Today (December 5), I decided to take advantage of a break between storms
and do the round-trip crossing between Victora and Port Angeles. Visibility
was prefect - mostly overcast and bright, with winds less than 10 knots.

The highlight for me was an ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD that whizzed close by about 5
miles south of Victoria. Other noteworthy observations included 2 SOOTY
SHEARWATERS, one each in BC and WA waters, a very whitish NORTHERN FULMAR
just south of the mid-way mark, and two "GRAY-BELLIED" BRANT flushed by the
ferry about 5 miles north of Ediz Hook, Port Angeles. For mammals, there
were many (25+) Dall porpoises, and 250+ California sealions.

Here's the count for the record:

Victoria Harbour:
Common Loon-1, Red-necked Grebe-5, Double-crested Cormorant-45, Great Blue
Heron-1, American Wigeon-10, Bufflehead-16, Hooded Merganser-8, Common
Merganser-4, Red-breasted Merganser-9, Mew Gull-5, Glaucous-winged Gull-24,
Common Murre-2, Rhinoceros Auklet-2, Northwestern Crow-2

Juan de Fuca Strait - British Columbia waters:
Pacific Loon-3, Sooty Shearwater-1, Brandt's Cormorant-35, Pelagic
Cormorant-2, Surf Scoter-2, Mew Gull-78, Thayer's Gull-1, Glaucous-winged
Gull-76, Common Murre-549, Ancient Murrelet-30, Rhinoceros Auklet-1, Anna's
Hummingbird

Juan de Fuca Strait - Washington waters:
Red-throated Loon-1, Pacific Loon-38, Northern Fulmar-1, Sooty Shearwater-1,
"Gray-bellied" Brant-2, Glaucous-winged Gull-45, Ancient Murrelet-2

Port Angeles Harbor:
Common Loon-4, Pelagic Cormorant-8, Red-necked Grebe-18, Greater Scaup-35,
Bufflehead-35, Surf Scoter-47, White-winged Scoter-22, Red-breasted
Merganser-32, Mew Gull-4, Glaucous-winged Gull-85, Common Murre-8, Pigeon
Guillemot-1, Marbled Murrelet-3, Northwestern Crow-4

Port Angeles waterfront:
Great Blue Heron-1, Green-winged Teal-1, Northern Shoveler-1, American
Wigeon-48, Rock Dove-6, Fox Sparrow-3, Song Sparrow-1, House Sparrow-25

Michael G. Shepard
Victoria, BC
mgshepard at pacificcoast.net