Today at Shilshole I saw what I think might be two Yellow-billed Loons.
I'm not at all certain since I've never seen one before, but they were
loon-shaped, with a lighter neck than a common with a dark patch behind
the eye and a conspicuously yellow bill. They were in the middle of an
interesting grouping, six female Red-Breasted Mergansers, a pair of
Hooded Mergansers, four Red-Necked Grebes (with pale red necks), a
Double-crested Cormorant and a Common Loon. Nearby a Rhinoceros Auklet
was being harassed by a gull. This was between the A and B piers, close
to the A pier, the auklet and the Gull were between the Sunset West
Apartments and the A pier. The Auklet was really flying under water, and
conditions were good enough to watch it swim when it was near the
surface. Conditions were perfect, it's a beautiful day.

There seems to be a lot more sea birds at Shilshole this winter than past
years, is it just El Nin~o/La Nin~a, coincidence or something else? Hmmm.
=================
Cliff Drake
Seattle, (Ballard) WA
Birder at Juno.com

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