Life's A Beach (and other unimaginative headlines)

Desperate to get out for the day, Jenny and I chose to head up the Sannich Peninsula and have a snoop around Sidney-by-the-Sea.
Of course, I had my trusty binocs to hand, just in case...

A bronzed local spots a passing bald eagle

The weather was glorious and we had a great time bimbling about the book shops and thrift stores. Didn't manage to locate a copy of Birds of British Columbia Vol IV unfortunately; that gaping hole on my groaning book shelves will have to remain unfilled for now.
In between looking at the numerous seated statues, having a great lunch in a Greek restaurant, and bouts of buying things variously needed and not, I cast my eyes offshore where I noticed plenty of pigeon guillemots and rhinoceros auklets, plus the usual cormorants and gulls, etc.

After we left Sidney, we headed down to Island View Beach Regional Park. I'd stopped here on my recent recce with Ian Cruikshank, and thought that Jen would like it. I was right.
We enjoyed a stroll up to the end of Saanich Spit (coincidentally, a willet - a regional rarity - was seen here yesterday in the company of a pair of whimbrel) and back, in brilliant late afternoon sunshine.
As it happens, we came across the whimbrels but the willet had obviously tired of their company and moved on. Again, it was fab to be able to have a good look at this race of whimbrel - so very different to the birds I've been used to seeing in Europe.
More alcids were seen offshore and an osprey performed nicely, passing low overhead. A couple of mourning doves were a pleasant treat, as always.
It actually felt like spring was starting to get to grips with itself today, though I'm sure we shan't be packing away the waterproofs just yet...