On Sunday I went to the ocean. There were a great many people there, and a great many small birds sitting out beyond the surf line near the south end of the beach, and flying back and forth out there. A lot of gulls and pelicans too, the gulls really quite excited; and one presumes a lot of small fish under the sea just there for everyone to be eating.
The people with binoculars were all asking each other who the excited small sea birds could be out there, and none of us knew. Not a serious birder among the lot of us. But it was very beautiful. Update on September 25: Barbara Blackie thinks my skillion floating and flying seabirds were sooty shearwaters, she heard there was a shearwater event on the outer coast earlier this month.
Any day with pelicans in it is a good day.
I was there to do the monthly survey looking for beached birds for COASST, and indeed had the first bird carcasses on my beach since last November. They were both in the wrack line, both large immature gulls. Though I had no survey companions, I called out "Bird!" firmly though not very loud, to summon my wits since I couldn't summon people who know more than me about identifying dead birds.
Procrastinating about entering the data, the birds' measurements and so on; and really procrastinating about cleaning up and tidying the bird pack, sorting out the tools. Left alone with a dead bird I immediately become confused and my rubber glove discipline inconsistent (or nonexistent). The pack is sitting here full of psychic dead bird cooties.
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