Every December I watch for the return of RB Sapsuckers to Lincoln Park, and
today I hit paydirt, about a week earlier than normal. The bird was in an
unusual corkscrew crabapple next to the concrete walk down from the upper
park to the shelter at the S. end of the park beach. The tree is riddled
with thousands of holes from years of use.

Other seabirds included large numbers of Surf Scoters, Red-necked and
Horned Grebes, and Red-breasted Mergansers, smaller numbers of Western
Grebes, Common Goldeneyes, and Buffleheads, a pair of Harlequins, single
Rhinoceros Awklet, Pigeon Guillemot, White-winged Scoter.

Land birds included a male Anna's Hummingbird in a shrub on S. side of road
from S. parking lot to beach, the usual flocks of Gold- and Ruby-crowned
Kinglets and Chickadees, a red-tailed Hawk delighting the Crow population,
and a Bald Eagle.

And Oh yes, there was a small Gray Whale about 30 yards offshore, working
its way slowly from the N. end of the park S. past the pool, breaching
every five minutes or so to the delight of about a half dozen spectators.

Chuck Pell
Seattle, WA
jettran at halcyon.com