In Search of the Snowy Owl ... Nov. 26, 2012

The rumour was out that there were Snowy Owls visiting in Sandspit ... so finally we had a chance to get over to search them out! The 11:00 ferry gave us plenty of time so we headed right for the Inlet side of the Spit walk ... we were fortunate to run into our Island expert, Margo who gave us some tips and helped with identifications too!

The tide was quite high and the beach was kelp covered so it was a bit of a slippery hike out to the end where we cut back onto the roadway around the runway .... on the Inlet side we immediately saw gulls,  Can. geese and snow geese [visitors too], turnstones, sanderlings and a lone sandpiper ...

Once at the end of the Spit we saw our first Snowy Owl, perched on beachside stump ... continuing on we saw a Harrier hawk, more snowy owls apparently of differing ages considering their plumage colours and then some Snow Buntings ....

It was a wonderful calm, quiet hike ... no wind, no rain, no breakers ... just birds everywhere ....

We made it back to the airport for a nice lunch and in time to get one of our hikers on the plane heading to Snowy Ontario.


Before catching the ferry we made a stop at a new geocache site near the old Aliford Bay dock to confirm that the recent 7.7 earthquake and westerly hurricane force winds, followed at last week's 133 km southeasterly did indeed dislodge the Stravaner Cache site - soon to be replaced. We also checked out the memorial and the trailhead ... it will be on a 2013 hike list.

Up the Inlet in Search of .... Nov. 18, 2012

Well the Hikers keep hiking but they didn't keep writing ....

On Sunday the 17th there was a need to get out of the house before a rumoured storm approached ...  And there had been a sighting of a "sunfish" which had beached earlier in the month up the inlet near the new woodland trail entrance.

So armed with that info off we headed making sure the tides were ok ... not too early for a Sunday and not too late for a hike. Into one car we piled and headed out to the dry land sort ... this time we were able to get through on the road as last week there was a lot of blow down blocking the road. The big southwesterly a couple of weeks ago has done a lot of damage to roads and trails.

Now cleared we made it through and parked at the sort and headed to the first creek, wondering how high it would be after yesterday's big rain ... but no problem for the gumbooters.

Off we went chatting along, enjoying the views, the company and the day, when our noses took us right to the spot .....

Definitely a different shape from a halibut or shark ... and big, decaying and smelly!

We continued on to the trail beachhead and went up it a short way seeing more trees uprooted and some with roots loosened but not tipped over .... Nature has been making herself known lately .... earthquakes and hurricane winds!
















Ocean Sunfish ... Mola mola ... heaviest known bonefish in the world  ... native to tropical and temperate waters and eats mostly jellyfish.   Very cool fish check out wikipedia for more info. This  wasn't the first to arrive here.