This morning's sea watch counted 539 common eider and 44 common loon.
However, the highlight was a prey exchange over the water by a pair of peregrine falcons.
The tiercel (male) was an adult, the female very streaked, a blend of gray-brown body, and a very "blond" head. (Immature).
I first heard them vocalizing off to my right. Then spotted them coming up the shore line (flying east along the shore of the point).
They were over the water when first spotted and it looked like the smaller bird was aggressive toward the larger bird.
Just then the larger bird released a prey item. The prey fluttered downward, beating its wings, then began to gain a bit of altitude.
Suddenly, the male peregrine swooped up and grabbed the bird - now easily recognizable as an American Woodcock!
If a peregrine can grab prey gently these two were doing so, as they exchanged the hapless woodcock three times - and each
time the woodcock flew with "power" between the next grab and clutch by a peregrine.
The female then landed on a large rock on the shoreline in front of me with woodcock in talons.
The male made a swiping pass before the female took off and the event moved off toward Arey Cove and out of my sight.
The peregrines were vocal the entire time. The scene looked "playful" if not cruel (in some sort of sympathetic anthropomorphic way).
In any case, as you all know, it pays to be out and observant.
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