30 April

The last day of April could be summed up as a pleasant one for seawatching. 12 000+ Western/Least Sandpipers kept us busy during most of the morning. As usual, some Dunlin and a few Sanderlings were mixed in the flocks. A Ruddy Turnstone in one of the flocks was a first for us at Boiler Bay.  To our delight, 12 Gray Whales were seen during the day which made a new highest count. Counting time 05:55-12:25. 16215 seabirds of 42 species counted. Weather was sunny with wind from northwest 3 m/s (7mph) increasing to 6 m/s (13mph) around noon.

Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata)

Bird species list:
Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons)	7
Brant (Branta bernicla)	2
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)	2
American Wigeon (Anas americana)	1
Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)	8
Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)	1
Green-winged Teal (Anas carolinensis)	4
Greater Scaup (Aythya marila)	16
Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata)	176
White-winged Scoter (Melanitta deglandi)	3
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser)	2
Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)	4
Red-throated Loon (Gavia stellata)	57
Pacific Loon (Gavia pacifica)	1047
Common Loon (Gavia immer)	33
Red-necked Grebe (Podiceps grisegena)	1
Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis)	13
Sooty Shearwater (Puffinus griseus)	135
Brandt’s Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus)	157
Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)	27
Pelagic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pelagicus)	76
Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)	64
Great Blue Heron	2
Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani)	2
Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus)	23
Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)	15
Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa)	13
Ruddy Turnstone	1
Sanderling (Calidris alba)	5
Dunlin (Calidris alpina)	49
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)	106
Western/Least Sandpiper	12150
Dowitcher sp.	25
Common Murre (Uria aalge)	1610
Pigeon Guillemot (Cepphus columba)	37
Marbled Murrulet (Brachyramphus marmoratus)	52
Rhinocerous Auklet (Cerorhinca monocerata)	12
Mew Gull (Larus canus)	9
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)	4
Western Gull (Larus occidentalis)	80
California Gull (Larus californicus)	25
American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus)	3
Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens)	13
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)	143

Whale species list:
Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus)	12