Lots of Dunlin and Western Sandpipers were moving around the beach in front of the Visitor's Center at Totem Park.
I took Connor and Rowan down to the park for a little while this morning.
Weather: The sun peaked out a few times, but otherwise it was cloudy and rain with a bit of wind.
Birds: Down at the park, there were quite a few ducks hanging out in front of the visitor’s center. There were around 50 Northern Shovelers, along with Mallards, American Wigeons, Northern Pintails, Green-winged Teal, and Greater Scaups. Closer to the river mouth I saw 3 Brant, a pair of Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead, and Red-breasted Mergansers.
The shorebirds today were concentrated on the spurs of gravel that were still exposed at high tide just down from the Visitor’s Center. There were several hundred of various species, including lots of Black Turnstones, Dunlin, and Western Sandpipers. I also saw several Surfbirds and Rock Sandpipers, one Greater Yellowlegs, one Ruddy Turnstone, and one Short-billed Dowitcher. I saw at least a couple of Least Sandpipers with the main group of shorebirds and then several more down at the end of the beach.
Offshore I saw a Pigeon Guillemot and a couple of other alcids that I think were Marbled Murrelets, or possibly Rhinocerous Auklets (they were pretty far away).
Flora: The Trailing Currants (Ribes laxiflorum) are blooming at the end of the park.