We left the harbor on another wonderful summer day. We cruised to Chuckanut Bay to observe the nesting Pigeon Guillemots and the Glaucous-winged gulls. The Glaucous-winged gulls have chicks that are a ball of fluffy grey. Â Glaucous-winged gulls are the only gulls that stay here year round and nest here. The other gulls that we… Continue reading Bird Watching Cruise Report – July 27, 2013
Tag: bird watching cruise
Bird Watching Cruise Report – July 13, 2013
One of the most interesting sightings of this cruise was this Common Murre spotted near Colville Island, just south of Lopez Island. Unlike most Common Murres that we encounter, this one was adorned with a lengthy antenna – if it hadn’t been swimming and moving about, one could easily mistake it for a remote-controlled toy! … Continue reading Bird Watching Cruise Report – July 13, 2013
Bird Watching Cruise Report – June 29, 2013
As one would expect of a birding cruise, our primary focus is on waterbirds, and the trip is, of course, full of Auklets and Guillemots and Murrelets and Oystercatchers and Gulls and Terns and Cormorants and Harlequin Ducks and others. This past saturday we also spotted a few Common Murres, just beginning to wander back… Continue reading Bird Watching Cruise Report – June 29, 2013
Bird Watching Cruise Report – June 22, 2013
Our June 22 bird cruise was blessed again with pleasant weather, interesting folks, breathtaking scenery, and repeated encounters with the typical summer avifauna of the salish sea. Eagles and Ospreys are still incubating their eggs; we check three active Eagle nests and three active Osprey nests during our cruise, and are eagerly anticipating the sight of young birds any… Continue reading Bird Watching Cruise Report – June 22, 2013
Bird Watching Cruise Report – June 15, 2013
Our June 15 bird cruise was blessed both with beautiful weather and many interesting encounters. Four different active Bald Eagle nests and three active Osprey nests along our route hold the promise of wobbly-legged fuzzy young soon to come; for now, it is a treat just to see the impressive adult raptors incubating their eggs… Continue reading Bird Watching Cruise Report – June 15, 2013
Bird Watching Cruise Report – June 8, 2013
It is now late spring, and the resident birds of the Salish Sea are primarily focused on one activity now: nesting. Glaucous-winged Gulls have decorated many of the smaller islands and rocks with their twiggy cups. Pelagic Cormorants cram their nests into the narrowest of crannies and crevices on steep and inaccessible (to those lacking… Continue reading Bird Watching Cruise Report – June 8, 2013
Bird Watching Cruise Report – May 25, 2013
Harlequin Ducks were certainly one of the star birds this week, with no fewer than thirty-six spotted at three different sites, far more than we have typically been encountering on our bird cruises, although we have seen at least a few on every trip so far. The largest concentration was in the vicinity of Chuckanut… Continue reading Bird Watching Cruise Report – May 25, 2013
Bird Watching Cruise Report – May 18, 2013
The early morning weather seemed a little ominous, but luck was on our side and the rain stopped shortly before our departure, and (mostly) stayed away for the duration of the cruise. Birds were plentiful as usual, with all the “core” breeding and resident species of the Salish Sea observed in plentiful numbers. Pigeon Guillemots… Continue reading Bird Watching Cruise Report – May 18, 2013
Bird Watching Cruise Report – May 11, 2013
Another beautiful Saturday cruising through the scenic San Juan Islands, looking for birds, rewarded us with a number of interesting avian encounters. While most of the wintering waterfowl have now moved north to their breeding grounds, thousands of Brant were still present in Padilla Bay; an important wintering area for them, where the sheltered, shallow… Continue reading Bird Watching Cruise Report – May 11, 2013
