Hi Tweets -

Today Steve Gerstle and I birded up to the area around Sequim. At Port
Gamble and Salsbury Point we had numerous Common and Pacific Loons,
Red-necked Grebes and Horned Grebes, and Common Terns. Lots of Marbeled
Murrelets also. We had a look at a Parasitic Jaeger at Shine Tidelands
S.P. We birded John Wayne Marina and again had numerous Common Loons and
Pacific Loons, and close looks at a Parasitic Jaeger which was harassing
Common Terns. The jaeger when it wasn't chasing a tern would sit on the
water and observe (choosing it's next target). Both places we also had
Surf and White-winged Scoters and Pigeon Guillemots.

At the Three Crabs large numbers of American Wigeon are starting to pile
in. Many of same birds seen elsewhere. Highlights there were an immature
Merlin perched in a snag across from the Three Crabs. Beautifully
plumaged bird which fanned its wings and tail several times. It was
flying out over the cattails and reeds and catching dragonflies (long
blue and green ones with spots on the wings) and then dissecting them
before having a snack. Just after this, an immature Cooper's Hawk came
sailing in low over the back parking lot of the restaurant, perched on a
pole for a minute, then dropped down underneath a hedge and walked
around for a while. No luck, so it flew up to another pole. Great views
under ideal lighting conditions.

At the Kingston ferry terminal, while waiting for the ferry, between
5:00 and 5:15 p.m. (when the ferry left) we had two Parasitic Jaegers
busy harassing the Common Terns (they really turned it on a couple of
times). We also had present for 5 or 6 minutes a Long-tailed Jaeger
(small head, black cap, yellowish under the cap, clear whitish breast
and belly, virtually no whitish in the primary shafts or under the
wings, long tail rectrices or "streamers", and a wonderfully light
flight compared to the Parasitic), including part of the time being next
to a Parasitic Jaeger for comparison. Good looks at all sides under good
lighting conditions. Highlight of the day.

Good birding.

Brian H. Bell
Woodinville Wa
bellasoc at isomedia.com