I forgot to mention I saw Brown Pelican at Shilshole Bay in Seattle
Monday morning. I was on A pier at the south end of Shilsole Marina and
the bird was just past the breakwater about 20 - 30 feet off the water
flying and gliding steadily north. I've never seen a pelican before, so
it was a lifer for me, still, there was no mistaking the bird. Nothing
else unusual, 12 Horned Grebes, 2 Red-necked Grebes, 2 Western Grebes,
about 40 Barrow's Goldeneyes scattered about the marina, 2 Common, coots,
crows starlings and gulls. There seems to be more Western Gulls than I've
noticed in the past at Shilshole/Golden Gardens/The Locks. At least I
think they're Western Gulls - dark mantled pink footed black primaried
gulls with a bit of a "bulb" at the tip of the bill, no sign of a black
spot, just salmon. I keep forgetting to check eye color...
Shilshole/Golden Gardens/The Locks isn't a bad place to look at gulls,
you can get within 5 feet of the Glaucous-winged Gulls, and not much
farther from the Mew and Bonaparte's. California and Ringed-billed are
rarer and a bit shyer, the Western? are fairly brazen when in the company
of large groups of GW gulls. The large lock is empty right now, so large
numbers of flounders and crabs, a few starfish and anemones are stranded.
The gull and crow "feeding frenzy" is something to see.
=================
Cliff Drake
Seattle, (Ballard) WA
Birder at Juno.com

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