Another Beach Escape

 It has been challenging to find a time this month when tides and weather cooperated for my monthly Beached Bird Survey for COASST. Finally yesterday worked out. I only go after the tide begins going out as during an incoming tide, the portion of Bob Straub Park beach that I survey is inundated up to a very steep cliff with lots of huge logs rolling in and out. I'm eager to do citizen science surveys, but not interested in getting smashed by a log or washed out to sea. Yesterday was perfect. Except for all the Spring Break families. Fortunately, they mostly hovered around the access point while my survey begins a full kilometer south of that point. A few people walk the beach near water's edge that far but virtually nobody wanders around in the soft sand higher up, where I have to look for beached (dead) birds. Happily, yesterday, I found no beached birds, just blue sea, nearly windless sky and lots of sand and logs.. 

I took no photos as I was headed afterwards to other sites to look for Black Oystercatchers (BLOY)  Peregrine Falcons and Bald Eagles. I found all. And took lots of photos. A few of which are below. First, the Peregrine... from a great distance...

 

 

 

 Then came the Black Oystercatchers, my favorite coastal bird. Today, I was in luck.

A pair of BLOY were hanging out together on an offshore tidal rock along with one, and then a pair of gulls. Some time after I arrived, a third BLOY flew in and picked a fight with one of the pair. They went at it beak and claw and flew up doing aerial combat. Every time one (I assumed the male of the original pair) managed to set the intruder to flight, it circled around and came back for more. This went on for at least half an hour. Eventually two birds flew off and one remained, happily foraging. I have no idea if the original pair left together or if the intruder won the contest. I just hope a pair nests in the area on an offshore rock as several pairs do most years.

Here's the battle as it unfolded... I loved how unruffled the gulls were. They must be accustomed to squabbling BLOY.

 

Before the war began...

 

 

 After the interloper arrived... full-fledged conflict...

 

 

 

 

The gulls stay out of it... although they commented lustily...

The action was taking place a long way from me... way out there, so my photos are a mite fuzzy...

My next stop was at a known eagle's nest on my way home. Luckily, an eagle was bouncing around in the nest doing something... maybe rearranging the furniture? The nest was even farther away than the Black Oystercatchers were...

It was a lovely relaxing day away from the farm. Johnny stayed home and cut firewood all day. Hiking for miles on sand is not his idea of fun. Cutting and stacking firewood is not mine.