Tweeters,

Here are some notes from a day of birding today (1 November) on the north
Olympic Peninsula, a fine day, though mostly overcast with an occasional
shower, but mild and mostly calm.

I observed the adult Emperor Goose this morning on the grassy area at the
entrance of the Olympic Game Farm just north of Sequim, Washington. This
individual has been present in the area for about a month now. It was with
Canada Geese of several races, but including several that may have been
Cackling Canadas.

Bob Boekelheide and I also observed three shearwaters about a mile north
of Ediz Hook, flying west in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. We felt they
might have been Short-tailed Shearwaters, but distance precluded specific
identification. They did appear all dark, though. At great distance also,
we may have seen 3 Ancient Murrelets, but I believe this was also a
tentative id.

We also noted two male Eurasian Wigeon, 1 just east of the 3 Crabs
Restaurant, another in the wastewater pond at the base of Ediz Hook.

The mouth of the Elwha River had Bonaparte's (10), Heermann's (5), Mew
(25+), California (15+), many Thayer's (100+), a few Glaucous-winged,and
many hybrid Western X Glaucous-winged Gulls ("Olympic Gulls").

West of Port Angeles, off Salt Creek just beyond the kelp beds, were at
least 10 Marbled Murrelets, appearing stunningly pied - very crisp and
immaculately white below contrasting with jet black above (except for the
obvious patterning), perhaps just having molted. Bob mentioned the
immediate shoreline of the northern Olympic Peninsula harbors the greatest
number of Marbled Murrelets of anywhere in Washington. This should come as
no great surprise: there is abundant oldgrowth forests (breeding habitat)
secure within Olympic National Park only a short distance from apparently
prime nonbreeding habitat on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Also present at
Salt Creek were Common Murre, Pigeon Guillemot, and Rhinoceros Auklets.

Inside Ediz Hook on the log booms were: Black-bellied Plover (25), Black
Oystercatcher (3), Whimbrel (1), Ruddy Turnstone (1), Black Turnstone
(20+), Surfbird (1), Sanderling, Western Sandpiper (1), and Dunlin (~250).
There were also at least 15 Marbled Murrelets here, the number surprised
Bob.

On the log booms in Port Angeles Harbor were at least 1000 gulls, mostly
Thayer's, "Olympic", and California Gulls but including at least one
"good" Western, at least one Herring, and one Heermann's Gull.


Andy Stepniewski
Wapato WA