Plus one Rock Sandpiper
Overcast and windy, with plenty of rain. Temperatures up to 50F.
As the day went on yesterday, temperatures increased into the upper 40s. Overnight they continued to stay high (for the season), and became even a bit warmer as the wind brought warm air from the south.
This morning saw rain with moderate gusty winds. We had a break in the rain early in the afternoon. The winds picked up, and became strong later in the afternoon. Heavy rain started this evening.
The buoy data is not transmitting full set of weather data (nor photos), but it is still showing wave heights. Seas pushed close to 30ft this evening.
I went out around midday and stopped by Sage Beach to see if shorebirds might be on the rocks.
The tide was an hour or so past high. However, it was still probably around the 11ft level or so. Today’s weather pushed the 11+ predicted high over 12ft.
A mixed flock of Surfbirds and Black Turnstones was resting on the rock. I thought I spotted one Rock Sandpiper. I was able to get pictures to confirm it before they all took off and flew away. I think they were startled by three crows flying over, but I’m not sure.
White patches on its neck make this bird distinctive. I've regularly seen it at Sawmill Cove this winter
Conditions were calmer in Silver Bay when I went out that way. I saw the Pelagic Cormorant with white patches on its neck in Sawmill Cove again.
I didn’t plan to head out again after lunch. However, the rain had stopped and it seemed nicer out. I also had calendars to deliver, so drove out Halibut Point Road.
With my focus on the calendars, I had forgotten to bring my camera. I wasn’t able to get pictures of the whale I saw off Harbor Point. Nor could I try and see if the eagle that swooped down to the water caught something.
This afternoon at sunset, after a gray day it turned to color. There must have been a break in a higher level of clouds that allowed the sunset colors to develop. The red/pink light filtering through the lower level clouds seemed closer to lavender or purple.
A break in the low clouds allowed me to see the higher pink clouds. Light reflected off them and through the low clouds appeared purple a few minutes earlier
Low clouds were nearly continuous over my neighborhood, but I did get a brief look through a small whole that opened up.
My iNaturalist Observations for Today
