Hello Tweets,

Today my mother and I birded in the Sequim area, in fairly heavy wind, with
mostly sunny skies, after leaving Jefferson Co., which was dark, and in
heavy cloud cover with rain. We started at John Wayne Marina, where the
winter-plumaged YELLOW-BILLED LOON was present at 9:30am, then at 2:30pm,
just south of Travis Spit. Other notables included: Good numbers of PACIFIC
LOONS, and OLDSQUAW, 2 MARBLED MURRELETS, and 2 EARED GREBES. Next we
birded the Grays Marsh near Jamestown, accessed from Wilcox Lane, along the
beach looking into the private land, NOT accessed by the public, with NO
TRESPASSING signs apparent on fencelines. Along the beach, after leaving
the small forest of conifer trees, where the habitat opens up to open
areas, with open fields and nearby rose bushes, with 120 Red-winged
Blackbirds was the BOBOLINK, an apparent winter male, observed inside the
private property, BUT viewed well briefly before the flock flew further
into the property, and out of sight. 8 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS were also seen
as we looked from the fenceline, onto the property. 13 TRUMPETER SWANS were
noted at the Woodcock-Holland Rd. intersection, near Jamestown, and an
adult PEREGRINE FALCON, 25 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, and 75 DUNLIN, in the
same field, west of Dungeness, and a NORTHERN SHRIKE, west of Three Crabs.
The rest of the day was made fighting the wind, but a few spots were
productive, as was made along Kitchen-Dick Rd., where 3 CINNAMON TEAL(1
male, 2 females)were present at the ponds, south of the Dungeness Rec.
Area, which are visible along the road. This is the third sighting we have
had of this species at this location, since the 17th of October, 1999, with
1 female present, then the 20th of November, with 2 females, then now a
male! I mention the dates and other data, as to the rarity of the records,
in late fall, and winter in the Pacific Northwest. Too bad this species was
present on the Sequim-Dungeness CBC.