Tuesday, May 31, 2011 Lethbridge

6:20 am

The temperature is +1 C, with a high predicted of +18 C.

From the Environment Canada website:

Today A mix of sun and cloud. Wind becoming southeast 20 km/h this morning. High 18. UV index 7 or high. Tonight Cloudy periods. Becoming clear this evening. Increasing cloudiness overnight. Wind southeast 20 km/h becoming light overnight. Low 7. Normals Max: 21°C Min: 7°C

2:30 PM Birding

I went out to the Elizabeth Hall Wetlands this morning for a loop around the marshland. The water level was the highest I have ever seen it at that location. All of the waterfowl nesting area was underwater and there were only a few ducks and Canada Geese in the usual nesting area. Water from the Oldman River was also very high and had washed out a large gravel bar that Canada Geese usually use for nesting.

Here is a copy of the report I submitted to the eBird website:

Location: Elizabeth Hall Wetlands Observation date: 31/05/11

Notes: Water level very high. Most marshland nesting sights for ducks underwater

Number of species: 17
Canada Goose 3
Mallard 4
Northern Shoveler 1
Redhead 4
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Mourning Dove 2
Northern Flicker 1
Western Kingbird 1
Black-billed Magpie 1
Tree Swallow 9
Cliff Swallow 2
American Robin 7
Gray Catbird 6
Song Sparrow 1
Red-winged Blackbird 11
Brown-headed Cowbird 2
House Finch 1

The Cliff Swallow was a new Alberta lifer. I am sure I have seen it before, but was not sure of its identity until I saw some in Ontario a couple of weeks ago. It sure felt good to be out in the sunshine again.

4:20 PM Literature

I have begun reading a science fiction novel that I bought a few days ago while shopping for a salmon. I have now read about 75 pages and have encountered the novel's use of the quantum physics idea of entanglement. This novel is a good sequel to David Deutsch's "The Beginning of Infinity". In it Deutsch devotes a few pages to what constitutes a good SF novel. Now to see how this one measures up.

The fact that William Gibson seems to endorse Banks' writing was the main factor in my deciding to buy the book in the first place.