Tweeters,

Today, I boated south Puget Sound from the Nisqually Reach to Herron Island
and saw what to me were surprising numbers of phalaropes (red-necked
phalaropes I presume. They had wing stripes and a black eye line). It
seemed that whenever I was passing a debris line of floating algae and
other stuff, there were phalaropes on the surface, pecking at things.
The most I saw at any one location was eight. For some reason, in my
many years living and recreating on south Puget Sound, these birds have
eluded me. I was very pleased to see them.

Also saw three Western Fence Lizards on Herron Island, as far as I
know, the first documention of these lizards at this location since
the 1940s (of course the kids on the island probably know they are
there but I mean "documentation", which means you put the details in
a paper, a government report or a database or something).

Kelly McAllister
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife