I finally got up the nerve to take my good camera out in the kayak. There hasn't been a lot to see, but the last couple of times I've seen an osprey and a kingfisher. I'm not too worried about tipping the kayak, except when I'm getting in or out, when there's always a chance on the slippery seaweed covered rocks. I keep the camera in a dry bag clipped to the kayak when I'm not using it.
I decided to start by going around the little island (Colvile) in front of our place. The first thing I saw was this ochre sea star. Purple is the most common color, but they can be orange, yellow, reddish, or brown. Sea star wasting disease has killed a lot of the sea stars, so it's good to see them around. I saw a few more on the island, mostly tucked away in corners and crevices.
Continuing around the tiny island, I spotted a bunch of small shore birds. They were quite skittish, moving away as soon as I got close. And even when they didn't move away, they were in constant motion hunting and pecking in the seaweed. My latest camera (OM Systems OM-1) has AI bird detection, but I couldn't remember how to turn it on, and in the process of trying I was changing all kinds of other settings. In the midst of trying to get some photos, and steer the kayak from drifting into the rocks, it was a bit of a challenge. I did eventually get it turned on and it did seem to help. Taking photos with a long telephoto from a rocking kayak is always a fun challenge. Later, with the help of the iNaturalist Seek app, I identified them as Black Turnstones.
Moving further around the island, I first heard and then spotted a pair of Killdeer. Although they are known as shorebirds, I've actually seen them more often in dry grasslands (which is where they breed).
There's often a Great Blue Heron on the island. I'm not sure if it's the same heron or just a good spot for herons in general. When they catch small fish they often shake them, maybe to kill them? I caught the spray from this one.
I must have got a little too close because it took off and flew to the main shore, where I got a few more shots.
The evening before, we'd spotted another visitor to the island - a mother harbor seal and her baby. (We saw a similar mother and baby last August.)
By the time I made two slow loops around the tiny island it was time to head home. It's great to find so much of interest so close, despite being in the city.
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