Hello All,
A late afternoon and almost till sunset survey revealed:

At DES MOINES---hundreds of AMERICAN Wigeon, but zero Eurasians and no
additional ducks other than the resident Mallards, just north of the
Fishing Pier. Dozens of WESTERN Grebes were on the water in small
scattered groups; no other grebes were seen near Des Moines waters and,
like last week, the only bird seen within the slips and shed rows of the
marina was a Western Grebe. All other birds were either on the water
north of the pier or on the rock jetty (gulls and a single GBH.) The mix
of gulls included the usual 'Puget Sound' hybrids, GLAUCOUS-WINGED, a few
MEW, a couple of BONEPARTE'S, some CALIFORNIA'S, and maybe one or more
"pure"-looking WESTERN's. Two DOUBLE-CRESTED Cormorants were also
flying about, probably getting ready to head for their nightly roosting
areas somewhere on Vashon or Maury Islands. Barely visible with binocs
was a raft of SURF Scoters way south of the marina just off the Saltwater
State Park beaches.
I am happy to report that the powers-who-be at the Des Moines Marina have
finally intensified efforts to restrict duck/gull feeding at the beach and
off the parking lots and the pier. People used to bring truckloads of
bread and scraps and dumped the not-good-for-birds stuff in the water
resulting in a huge unhealthy proliferation of especially Mallards.
New signs with explicit instructions, i.e., explaining WHY and forbidding
feeding, are everywhere; would-be violators seem to be paying attention.

The real birding action was off the SEAHURST PARK coast: Dozens of
HORNED, RED-NECKED, and WESTERN Grebes were present in scattered rafts
both close to shore and far out on the water. These were on the bay north
of the public beach/Marine Institute as is usual for most wintering
waterfowl in this area. I'm wondering if the water is more shallow there
to allow easy feeding compared to directly off the Seahurst Park shores.
Also seen were 2-3 COMMON Loons all in basic plumage. At least 50 SURF
Scoters and up to 10 WHITE-WINGED Scoters were drifting and feeding in
small groups and random singles. There were also hundreds of AMERICAN
Wigeon on the 'north' bay both in the water and on the shore.

There was not enough time to get into the forests to check for passerines,
woodpeckers, etc., but will try this week. Most all our usual wintering
species such as Juncoes, Fox sparrows, Varied Thrushes have already
arrived; however, the Pine Siskins are not here yet! I expect all these
to increase in number through the next few weeks. Our condo complex has a
number of dedicated people serving up seed and nectar feeders all winter.

Cheers and what a fabulous October golden weather-fest!
Maureen
********************************
Maureen Ellis me2 at u.washington.edu U of WA & Burien-Seahurst Park, WA

"Finding the occasional straw of truth awash in a great ocean of
confusion and bamboozle requires vigilance, dedication, and courage."
-Carl Sagan-

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