Helliwell Nest - 2015-2016 Season

[jeavverhey]

Sweet! Thanks for sharing those lovely photos. I have never seen any of those birds.

[Cawatcher]

What a lovely outing wren

[winterwren]

More photos from April 14...

Here are 2 more of the young eagles who were sitting around Flora Islet and the surrounding reefs.

April 14, 12:35



1 pm

[winterwren]

A few gulls on the outermost reef. The Glaucous-winged Gulls (pink feet, grey wingtips) I expected to see since they breed nearby. The California Gulls (dark wingtips, yellow feet) are a surprise. The small gull on the right is an immature Mew Gull and I think some of them stay here through the summer also.

Outer reefs of Flora Islet, April 14, 12:40


More Dunlins peeking at me over the top of a reef... 



These Black Turnstones let me come close. Looks like they get a little more white on the head and upper chest as their version of summer plumage.

[winterwren]

Next, I beached my boat on Flora and switched lenses on the camera...
The wildflowers were in their full glory.

I was thinking of Cali's photos of hillsides of California Poppies when I took this first picture... Here, the yellow blossoms are Mimulus, and the pink ones Sea Blush.
Flora Islet, April 14, 1:20 pm



A closer view of the Mimulus...







The Blue Camas were just starting to bloom... Here they contrasted nicely with the glossy red new leaves of Oregon Grape.




Chocolate Lilies among the camas...

[Faerie Gardener]

Beautiful!!

[winterwren]

Looking back to Hornby Island from Flora. This is the spot where the three young eagles were standing earlier.

Flora Islet, April 14, 1:30 pm



Again mostly some Sea Blush and Mimulus; I think the pale-yellow flowers are a species of Lomatium.



Flora has the lushest patches of Miner's Lettuce. And today they were in full bloom.



There are a few patches of Menzie's Larkspur just above the high tide line; they seem to like it close to the ocean.




Here's some more of that Lomatium. The blue flowers to the left are Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary.




And a closer look at the Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary, which seems to favour tiny pockets of soil in the rock, where other plants don't dare compete.

[Cawatcher]

Thank you for sharing wren, no one can beat Nature's Garden   

[winterwren]

This is called a Few-flowered Shooting Star... It's one of my favourites. They just grow in one small area on the islet.

Flora Islet, April 14, 2 pm



The camas look particularly striking here, where they grow against a slab of sandstone.




I like the closed buds even more than the open flowers!





At least three pairs of Canada Geese and some Oystercatchers nest on Flora Islet every year. One goose nest is very close to where I beached my boat and the geese are looking at me suspiciously as I tiptoe past, on my way home.

[boonibarb]

 
We went for a walk in Helliwell & this lovely Flower was growing near the edge of the bank.
When i looked at the fotos i thought it looked kind of like Clover.
Well, i guess it is a type of it!

april 26 2016 13:41 - Helliwell Springbank Clover



We spotted this perched Eagle, who must be pretty used to people walking by & taking fotos of her.
She was quite low down, so close that i couldn*t fit all of her in the frame!, & didn*t mind at all me standing there taking fotos of her.
She is very stained from eating Seal or Sea Lion.

april 26 2016 14:15 - Helliwell Eagle





You can just see the edge of her nictitating membrane at its source, the corner of her left eye.





link to my fotos page - 
 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/43214021@N08/
 

[Cawatcher]

Wonderful photow booni and winterwren!! gorgeous time of year

[boonibarb]

 
Yesterday we went for a walk in Helliwell, looking at all the Nests & this old one had an Eagle perched in it!
We also spotted an adult on the Trees at the water line.
Not sure if that means this Nest near the mossy Maple Tree is being used again?

june 20 2016 10:27 - adult Eagle on old Helliwell Nest Tree





link to my fotos page - 
 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/43214021@N08/

[ivani]

Wonderful photos, Booni 

[Cawatcher]

What a lovely tree;that branch behind the eagle looks like it has been widdeled at end.. What would do that? and good spotting the eagle too!

[boonibarb]

 
Cali, looks like a piece of the Tree that has broken away, leaving a torn top.


link to my fotos page - 
 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/43214021@N08/