Hi Tweets -

A belated report on a trip by Seattle Audubon members that Steve Gerstle
and I led on Thursday to Whidbey Island. We had moderate numbers of
shorebirds at Crockett Lake, mostly Western and Least Sandpipers, both
Yellowlegs, lots of Killdeers and Semipalmated Plovers, a breeding
plumage Black-bellied Plover and great looks at a couple of juvenile
Pectoral Sandpipers. Nice interaction between a juvenile Northern
Harrier and an immature Peregrine Falcon at Crockett Lake. Big flock of
American Goldfinches at Crockett Lake.

Had a family of 7 House Wrens, an Olive-sided Flycatcher and some
singing Red Crossbills at Fort Casey State Park.

Nice looks at a still breeding plumage Ruddy Turnstone and several Black
Turnstones at the San de Fuca pier on Penn Cove. Loads of Pigeon
Guillemots on all of the open water, and the scoters (Surf and
White-winged) are beginning to accumulate in Penn Cove - probably 4-500
of them. Total species 73 on a nice day.

List: Pacific and Common Loon, Red-necked Grebe, Double-crested
Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Turkey Vulture, Canada Goose, Mallard,
Cinnamon Teal, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Greater Scaup,
Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Bald Eagle, Northern
Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, Peregrine Falcon, Virginia Rail, Black-bellied
Plover, Semi-palmated Plover, Killdeer, Black Oyestercatcher, Greater
Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Spotted Sandpiper, Ruddy Turnstone, Black
Turnstone, Western Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Baird's Sandpiper,
Pectoral Sandpiper, Common Snipe, Bonaparte's Gull, Heermann's Gull, Mew
Gull, Ring-billed Gull, California Gull, Glaucou-winged Gull, Caspian
Tern, Pigeon Guillemot, Marbled Murrelet (at Mukilteo), Rhinoceros
Auklet, Rock Dove, Mourning Dove, Great Horned Owl, Belted Kingfisher,
Downy Woodpecker, Olive-sided Flycatcher, American Crow, Violet-green
Swallow, Cliff Swallow, Barn Swallow, Chestnut-backed Chickadee,
Bewick's Wren, House Wren, Marsh Wren, American Robin, European
Starling, Cedar Waxwing, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Spotted Towhee, Savannah
Sparrow, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco,
Red-winged Blackbird, Brewer's Blackbird, House Finch, Red Crossbill,
American Goldfinch and House Sparrow.

Brian H. Bell
Woodinville WA
bellasoc at isomedia.com