As of last Friday, Sept 23, we had a red-breasted goose appear! The
consensus is that this Siberian breeding species is probably an escapee
from a zoo or a private collection. It is relatively "tame" or has
learned quickly.....like the mallards, domestic geese, Canada goose wannabes
(i.e., crossbreds), and hoards of gulls 'n crows.....that people = sumptuous
handouts. Regardless of its origin, it is an exquisite small goose, and is
drawing a lot of oohs 'n ahs from the Marina strollers.

Our staying-for-the-winter wigeon flock has quadrupled in the past week
to nearly 300 birds. We also now have 3 horned grebes, but no red-necked
grebes yet. Sunday AM, there was a small flock (5-7 birds) of red-breasted
mergansers briefly feeding close to shore before moving on. A long-time
local birder told me that a merganser flock always winters at a private
lake in Burien, not far north of Des Moines.

Finally our first double-crested cormorants (just 2 now; many more later)
have arrived to begin gracing every horizontal perch near the end of the
small rock jetty fronting the marina. Within the past two weeks, a pair of
killdeer have been hanging around the Des Moines Beach Park; no other small
shorebirds, yet. Also no goldeneyes so far.

And more surf scoters skimmed by; they'll be back within a few days. The
great blue heron family was out in force, parents flying around together and
two juveniles skulking separately at the waterfront. A nice Sunday morning.

Maureen E Ellis
Tox Group at Roos 1
DEH, SPHCM
Box 354695
Univ of WA
Seattle, WA 98195
me2 at u.washington.edu