Post by Arden on Dec 17, 2023 11:39:49 GMT -8
I always enjoy the CBC, but I'd have to say this was one of the more challenging for me. Island 22, situated right beside the river, was cloaked in heavy fog most of the day, with very diminished visibility most of the time. Birding was restricted to close hedges and bushes. We attempted five times over a several-hour period to count water birds on the river and only managed a couple ducks near the shore and a common Golden-Eye and Merganser when the fog lifted off the water briefly. The heavy fog never allowed us to see the closest sand bar in the river. We put about 7 kilometres on that park zigzag our way along the horse trails, careful not to double up or recount the same area twice. We managed 30 species, heard or (mostly) visualized. All in all, still lots of species in a small area, but it has really tested my patience at times. I've attached a picture of the trail from the riverbank towards the dyke trail about mid-morning after wandering down to the river for a second or third time, hoping the fog had lifted. I am glad to hear of all the successes people have had in their respective areas.
_2023-12-16 by Arden Powell, on Flickr
_2023-12-16 by Arden Powell, on Flickr
