Tweets,
I read with interest Scott's report of his getting stuck after finally
viewing his lifer SHAS and want to report my bad luck yesterday, the day I
saw my .

Iona Island, BC, has some odiferous and productive sewage ponds. The
Sharp-tailed was hanging with ~50 Pectoral Sandpipers and obligingly foraged
in direct sun, at close range, with Pectoral Sandpipers close by for
comparison, and for as long as we wanted to see it. (nw corner of ne pond.)
It was a pristine juvenile, and seeing the beautiful deep rust crown and
buffy orange unstreaked breast was thrilling.

Also thrilling was seeing a Parasitic Yaeger (also a life bird) harrassing a
Bonoparte's Gull over open water until the gull dropped it's food. What a
stunning flyer--the "falcon of the sea", as my companion Mary Teesdale
called it. This was seen from the end of the south jetty at Iona Island.

Also seen from this point was a funny interaction between two DC Cormorants,
presumably a mated pair, as they were both adults. One DCCO was determined
to get into the mouth of it's companion, who was shaking its head strongly
from left to right (as in "no, no, NO, I don't want your regurgitated food!)
But it did succeed, and it looked so funny to see the head of the "giver"
completely into the mouth of the receiver. This happened twice as we
watched. Bleah.

Now the bad luck. Do not, DO NOT, leave anything valuable in your car, even
if it's locked, and even if there is a provincial park employee walking the
parking lot as a guard. The monetary value of the items stolen from my van
is not important compared to the fact that all my bird sighting records for
my entire birding history are now gone. Not to mention my egg salad
sandwich. Still, it was a great day!

Nancy Taylor
Bellingham, WA
ntaylor at pacificrim.net