Hi Tweets,

A quick rip around Lost Lagoon and around the park with B'ham WA birder,
Nancy Taylor. Highlights on Lost Lagoon were the male TUFTED DUCK Aythya
fuligula, at the W end of the Lagoon, either in the channel leading to the
Stone Bridge or along the NW side out to about 150-200 meters E of the
beginning of the channel. Also present were not one but *two* hybrid drakes
of NORTHERN PINTAIL Anas acuta and AMERICAN WIGEON A. americana, one at the
E end of the Lagoon, the other in the direct vicinity of the Stone Bridge at
the W end--could these be brothers? What are the chances of there being not
one but *two* unusual hybrids in the same place at same time otherwise?
Another odd duck (heh) at the Stone Bridge is a partially hermaphroditic but
mostly female MALLARD A. platyrhynchos. A male HOODED MERGANSER Lophodytes
cucullatus joined a flock of intensively-displaying male COMMON GOLDENEYES
Bucephala clangula that was trying to impress a female goldeneye. The
immature HARRIS'S SPARROW Zonotrichia querula was, as all good little
immatures should be, heard but not seen. An unageable PEREGRINE FALCON Falco
peregrinus was in glide very high over the Lagoon heading SE.

Intermittent heavy showers and a ratty cold easterly. Winter's finally here.

Species list:

Red-throated Loon 1 Bsc 1, Coal Harbor by seawall start
Common Loon 6 Bsc, 2 in pre-Alt molt
Horned Grebe 2
Red-necked Grebe 1
Western Grebe 14
Double-crested Cormorant 2
Brandt's Cormorant 2
Pelagic Cormorant 1
Great Blue Heron 3
Canada Goose ~50
Mute Swan 6
Wood Duck 4 2 pairs
American Wigeon ~20 2 badly-oiled, Devonian Park
Mallard ~200
Northern Shoveler ~15
Canvasback 35
Ring-necked Duck 8 6m 2f
TUFTED DUCK 1 ad m
Greater Scaup ~40
Lesser Scaup ~500
Harlequin Duck 2 2m
Surf Scoter ~60 in flight
Bufflehead ~10
Common Goldeneye ~200
Barrow's Goldeneye ~20
Hooded Merganser 1 m
Red-breasted Merganser 1 f
Common Merganser 4 2m 2f
Ruddy Duck 2 1 ad Bsc m, 1 bsc 1 f
Bald Eagle 3 2a 1jv
Peregrine Falcon 1
American Coot ~150
Black Oystercatcher 3
Mew Gull ~200
Ring-billed Gull 3
Glaucous-winged Gull ~50
'Olympic Gull'* 20
Pigeon Guillemot 2 Def Alt
Rock Dove 5
Northwestern Crow ~20
Black-capped Chickadee 5
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 4
Bushtit 2
Bewick's Wren 1
Winter Wren 2
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
American Robin 1
European Starling ~20
Spotted Towhee 4 3m 1f
Fox Sparrow 2 both 'Sooty'-type fuliginosa
Song Sparrow 8
HARRIS'S SPARROW 1
Golden-crowned Sparrow 1 Bsc 1
Dark-eyed Junco ~30
Red-winged Blackbird ~50
House Finch 1
House Sparrow 1

Cormorant sp. ~25

Hybrids:
Amer. Wigeon X Northern Pintail 2 2 m
* Western X Glaucous-winged Gull 12

Cheerio,

Michael Price A brave world, Sir,
Vancouver BC Canada full of religion, knavery and change;
mprice at mindlink.net we shall shortly see better days.
Aphra Behn (1640-1689)