February 9, 2020
Salish Sea, PacificNorthwest
We like to go out boating when the weather and tides are agreeable, as often as we can manage it both to enjoy being out at sea and to get a sense of what the birds are like at different seasons and year to year. The last couple of months have not been agreeable at all for it, but last Sunday the 9th we did our usual round trip out to Whale Rocks, a two hour 8 mile trip.
The water was pretty flat, not much wind and a slack high tide. The weather was mostly cloudy but with occasional sunbreaks. We keep our 25 foot Albin on a buoy; Mr O kayaks out to it from the beach and then drives half a mile over to the nearby county dock to pick me up.
As always, seeing birds on the water is hit or miss, and generally they are quite a ways off. Half the time they are backlit. Because of those limitations I’ve gotten pretty good at IDing them by profile and behavior. I take pictures mainly to look at later to confirm or rule out my gut reaction at the time. What I’m including in this diary are mostly maximum zoom and extreme crop.
I think of our route as traveling through two habitats: the protected fairly shallow bay where we keep the boat, and offshore in open water where it is mostly deep, with swift currents, occasional rocky reefs and kelp beds.
In the first habitat we see some of the same birds from the beach as from the boat in the bay, with some exceptions. The biggest excitement for me this day was seeing three Long-tailed ducks. Last sighting for me was 3 years ago (according to my eBird reports). These ducks prefer hunting just offshore from steep cliffs so even though they aren’t in really deep water, I never see them from where I walk along the beaches day to day.
Long-tailed ducks are among the most beautiful of all ducks to me, both the drakes and the hens. Like most ducks around here they migrate north and inland for breeding in spring so now’s the time to see them. I’m adding a video I found at YouTube — you deserve to see these gorgeous ducks in their full glory.
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The other ducks who hang out mostly by the cliff are the Common Goldeneyes. Not sure why they don’t hunt along the sandy/cobbly beach shore like their close relatives the buffleheads but there you are. They know more than me.
Other ducks in the bay were Buffies, Red breasted mergansers, Surf scoters, Hoodies, and Harlequins. Winter is the golden season for ducks.
I also saw a Common loon, a few Horned grebes and a few Red necked grebes, as well as Mew gulls and Glaucouswinged gulls.
Once out in open water I was hoping to see alcids. Those are deep diving birds who rarely come close to shore, so my only chance to see them is from the boat. There were lots of Pigeon Guillemots as always and a few Common murres, but no Rhinoceros auklets — that’s all quite typical at this time of year. I was surprised to see no Marbled Murrelets though. They are never numerous but I can almost always count on seeing a few pairs, especially in winter. No Ancient murrelets. Those guys are a hoot, but very hit or miss. Turns out they were a few miles north, from someone who reported in to eBird. Rats. They have the coolest hunting method. The same eBird report found a large flock of murres up there too, and some Marbled Murrelets, so at least those are both around.
The Guillemots were about mid molt between winter mottled and breeding black.
Saw a couple of Pacific loons, which is always a treat for me. Unlike the Common loons who frequently come close enough to shore to see from the beach, the Pacifics are offshore — deeper water I guess. Both loons sit the same in the water but their markings are different.
Like the loons, winter is the time for grebes. While Horned grebes come close to shore, Red necked grebes like deeper water. Both kinds tend to hang out in small groups (except in shoulder seasons, newly arrived or flocking for migration). Most are still in winter plumage but a few were taking on their red necks.
I’m always hoping to catch sight of some White winged scoters, strictly winter birds. Surf scoters are mostly winter, but a few stick around in summer, and moreover they often come close to shore so I see them often. Both have awesome bills and markings. Eat clams and crabs.
Got lucky, saw half a dozen WW scoters. Also several small flocks of Surfs.
We saw 6 Bald Eagles on this trip, which isn’t all that many in February. The eagles are back from their stint feeding on spawned-out salmon at mainland rivers, and getting back into nesting mode. They are in twos more often than not at this time of year.
Sometimes in 1’s, as this one was, parked out on Whale Rocks with the Steller Sealions.
Missing entirely from Whale rocks were the many Brandt’s cormorants, who winter here. Gone back to the open coast I suspect, where they breed.
Harbor seals haul out elsewhere during sealion season. We call this group of rocks on the south side of a small island the White Seal colony. For all the years we’ve been passing by, most of the seals here are lighter in color than the more typical shades of grey brown. Perhaps it’s an ongoing related group.
Always a beautiful day out on the water, and great to see who’s out there. Hope you enjoyed coming along for the excursion!
What’s up in your birdy world this week?