On a spur of the moment decision we made our way down to Victoria (the provincial capital) to twitch some Alcids and Gulls that have been reported frequently in this part of the Island. Having been a Southwestern Ontario resident for many years, the chance to see Alcids (sometimes referred to as the penguins of the north) has been a big draw for me to the coastal birding hotspots.
We were fortunate to see: Common Murre, Pigeon Guillemot, Marbled Murrelet and Rhinoceros Auklet at Cattle Point in the southern part of the Island. These birds were a significant distance from the shoreline and a spotting scope was required (but a boat would have made the viewing experience significantly better). I apologize for the photos as they are not the best, but the Nikon P600 UltraZoom did the best it could. Sadly, the Marbeled Murrelet were scared off by a sail boat before photos could be taken...the one that got away!!!
Adult nonbreeding plumage Pigeon Guillemot
Nonbreeding plumage Common Murre
Adult nonbreeding plumage Rhinoceros Auklet
Other notable birds seen today included a Heermans Gull, Brandt's cormorant and some Surf Birds.
Heermann's Gull posing nicely
Surfbird
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