ABC Trip to Smith Island

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28 ABCers back at the dock after a beautiful late afternoon trip to Smith Island

On Sunday August 8th we met Captain Matt Stolmeier at the dock of Outer Island Excursions Blackfish Tours to head out to Smith Island. There has been a Horned Puffin seen in that area off and on for this summer, and really the last 3 summers. For most of the trip participants this would have been a lifer, or WA first species. The weather was perfect with sunshine, flat seas, and we had a great trip. No Horned Puffin was located, but lots more birds and scenery was there as consolation prizes.

Horned Puffin, our resident breeding puffin in the Salish Sea.

Smith Island was alive with birds. The Bull Kelp beds looked massive and healthy, and a number of “Bait Balls” of birds were enjoyed.

How may species can you find?

There were lots of other alcids.

Common Murre
Rhinoceros Auklet, or as skipper Matt calls them for his kids, the unicorn puffin.
Puffin incoming
Puffin fly-by

Skipper Matt gave us extra time to explore the Williamson’s Rocks on the trip back into port, with great looks at various birds with red hard parts.

Black Oystercatchers with red bill, Pigeon Guillemot with red feed (and gape – not shown) and Heermann’s Gull with red bill.
An adult Glaucous-winged (or “Olympic”) Gull with young.
This marker buoy, a.k.a. the Pelagic Cormorant condo, had nests on every shelf, and the young were at varying stages of development, from quite small to nearly adult size.

Overall a great way to get together outdoors and have fun birding.

Hope is for lots more ABC trips if we the pandemic situation allows.

Good birding.

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