Subject: Alki Pt., Brant
Date: Apr 10 12:43:43 2000
From: Grad, Andrea E. - agrad at helsell.com


It's getting pretty quiet bird-wise out on the Sound, but yesterday
at Alki there were approximately 350 BRANT gathered just south of Alki
Point. This is way more than usual for there, as far as I know -- I usually
(all winter) see 50-100. They were very noisy, too. Every time I've seen
Brant down there in the last week or so, I've wondered if it will be the
last time of the season, and yesterday's large gathering made me think
they're really getting ready to go. The other somewhat unusual highlight at
the Point yesterday was a flock of approximately 75 SANDERLINGS. There are
almost always some around there (all winter), but usually I see 30 or fewer
at a time. They put on a gorgeous display of mass flight, circling back and
forth along the beach in front of me for a good ten minutes. Also had five
HORNED GREBE, three of them in full breeding plumage; one PIGEON GUILLEMOT;
and a raft of WESTERN GREBE on the north side of the Point. Also, the
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS who live on the lighthouse grounds have returned.

Andrea Grad
Alki
agrad at helsell.com