Hi Tweets,

My son-in-law Matt Reese, visiting from Houston, took the ferry over
to Keystone from Port Townsend this morning where I met him for a few
hours of birding. Nothing sensational to report. As others have
noted, shorebird movement has started. The only ones we saw were
small groups of LEAST SANDPIPERS at Crockett's Lake and Swantown, and
a smaller number of WESTERN SANDPIPERS, mostly at Swantown. The
little AMERICAN AVOCET "colony" at Crockett's Lake consisted of four
adults and three half-grown, still partly downy young. Numerous
PIGEON GUILLEMOTS and RHINOCEROS AUKLETS, and several BLACK
OYSTERCATCHERS, were in the usual places. Matt found lots of rhinos
in mid-channel coming over on the ferry. Brian Bell arrived just as
we were finishing up at Crockett's Lake. He mentioned finding a
couple of MARBLED MURRELETS at Bush Point on the way up, so we went
back there later and watched one of them working the tide rips -- a
lifer for Matt. Water levels are good for shorebirds right now,
especially at Crockett's Lake. Let's hope conditions remain optimal
as the fall shorebird season progresses over the next three months.

Hal Opperman