I gave a talk to an Elderhostel group this morning at a lodge out the road. While I was out that way, I decided to head out to Starrigavan and take a look around. This afternoon, the kids and I spent some time on the beach at Halibut Point Rec.
Weather: It was foggy this morning, but it was pretty much gone by mid-morning. Winds were light.
Birds: It was pretty quiet out at Starrigavan (the tide was out) and at Halibut Point Rec (the tide was in). There were about 6 Black Turnstones, a couple of herons and a smattering of gulls. There was a juvenile Bonaparte’s Gull, but it did not stick around for long (it caught my eye because it looked tiny compared to the gull that was behind it).
Shortly after I got home, there was a flicker outside. I went to take a look at it and noticed it looked much more like a Yellow-shafted Northern Flicker than I am used to seeing. It was not a pure yellow-shafted bird, though.
At Halibut Point Rec there were some Savannah Sparrows and probably a warbler or two. As we were leaving, a half dozen gulls or so had started to drift in. I suspect that as the tide went out, more showed up.
Later this afternoon when we got home, there were quite a few Robins in the neighborhood. The chickadees moved in for a time as well.
Other Notes: The areas above the tree line are starting to turn yellow. It’s probably mostly the Deer Cabbage.
There is a powerful smell of dead salmon at Halibut Point Rec. The nature of the river channel, beach, and wave action seem to pile the carcasses up in a relatively small area, unlike at Starrigavan or Indian River (where there has been a smell, but not so strong).