Date: 4/27/26 7:49 am From: Phil Brown <pdpbrown...> Subject: [MBBIRDS] Natural Bridges
Yesterday morning I ventured out to the overlook at Natural Bridges, where I found Pete Sole who like me had gone there in the forlorn hope of seeing a booby. Everything at first seemed very quiet with few birds to see, notably there were no Cormorants on the rock bridge and no nests either -perhaps washed away in the storm. As we chatted it became clear that there was a big movement of loons going North so I did haul out my scope and started birding in earnest. Most of the loons were Pacific Loons with a few Red-Throated scattered amongst them, and there were flocks of Common Murres interspersed with the loons. We were then joined by Paul Heady's daughter and a friend of hers and so we shared what we were seeing with them. Shortly after this a nice flock of Brant geese went by, easy to pick out with their white butts. There was a raft of Pacific Loons on the water that we could scope for a view that was less transitory, There were plenty of squeaky Pigeon Guillemots to view as well. Pelagic and Brant Cormorants, Caspian and Elegant Terns, Brown Pelicans, Western Grebes (no Clark's) and a single Marbled Murrelet completed our seabirds. We also pointed out a Great Egret standing on the kelp, and a Snowy Egret on the beach. A Western Gull was collecting nesting material so I included the California breeding bird project on my ebird list. We scoped the rocky shelves and saw Black Turnstones in breeding plumage (signified by the addition of a white dot at the base of their beaks), and a couple of Black Oystercatchers reminded us of last weeks club meeting. Pete then noticed that behind us a large flock of Cliff Swallows was going South, and I spotted a single Vaux's Swift amongst them (sadly did not manage to get anyone else on it). A morning that started so inauspiciously turned into quite the birding bonanza. Phil Brown
