This morning Connor and I got up fairly early (for me, not him) and biked out to Whale Park for the Marbled Murrelet watch. After that, we continued on to Blue Lake Road and rode the recently completed multi-use Heart and Thimbleberry Lakes Trail.
Weather: It was overcast this morning, but cleared off a bit in the afternoon. Overcast skies returned this evening, but there was a very colorful sunset. Winds were very calm this morning, but there was a breeze this afternoon.
Birds: There were a lot of Marbled Murrelets seen very early this morning (before 5am), but the numbers declined to just a few after by 5:30 or 6am. Connor and I arrived a little after 7am, and I saw a few while I was talking to Kristen Romanoff, the Fish and Game employee who is coordinating this citizen science effort.
There were several Hummingbirds active around the Sawmill Cove Industrial Park offices. I’m not sure if it’s just good habitat in the area or the fact that they kept a couple of feeders. Probably some of both.
There was a lot of bird activity along the lower stretch of Blue Lake Road. Sparrows and Thushes mostly, but I didn’t stop to investigate for long.
The neighbor’s cat killed a Winter Wren.
Flora: Foxglove were abundant alongside the road. The goatsbeard seems to be past its peak. Fireweed are starting to bloom.