To test whether the irruption of Black-vented shearwaters was a) a
once-in-a-lifetime event or b) the new normal, I went to Boiler Bay this
morning from 7:40 - 9:40 to do a seawatch. I didn't have the professional
kit that Phil Pickering uses, just the home kit, so my results were limited
by that.
I had fog early, then clearing, but a little more fog about 8:40, then
clearing again. The surf was turbulent on the rocks as the tide came in.
I found:
12 Pacific Loon
16 Western Grebe
65 Brown Pelican
20 Pelagic Cormorant
6 Brandt's Cormorant
3 D-c Cormorant
150 Sooty Shearwater
180 Surf Scoter
6 White-winged Scoter
1 Black Oystercatcher (immature - attn.. Linda Fink
17 Heermann's Gull
100 Western Gull
400 Common Murre
3 Marbled Murrelet
Good birding,
Paul Sullivan
