on  the block'.



14 comments:

  1. This was a great walk. i enjoyed it.

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  2. Such a very pretty place you live in, I bet you take lots of walks. Those ducks are amazing.

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    1. Thanks, Greenthumb ~ a very scenic place, indeed and many places to walk and hike. The Harlequin ducks are quite striking.

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  3. A most enjoyable post and wonderful photos. I'm sure that I caught a tang of the sea air. I like heron photo with it's beady eye. The last picture looks rather gruesome!
    Happy reading. Flighty xx

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    1. Glad you enjoyed the photos, Flighty ~ sea air is wonderful, isn't it? I liked the beady eye of the heron too. Not too sure about that cat...the neighbour says it seems to wander over here quite a bit...

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    2. Whoops, I actually meant the third from last picture, the one showing the bones! Flighty xx

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    3. Haha ~ that's funny! The bones are a bit more gruesome than the cat, I guess... although that cat seems to have some kind of attitude. I'll find more about him, I'm sure.

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  4. Oh goodness me....your wildlife fair takes my breath away!!!! I just can't imagine what it must be like watching EAGLES!!!! It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it. Some fantastic images there. I hope you enjoy the book......thanks for the mention.xxxx

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    1. Hi Snowbird ~ glad to share the wildlife with you ~ I thought the eagles would be more plentiful now that the salmon are spawning, but so far haven't seen too many on my travels. Not quite into the book yet...but soon! Thanks again and you're very welcome for the mention.

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  5. You have certainly front seat view of wildlife at play, work, and dinner! Those markings of the harlequin ducks are striking, indeed. That image of the salmon bones was something else -- talk about bones picked clean! And that Maine coon... I think SuperSquirrel(TM) may have to make room for two amazing creatures in one town.

    Fun to be getting a little pre-Christmas mail. I'm sure you'll have fun with that travelin' book.

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    1. Glad to share the wildlife with you Nikki! The Harlequin ducks are attractively marked and do a lot of dipping and diving. Clean salmon bones is right! I see Quigley is back so perhaps he and SuperSquirrel(TM) will have to put up a united front. Wimsey may be called in ;)

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  6. Another interesting perambulation Glo. BTW, how is Harzel getting on these days?

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    1. Glad you enjoyed the walk, John. Your question about Harzel had me checking today.

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