Subject: Alki Field Trip
Date: Jan 18 20:42:34 2000
From: Lynn & Carol Schulz - linusq at worldnet.att.net


I enjoyed reading about the East Lake Washington Audubon (ELWAS) field trip
to Lincoln Park and Alki, last Saturday, Jan. 15. The Rainier Audubon Soc
(RAS) did an Alki field trip the same day. The weather was perfect; so
clear we could see the Olympics, Cascades, and Mt. Baker, all with new snow.
We saw many of the same water birds that ELWAS saw, although we missed the
Surfbird, and Pigeon Guillemot. We saw at least 8 Black Turnstones. A
group of 8 were seen on the rocks next to the headwall near Duwamish Head
and a group of 8 again (the same ones?) on the rocks about 1/2 mile south of
the lighthouse. This area south of the lighthouse was very interesting with
Harlequin Ducks, Brant Geese, Horned Grebes, and two Red-throated Loons
which were very close to shore. At Spuds (Alki Ave. and 60th) we had
Sanderlings up on the cement bike path next to the headwall oblivious to
hikers and people riding by on bikes. They were busy eating something on
the walkway.
We had actually started our trip over by Salty's on the West side of the
point, looking back at downtown Seattle on that clear, calm day. It was
there that we saw a Common Murre, about 30 Barrow's Golden Eyes, 1 Common
Golden-Eye, Western Grebes, Horned Grebes, and Red-necked Grebes, and 2
Eagles. I decided to look through my new Kowa TSN 824 Spotting Scope at the
Washington Mutual Bldg. across the water. Using the 20-60 zoom set on 60X,
I got a perfect view of the west ledge up near the top of the bldg. I was
looking for the resident Peregrine Falcon. He wasn't there. But I knew the
falcons preferred the North ledge. So I just kept watching. Pretty quick I
saw a Peregrine flying up to the North ledge and then it disappeared. Yow!
That was at a distance of 2 1/4 miles away! Are these scopes good or what?
Anyway, we had a great birding day at Alki with our leader Jim Flynn.
Thanks, Jim!
If anyone has a question about the new 82 mm Kowa scope that I just bought,
send me an email off-list, and I'll tell you how great it is, where I bought
it, and what I paid. It is the best!
Yours, Carol Schulz
DesMoines