Weather: There was a fairly heavy overcast throughout the day.
Birds: The warblers seem to be abundant. I do not remember seeing Yellow Warblers and Wilson’s Warblers around the neighborhood in past years like I have this year, but I suspect that was due to my lack of attention.
The crossbill flock was fairly active in the trees across the street today. After spending quite some time near the tops of the trees, some of them flew down into the salmonberry bushes. It seemed that many of the birds are juveniles/first year birds (see photo above).
Orange-crowned Warblers and Wilson’s Warblers have been singing from the bushes and trees in the neighborhood. I’ve also heard (and occasionally seen) Townsend’s Warblers. Yellow Warblers do not seem to be singing, but I have seen them.
On a trip to Alice Island today I saw Fox Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Lincoln’s Sparrows, Savannah Sparrows, Orange-crowned Warblers, Wilson’s Warblers, a Yellow Warbler, four Whimbrels, and an assortment of gulls, crows, ravens, and eagles.
On the way to Alice Island I saw 5 Great Blue Herons flying together over campus toward the water.
Flora: The spruce tips are coming out on some of the spruce trees. On Alice Island I saw one spruce tree with pollen cones growing.
Animal Notes: At the end of Alice Island I watched a Sealion leisurely surfacing and eating something. There was no boat at the cleaning station, so perhaps it caught something or was eating pieces of fish that had been left previously.
As I walked around the rocky shore, I happened to spot an otter swimming toward me. It did not seem to notice me, but unfortunately was swimming underwater on its nearest approach to where I was sitting.
A little while later I saw a mink running through the grass a little way above the rocky shore.