Muggy, muddy, soggy creek

The early drizzle filled me with encouragement this morning, and I dashed off to Holden Creek for a pre-work root about. It was initially cool, but became muggy pretty quickly thanks to the smokey atmosphere (forest fires on the mainland have caused some pretty smoggy conditions over here, for those not in the know).
It was low tide and it seemed pretty birdless on the creek. The first things I came across were a pair of semi-palmated plovers - only the second time I've seen them here, a pair came through in early May.
A single killdeer was keeping close company.
A single lesser yellowlegs was with 6 least and 1 western sandpiper on the far section of the creek, and a group of 3 lesser yellowlegs were on what was left of the marsh pools.
Another group of 7 least sandpiper and another lesser-legs were on the sluiced channel at the back of the marsh.
There were lots of brown-headed cowbirds around, mostly juvs plus good numbers of white-crowned and savannah sparrows. A family group of orange-crowned warblers were feeding in gorse along the path.

New birds make my day

A beautiful morning, and couple of new birds in at Holden Creek.
On the sluiced channel, a small party of 12 least sandpiper were busy feeding away, while a single spotted sandpiper worked its way along the muddy edge.
A greater yellowlegs was present on the main creek, and the pair of spotted sandpipers were feeding in tandem at the creek junction - making 3 present in all.
The killdeer family appear to have relocated onto the marsh. A pair of semi-palmated plover (shoddy pic, right) were new in out on the muddy areas on the marsh - my first here.
Otherwise, a dozen or so more least sands were the only other waders in evidence.

After work I nipped down to the Nanaimo River estuary, but there was little going on. A couple of American goldfinch were in song, as were plenty of white-crowned and savannah sparrows.
A merlin caused some panic amongst the hirundines briefly, who saw it off with impressive determination.
A couple of greater yellowlegs and a least sandpiper were on the river.
A pair of brown-headed cowbirds were working the hedgerow, no doubt seeking nests to parasitize.