Long Beach

Much to our surprise it was raining when we got up in the morning, but just as we decided over coffee that we better go to a museum, the sun came out.  So we walked along the seawall past the aquarium

Long Island is full of ceramic mosaics, this one by the aquarium

 and over to find the Catalina Island ferry berth, checking out the birds as we went:  buffleheads, surf scoters, water and eared grebes - fellow snowbirds from the Cariboo like us, perhaps?

In the palms and eucalyptus trees we also spotted a rufus hummingbird and yellow-rumped warblers.

In the afternoon we took the bus to Belmont Shores (a Long Beach suburb) to pick up some last minute ultramarathon supplies (gels and socks) at a running store, and then we walked the three miles back along the beach.

There we spotted the bird of the day

Red-shouldered hawk and right beside it, a kestrel feeding on a mouse.

We passed several of these "islands", actually oil rigs planted with palms to disguise them.