October 5
The very first shot is one I'm not 100% certain of the ID. I believe this is a Mew Gull, it was quite far from shore. Zoomed in, the bill seems to be mostly yellow. The black around the eyes does not agree with the species description. This could be a Bonaparte's Gull as well.
Gull sp. - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA
Common Loon - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA
A common sight are the Pelagic Cormorants winging past. They always seem to be in a hurry to get somewhere.
Pelagic Cormorant - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA
Much more sedate are the Surf Scoters, in this case three males.
Surf Scoters - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA
A bit later three Western Grebes swam by. They are similar to, but larger than, the more commonly seen Horned Grebes here.
Western Grebe - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA
It was a good day for sailing, breezy but not too cold.
This is a acceptable shot of a male Harlequin Duck. The colours often seem to fool the camera leaving the picture looking a bit under-exposed.
Harlequin Duck - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA
No such problems with the last two shots of the day, a pair of White-crowned sparrows. The first is an Adult. The second is what is called a first-winter bird.
White-crowned Sparrow - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA
White-crowned Sparrow (Imm)
Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA
October 12
There's fewer photos from this Saturday visit. The first on is face on with a Common Loon.
Common Loon - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA
Pelagic Cormorants are more common here, but I do see the occasional Double-crested fly by, such as this one. The orange on the face and bulkier look are good ID marks. The crest is very hard to see on non-breeding birds.
Double-crested Cormorant - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA
Horned Grebes are numerous in Fall and Winter. Here's a trio followed by a close-up of a single bird.
Horned Grebes - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA
Horned Grebe - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA
And last for this day is another male Harlequin Duck.
Harlequin Duck - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA
October 13
I was back again the following day. Only a couple of photos made the grade for this visit. The first is a Red-breasted Merganser in non-breeding plumage.
Red-breasted Merganser - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA
I like the alien look of this straight on shot of a Horned Grebe.
Horned Grebe - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA
October 27
This was my last visit for the month. It was a nice sunny day, which enabled some good shots at a high shutter speed.
This loon was quite close to shore and was preening. I'm very pleased with this shot.
Common Loon - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA
With that taken care of, it's back to cruising around for food.
Common Loon - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA
This is one of my better shots of a Red-breasted Merganser. It can be tricky to tell males and females apart in non-breeding plumage. I believe this is an adult female.
Red-breasted Merganser (F) - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA
I don't usually take photos of the most commonly seen Gulls here, but this one looked quite stately. I think this is an 4th year adult gull in winter plumage. It takes Gulls up to four years to have full adult plumage.
Glaucous-winged Gull - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA
Another look at a Horned Grebe, this one captures the eye colour quite nicely.
Horned Grebe - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA
There seems to be plenty of fish here to support the birds. This Loon has a tasty meal to digest.
Common Loon - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA
And finally for Point Roberts in October, the most predatorial of birds, a Bald Eagle. I see them perching here quite often, but have not witnessed them scavenging from any of the other birds.
Bald Eagle - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA
