Last night when I looked out before bed, it appeared ice might be forming on the roads, but if so, it did not last. Temperatures were above freezing this morning. There was a light wind out of the southeast during the time I was out later this morning.
Shortly after waking, I heard a Song Sparrow singing out in the yard. It didn’t quite sound like a full-throated song, but it was getting there.
Heading to pick up some boxes at the airport, I noticed textures in the clouds that approached asperitas. However, in the time it took to drive over the bridge and get to a place I could park, they had settled into a more typical look. Reminder number ??? that atmospheric phenomena cannot be counted on to last even a couple of minutes.
I spent a few minutes at Lazaria Drive and took more pictures than I realized at the time of the White-throated Sparrow, which was being nicely cooperative.
On a stop by the channel a little later I was interested to notice more gulls. I’m not sure when long-line season starts, but it look like the processors may be doing something, based on the bird activity.
Along the shore, a handful of eagles and ravens were gathered up. The only fully mature eagle was pulling at a halibut head, while others maintained distance. A younger eagle flew off with a spine and tail.
I’m not sure how long it had been there, but a couple of minutes after I started watching the eagle eating on the head was apparently finished, and flew off.
Ravens moved in quickly and at least one poked at the fish head while others squabbled. It did not take long for another eagle to move in and claim the head.
I took pictures a first year eagle that was perched across the ramp, and did not seem especially interested in the fish head.
By this afternoon, the clouds had thickened significantly, though I did not notice any precipitation. Tomorrow’s forecast calls for strong gusty winds.
There were a bunch of Trumpeter Swans at Swan Lake this afternoon. I was driving so couldn’t count them all, but someone else reported 27. I think that’s about the number that have been around this winter in total, spread out between Starrigavan, Swan Lake and Indian River mouth. This makes me wonder if the swans had come in from Indian River and Starrigavan, or if this included some that had been wintering elsewhere and stopped in.
My iNaturalist Observations for Today
