Seawatching, as authors Ken Behrens and Cameron Cox define it, is the “challenging act of identifying waterbirds in flight.” The birds are in motion. They are frequently distant and typical field marks may not be useful. More often than not there are no landmarks to orient the observer. And the best conditions for seawatching are often harrowing, when storms blow flocks and normally pelagic species close to shore. But seawatching can also be mind-blowing. Imagine 2000 Sabine’s Gulls flying through your field of view, or over 1,000,000 Short-tailed Shearwaters streaming past, or the moment a Great-winged Petrel chances by a tourist-choked promontory in southern California. If you do not have the physical or financial strength to regularly join pelagic excursions, your best bet for encountering ocean-going species is from shore with a spotting scope. Digesting even a small portion of the wealth of information provided in the Peterson Reference Guide to Seawatching will doubtlessly enhance your time searching the water, from land or boat.