Tweets,
Did some birding today with Michael Retter from Illinois in the Tacoma
Waterfront vicinity and also a few stops in Thurston County.
Our first stop was Ruston Way in Tacoma, where our goal was to see the
Albino Yellow-billed Loon. We looked everywhere along the route without any
luck, only coming up with a decent number of Barrow's Goldeneye, Western
Grebes, Mew Gulls, and a few Bonaparte's Gulls.
After departing Ruston Way we birded Gog-le-hi-ti vicinity, where we
obserbed about 250+ Thayer's Gulls on the rooftops, on the pond itself, and
in the river. Most were adults, with only 2 1st winter birds encountered.
Some of the individuals had very pale primaries, grayish if you will,
definitly not all black as in "typical" Thayer's Gulls, but I believe
variation has something to do with this?
Anyways, other highlights: at least 10 adult Herring Gulls and 2 second
winter birds.
Also stopping at a ball field south on Portland Avenue that had a good
number of of Thayer's Gulls and our only Ring-billed Gull in the county for
the day.
We then went back to Ruston Way to try for a 2nd time for the Albino YBLO,
but again no luck! Finding more Red-necked Grebes this time than before.
So we went to Point Defiance, and birded around there for a bit. The tide
was very high at this point in the day, so we could not trek out to the tip,
but did find 1 Hermit Thrush along the beachfront and 4-5 Varied Thrush.
And of course Michael was always up for seeing another Sooty Fox Sparrow.
On the lawns feeding at the park at Point Defiance, were 2 Eurasian Wigeon,
1 male and 1 female, in with a group of AMWI.

We both figured, 3rd time is the charm to get the albino loon. Again, after
searching every pull off and nook and cranny, and scanning the middle of the
channel with scopes, we were skunked! This is the 3rd time I have gone for
this bird and all 3 times I have missed it! It doesn't exist in my opinion
:)

American Lake was our last Pierce County Stop. No white winged gulls were
encountered at the lake. Only a scattering of Mew Gulls, and about 15
California Gulls. Both Scaup, a few Ruddy Ducks, were noted.

Tolmie State Park in Thurston County had at least 4 Eurasian Wigeon, one of
them being a young male bird.
Capitol Lake had about 40 Canvasback in with a large raft of both species of
Scaup and Ring-necked Ducks.

So nothing really out of the ordinary, but a nice day out and me not going
too far from home.
Cheers

Ryan Shaw
Lacey WA
rtshaw80 at home.com