Thursday and Friday I went for a hike up the Verstovia side of Indian River. Thursday I visited the cliffs that I had attempted to find last week and missed. Friday, although it was not my intention to do so, I ended up going by the cliffs again, except this time I went further up valley before heading down and back.
Weather: Thursday started rainy, but the sun broke out a little bit. Friday started overcast, but by the time I got started hiking it there was a steady, soaking rain. Friday was also fairly breezy.
Birds: On Thursday I saw a couple of Varied Thrushes and a Robin just across from the treatment plant. While I sat under a tree, the Robin sat 20 or so feet above me. I didn’t realize it at first, but was alerted when bird droppings hit the ground a few feet from me. On both days I heard Varied Thrushes and Winter Wrens singing. Thursday there were quite a few Pine Siskins feeding around the treatment facility fence.
Friday there was a Fox Sparrow below the falls. It had an exceptionally dark breast, though I’m not sure if that was just because its feathers were somewhat plastered due to the damp conditions. On Friday there was also an American Dipper singing along the river.
Last Tuesday I had noticed a gull in the channel that seemed to have unusually dark wing-tips. At the time I thought maybe it was a California Gull, or something. However, Thursday I got a better look at a similar gull and determined it was a sub-adult, probably Herring Gull, that was transitioning into third-cycle (I think) plumage.