Dungeness spit

I wake early. I need to sort a few things out. I book a motel for the night before the pelagic trip in Westport, sort out some money and work out my route for the next few days. Finally, I check out and go to pick up my hire car.

I've decided to take a ferry across Puget Sound to Bainbridge Island. At $15 for me and the car, I sense we're getting back to sensible prices (the Canadian dollar is quite strong now, so there aren't any bargains to be had over there just now). As you get off the ferry, you realise you've left the hustle of the big city behind and entered the rather well-heeled island community. Of course they're probably all so rich they can afford to commute daily to Seattle.

The impressive Seattle skyline from the ferry

I drive to the Dungeness area. Like its namesake in England, it is a spit made of sand and shingle, with more emphasis on the former. The spit is a long and narrow, and projects into Juan da Fuca Sound close to the southern tip of Vancouver. It's a calm day with the sun trying to force its way through the occasional fog and cloud.

Dungeness Spit and Vancouver Island (far)

Olympic National Park in background

Once again, I don't see a huge amount, but its an enjoyable day's birding. The most interesting additions to the trip list was a couple of American pipits at the end of the day. They showed exactly why they are called buff-bellied pipits, with their quite rich buff underparts, contrasting with a much greyer back. They have pure white outer tail feathers, giving away that they are related to water pipit.

I stay in a cheap, but very comfortable motel in Port Angeles, and have a substantial Mexican meal nearby - they forgot to charge me for my beer, so I give them a bigger tip.