East Sooke Park

Usually we head to East Sooke Park in September to watch migrant birds and sea lions pass through the Strait of Juan de Fuca. This time however, we wound up in the park on 15 July. As expected the park was very quite, particularly in the Strait. On the walk through the old second-growth forest we heard Wilson's Warbler, Red Crossbill, Brown Creeper, a calling Olive-sided Flycatcher (singing seems to be over), Pacific Wren and Varied Thrush. We flushed a Song Sparrow from what was sure to be a nest, but darn those are hard to find. On the water we spotted two Rhinocerous Auklets and a lone Marbled Murrelet. Two Bald Eagles sat on Secretary Island.