Partly cloudy to overcast. Quite windy, temperatures to 50F.
Wind gusts were strong overnight and through the first half of the day. I woke up more than once hearing the wind blowing through the trees.
When a large break in the clouds moved over this morning, I took that as cue to head out.
I was curious if today’s winds were hitting Silver Bay more than has happened on other high wind days this fall.
I think there may have been a more easterly component to the direction, and there were white caps on the bay. It looked to me like there was a confluence of wind blowing out of Sawmill Creek Canyon and from up the bay. The waves were coming together out from Sawmill Cove. I didn’t stay long, but saw few birds while I was there.
I checked the channel. Gusts were hitting there, but gulls were still present. The flock that was actively feeding seemed to mostly be young birds. I’ve noticed that a few times recently, though there are still plenty of older gulls. It seems like most of the flocks I’ve checked out on top of the roof at North Pacific Seafoods have been adults.
A Hooded Merganser was in an easy to observe location at Swan Lake. It’s been a week or more since I’ve last seen one. I suspect they’ve been around, however.
My final stop was Sandy Beach. I was curious how much the waves were crashing on the rocks more exposed to the sound. Waves were definitely splashing, though not as high as I’ve seen on previous occasions. However, I didn’t spend too long watching, so it’s likely I missed the biggest splashes (though I doubt they were as big as some I’ve seen during especially intense storms in prior years).
When I checked the weather radar at various points during the day, I could see there were intense showers offshore. They stayed off of town, however.
My iNaturalist Observations for Today
