Subject: Port Angeles - Victoria Ferry Ride
Date: Feb 22 13:18:22 2001
From: Jon. Anderson and Marty Chaney - festuca at olywa.net


Hi folks,

This weekend, I had a chance to ride the Black Ball ferry to Victoria (2 pm
Saturday the 17th) and return to Port Angeles (3pm Tuesday the 20th). The
seas were pretty flat, going both directions, with a bit of breeze.

I saw pretty much the same species going each direction:

Common Loon - PA/Vic
Red-throated Loon - both ends
Red-necked Grebe - PA/Vic
Horned Grebe - Victoria, Ediz Hook
Western Grebe - just N of Ediz Hook, about 40
Double-crested Cormorant - PA/Vic
Brandt's Cormorant - PA/Vic
Pelagic Cormorant - White flanks showing well; PA/Vic
Common Murre - a dozen; mostly mid-channel
Pigeon Guillemot - PA/Vic
Rhinoceros Auklet - showing white plumes
Mallard - harbors, each end
American Wigeon - near shore, harbors on each end
Shoveler - PA
Bufflehead - PA/Vic
Common Goldeneye - PA/Vic
Barrow's Goldeneye - PA
Red-breasted Merganser - PA/Vic
Harlequin Duck - PA Boat Basin
Oldsquaw/Long-tailed Duck - PA about 14 seen
Surf Scoter - PA/Vic
White-winged Scoter - PA & Vic
Greater Scaup - PA/Vic
Western Gull - 'pure'-looking bird in PA
Glaucous-winged Gulls (and hybrids) everywhere
Mew Gull - both towns and all across the Strait
about 700 1.5 mi SW of Victoria harbor entrance
Thayer's Gull - Victoria
Greater Yellowlegs - PA
Bald Eagle - PA
Rock Dove
Crow
Steller's Jay - PA
Black-capped Chickadee - greeted us at each end
Starling
House Sparrow

Harbor seals seen in both Victoria & P.A., didn't notice any sea lions.
Canadian Naval operations on Tuesday on the north end didn't seem to bother
the large flock of Mew Gulls; Also saw a US submarine heading west toward
the Pacific - running on the surface to avoid hitting trawlers?

Jon. Anderson
Olympia, Washington
festuca at olywa.net