Hello all,
About a dozen Seattle Audubon Society field-tripees visited a number
of choice locations around Vashon/Maury Island today, starting just after
sunrise. Areas included KVI beach, Tramp Harbor, Dockton Park, Manzanita
area, Pt. Roberts, Vashon Cemetery, Quartermaster Harbor (several stops),
and other accesses to salt water views.

Brandt's and Double-crested cormorants were seen, but Pelagic were
notably absent. Surf and White-winged scoters were everywhere, but not
one Black scoter was sighted. Pintails, Buffleheads, Mallards, scads of
American wigeon with two male Eurasian wigeon, Green-winged teal, a single
Lesser scaup (seen on a fresh water pond near the cemetery), thousands and
thousands of Western grebes (mostly in Quartermaster harbor) and a
scattering of Horned, Red-necked (some giving strange interactive
vocalizations-perhaps immature birds with adult parents?), one Eared,
one Pied-billed grebe and a lone female Oldsquaw duck were viewed.

Especially appreciated were the single file lines---one of our birders
called them sewing stitch patterns---of immaculately-plumed male Barrow's
goldeneyes. Yep, they're finally here....have been watching for 'em at
the Des Moines Marina just across the Sound from Point Roberts....will
scout the fishing pier again tomorrow. Other water birds seen included a
small number of Common loon (one was yodeling), a plumage-transitioning
Pacific loon and also Red-throated loon. Red-breasted mergansers and
Hooded mergansers (females only) were lazying about the many moored boats
(every resident on Vashon must have at least one boat!). Searched
diligently for the storm-petrels and shearwaters, but were not be on this
trip.

A probable, but not absolutely confirmed, late Common tern was seen on a
floating log (a very distant view, but looked "ternish.") Both common
small species of gulls, Boneparte's and Mew, were quite, well, common
today, joining the ubiquitous Glaucous-winged gulls with a sprinkling of a
few Westerns, Herring, and a California or two. To finish out the water
report: Also observed were Pigeon Guillemot, lotsa Rhinocerous auklets,
Belted kingfishers, Bald eagles-one adult perched on shore and one
immature over the water-a single group of about fourteen Killdeer and
another group of about eight Black turnstones (nifty) and Great
Blue herons around every bend fluffed up our bird list.

Woodland birds included: Both Townsend's and Yellow-rumped warblers,
Dark-eyed junco, American Goldfinch, Savannah sparrow, Song sparrow, Fox
sparrow, House finch, too many Starlings, Band-tailed pigeon, Rock dove,
Cedar waxwing, Steller's jay, Robin, both Black-capped and Chestnut-backed
chickadees, both Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned kinglets, Am. crow,
Hutton's vireo (heard at Point Roberts Park), Winter wren, Spotted towhee,
Common bushtit, Red-breasted nuthatch, Brown creeper, Redtail hawk, female
Ring-necked pheasant, both male and female Downy woodpecker, a
yellow-shafted X red-shafted N. Flicker.................

The stars of the day were three sightings of Dall's porpoise, a "pod" of
about five in the water between Point Roberts and Des Moines and also near
the Fauntleroy Ferry terminal. Harbor seals were common and a truly
enormous (black-when-wet) CA Sea Lion was lolling close to shore near the
Pt. Roberts lighthouse.

Nice day....good birding trip led by Vashon Island residents John Friars
and Rick Sanders (well-deserved thanks to both).

Will check out Des Moines Marina Sunday AM...cheers.....
Maureen Ellis me2 at u.washington.edu Univ of WA and Des Moines, WA