Ready, willing and Cable

Hooray, the sun returns!
A pretty lovely, if cool, day and Jenny has discovered a new trail she wants us to have a go at. The Cable Bay Trail, as it turns out is a cracker - just a short drive down the road and a good, relatively quiet (if you get there early) woodland walk that leads to the coast. Once there, one can carry on to Joan Point and the Dodd Narrows, which we happily did. And had it mostly to ourselves, bar the odd American red squirrel or 'chickaree' as it is also known. Not to be confused with chickadee, of course...
Before we set a, off quick scan from the the window revealed a flock of approximately 140 Pacific loons (they seem to appear here only after a day or two of wet, windy weather), 4 western grebes, 2 white-winged scoter, 4 bufflehead, 12 red-breasted mergansers plus the usual common loons, cormorants, pigeon guillemots etc.
A pileated woodpecker was in the parking area - as the attendant snap shows!

Not much bird-wise noted on the Cable Bay Trail, the usual kinglets, red-breasted nuthatches, winter wrens and other common woodland species were seen and heard. A red-breasted sapsucker and another pileated 'pecker shone in the sunlight.
By the water we had great views of Steller's sealion , always exciting for us Europeans! Good numbers of harbour seal too.
On the way home a red-tailed hawk drifted over the road.