Stéphane’s Posting for Oct. 27/10

And the Rain Finally Came

We did get quite a bit of rain at Cabot Head, even though we managed to open nets most of the time. But the catch has been meager these days: it seems that most birds have move on. Besides a few chickadees, some kinglets, and the occasional Downy Woodpecker, not much else is around. Even sparrows are mostly gone, with a few American Tree Sparrows still languishing. Barely any Gulls left, or Mergansers, or Blue Jays. Ravens and  Eagles are still holding on, possibly even looking forward for winter.

After the rain, it is the windstorm! Crazy winds are whipping up whitecaps on tiny Wingfield Basin, even with so little fetch. Over Georgian Bay, the whitecaps extend as far as the eyes can see (even from atop the Bluff). Sometimes, spray gets lifted over the water! It is one of the most intense windstorms I’ve ever experienced here. It is quite remarkable!

Stéphane