It was a pleasant partly cloudy morning, with increasing clouds into the afternoon. I took a late morning walk to Totem Park, but did not see anything out of the ordinary. By this afternoon there was a light rain.
Weather: Skies were partly cloudy when I went to class this morning. The sun was shining at 10am with skies still partly cloudy. As the morning went on into early afternoon, clouds increased. By late afternoon a light rain had started. I think it rained for an hour or so, but not hard. It felt like temperatures were in the mid to upper 40s. Morning winds were out of the west.
Birds: I think the Winter Wren was singing this morning, but I was too tired to wake up enough to hear it consistently. I observed a crow acting differently after my classes this morning.
Still not many birds at the park. A student reported seeing the Killdeer this morning at the park (a couple of them got up early to go fishing for Dolly Varden), but I did not see it. Birds I did see included a pair each of Common and Barrow’s Goldeney, a probably female Red-breasted Merganser, 5 Common Mergansers (4 female, 1 male), a few gulls (approx. 25-50), Winter Wrens (saw one, heard more). I heard a couple of Kingfishers rattling up the river. I heard a woodpecker making the squeaky toy call, so it was probably a Downy or Hairy’s woodpecker. Overall it seemed fairly quiet.
There were a pair of Ravens making interesting sounds when I came home from work. I was able to get a recording, but shortly after I started, one of them apparently left (I did not see it fly off, but only one Raven was calling). The Raven I was able to see seemed to be pecking at the branch it was perched on. It is possible it has holding something that it was working over with its beak. I could not tell for sure as it was too high up in the trees.
Flora: The plants are moving along. Leaves are growing out on Red Elderberries (multiple places) and the Trailing Currants (near the point at the mouth of Indian River). I also noticed a plant that I think is Sea Watch (Angelica lucida). In the forest I saw what I suspect are Purple Sweet-cicely plants growing, but I’m not sure. I did not notice any sign the stream violets yet.
Other Notes: I saw a seal (maybe two) near the mouth of Indian River.