It was still a bit rainy in the morning, but the weather cleared by the time we got to Anacortes for the ferry ride to Friday Harbor. I got four more life birds today: Pelagic Cormorant, Common Murre, Rhinoceros Auklet, and Western Gull.
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Pelagic Cormorants were nesting on the ferry dock in Anacortes.
Pelagic Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant on the return to Anacortes
There was a Belted Kingfisher flying near the dock. I think that this is the first time I have seen a Kingfisher flying over salt water.
Belted Kingfisher
There were small groups of Common Murres and Rhinoceros Auklets on the ride to and from Friday Harbor.
Common Murre
Common Murre
Common Murres
Common Murres
Common Murre
Common Murre
Rhinoceros Auklets
Rhinoceros Auklet
Rhinoceros Auklet
Rhinoceros Auklet
Rhinoceros Auklet
Rhinoceros Auklet
Rhinoceros Auklet
There was a huge flock of Common Murres on the ride back to Anacortes.
Common Murres
Common Murres
I saw a single pelagic bird that I could not identify. It might be a Rhinocerous Auklet, but its bill looks too small. It has the shape of a Murrelet, and its bill looks pale. Ancient Murrelets had been reported in Puget Sound, and I wonder if that is what it was?
Unknown pelagic species
A pair of Pigeon Guillemots were swimming and flying around in Friday Harbor.
Pigeon Guillemots
Pigeon Guillemots
Pigeon Guillemots
There were three black birds perched on a wire on Friday Harbor. I took one photo and assumed that they were either crows or pigeons, but after processing the photos, I see a white wing patch and a partial white eye-ring on one of the birds. Any idea as to what this bird is?
Unknown species
On the return ferry trip, I got a quick look at a seal. A Bald Eagle landed in the water, presumably catching a large fish that made it difficult for the eagle to take off, but I lost sight of the eagle as the ferry moved on.
Seal
Seal
Bald Eagle
Bald Eagle
There were a good number of gulls out, and I believe that some of them were Western Gulls. Glaucous-winged Gulls hybridize extensively in this area with Western Gulls, and some of the ones I saw might be hybrids.
Glaucous-winged Gull
Western Gull
Western Gull?
Western Gull?
Western Gull
Western Gull
Western Gull
One of the gulls I saw is still unidentified.
Unidentified Gull
