I had not really planned on going anywhere today, but after I received a message this afternoon that there was a Horned Puffin in the channel, I decided to go take a look. I did not figure I had time to kayak over, so I biked across the bridge and spent some time watching the birds in the channel.
Weather: The day was overcast with light rain. I don’t think it rained the whole day, but it came close. Winds were light out of the southeast.
Birds: When I got over to Japonski, I could see the usual assortment of scaups and Long-tailed Ducks. They were mainly in the middle, but favoring the Japonski Island side. The scaups tended to stay closer to shore than the Long-tailed Ducks, but they did mix together a little bit. There were also a some Pelagic Cormorants and gulls around.
I did see at least two Horned Puffins, and perhaps as many as four (see other entry for today). While I was watching the puffins, I noticed a bird fly up toward the ramp. It looked like it had come from across the water, and I thought it was a starling, so I didn’t pay it much attention. A moment or two later something caught my eye and I looked back again to see a larger bird flying the same pattern. I think the larger bird was a Merlin, but it flew up toward the softball field and was obscured by the trees at the upper edge of the beach right away. I got up to look, but by the time I got to where the trees were not in the way, the bird was gone.
Other Notes: The salmonberry buds are starting to swell and show a little bit of green.