December 8

Weather: We started the morning with NE winds so brisk I clambered downslope to use the green bunker as a windbreak for a couple hours--tripod shake was too severe up top. When Catherine left for work, she wished us albatross and lessening winds. I probably would have picked absence of wind over presence of albatross, but turns out I didn't have to choose. We had 2 distant Black-foots AND the winds died off mid-morning. Swell was moderate, visibility good, skies clear.

Birds: All in all, a quiet day at Pt. Pinos. Surf Scoters: 55. Alcids: 2 Rhinoceros Auklets; 340 Common Murres. We had 89 Red-throated Loons and 644 Pacific Loons. Albatross aside, highlights included 2 adult Peregrine Falcons chasing a Black-bellied Plover high overhead (which seemed to make a getaway) and a pretty Black-legged Kittiwake that joined a scrum for a bit in mid-afternoon.

-Alison Vilag

eBird Checklist:https://ebird.org/tripreport/440228