Wednesday, April 01, 2026

Birds

Hooded Merganser (male)

The most common birds around here are Hooded Mergansers (above) and Buffleheads (below)

Bufflehead bathing

Bufflehead (male)

The females are much less flashy. Here's a pair of Buffleheads lost in the reflections.

Buffleheads in the reflections

This female Hooded Merganser was catching crabs. The crabs put up a fight, so it takes some work before they can swallow it.

Hooded Merganser (female)

There are also Common Mergansers around. From a distance they can look like the female Hooded, but up closer they're different.

Common Merganser

Of course, there are also gulls, and Black Oystercatchers, Canada Geese, and Anna's Hummingbirds

gull

Black Oystercatcher

Canada Geese silhouetted

Anna's Hummingbird

I've also been seeing a Cooper's Hawk around. I wonder if it's one of the ones that was around last summer. At one point it looked like it was building a nest, but maybe it gave up as I haven't seen it back at that spot.

Coopers Hawk

Coopers Hawk

Coopers Hawk

It might be spring here in Victoria, but there's still snow on the Olympic mountains.

Olympic Mountains

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