On Saturday, August 29, my wife and I took a drive up to one of our favorite
birding spots, Oak Bay County Park, near Port Hadlock< Wa. Scoping out the
numerous bird life in the inner salt marsh, showed a large flock of Common
Terns. In with them was a larger bird, which moved off with the gulls and
began preening. We got some good looks and we both felt it was an Elegant
Tern. Is this unusual now that El Nino has worn out its welcome? Last year
at about this time we saw a pair in the same area and everyone said it was
only because of the strange weather south of us. Any thoughts out about the
frequency of this beautiful tern in our area.

Doug Watkins
Bainbridge Island