Overcast and continuing strong winds. Temperatures in the upper 40s to low 50s. Some rain over town (with more intense rain offshore, based on radar imagery).
Yesterday’s high of 55F was a new record for the date. The previous record was 51F set in 1960.
I got out during the latter half of the morning to deliver some calendars and check some bird locations.
The wind continued to blow hard throughout the time I was out. White caps were covering Crescent Bay and birds were bobbing up and down on the waves in the channel.
Out the road beyond Halibut Point Rec, seas were much calmer, at least close to shore.
I did some casual birding, but didn’t work too hard at it on a couple of trips out to Starrigavan between dropping my parents off at church, then having lunch with them, and dropping them off at the store and picking them up again.
I looked for a Gadwall among the ducks at Starrigavan. There was one around town recently, but I don’t know that it was reported on the bird count. Perhaps it’s moved to a different bay in the area not accessible from the road system.
The Swamp Sparrow was seen yesterday at Starrigavan, so I went to look for it today. I saw it briefly before it disappeared into the remains of the estuary meadow grasses. I didn’t have time for a photo.
I’ve been noticing streams seem to be running on the low side. I had been thinking it was wet this month. Indeed, at 6.29 inches, we are above normal for the month, but only by 0.36 inches. Most of that fell in the first three days of the month (1.11, 2.37, and 1.5 inches those days). The nearly three weeks since have been dry enough for water levels to drop significantly. Even with the warmer weather melting snow up high, there isn’t enough to make much difference in water levels.
My iNaturalist Observations for Today
