Sea Watch

On Sunday, we joined the navy and had a bit of Sea Watch at Avalon....But we didn't have to be in uniform and we performed our 'watch' form shore....as we were anchored in the sand with a beach chair to guide us. 

Deb and I made our way to Sea Watch in Avalon. We arrived on the nears-side of noon and while the wind was blowing a bit, if you parked yourself on the south end of the Avalon shed, you were windbound and were not going anywhere. A few of the lady naturalists were about as were a couple or two. 

The activity was not in 'armada' form, but none the less, we had fly-bys. One particular fly-by was flying north. Now, why north? ...not sure but the only thing that we could think of was that a lone white-winged scoter was leading a flock of black scoters on an excursion. If I was a black scoters among hundreds of like ones, why would I risk going on an excursion 'led' by a white-winged scoter? How did he/she get in charge? "Come on guys, over yonder is a white winged, ....lets chase him up north!". And so it went. The white-winged scoter was most likely thinking he was leading the flock while in actuality it was the black scoter flock steering to the lee side  the white winged.

A few common loons were making a short jaunt to the south while a flock of 'working Royal Terns' were way out in the surf, busy diving in and out, competing against the northern gannets. Amongst that crew, was one lone Humpback Whale who casually made itself known, once by view of 'full tail'...the other times just appearing to snort or two. 

A flock of dunlins sputtered around, ...... never sure where they landed, if they did.

Cormorants came too, as scoters in flock. One scoter, (there is always one) found itself amongst the cormorants. That guy had to change gears a bit to match the lower speed of cormorants. Again, why? Why not just speed ahead or best yet, ride the waves a bit and then put to flight when you see your own kind coming up the coast. What makes a scoter fly with the cormorants or a white winged pass company with  black scoters? Truly a mystery we are not akin to. 

A bald eagle made an appearance right over our grouping.....passing on from sea to land. 

The weather was fine.....the sun was out.....our bins in hand and scopes set to watch. Not a bad day. A fellow came over from Hawk Watch with the news of a goshawk showing up at exactly 9:45. That makes three days in a row for the goshawk, a bird I would like to see in particular. Tomorrow makes for Tuesday, voting day. Hmmmm...sounds like a good time to call it quits with politics and pick up a bit with Hawks. I wouldn't have to think about 'red or blue ', just red-tailed, or gray-ish blue..... I'm in.