Hello Tweets,

Today my mother and I led a TAS field trip to Jefferson Co., primarily in
the Ft.Flagler, and Port Townsend areas, with 11 total participants and 89
total species, despite extensive coverage at major sights that usually host
relatively good numbers of species, which could have been tide effected, as
for shorebird species. The weather was great with only partly cloudy skies,
after morning fog, turning to partly sunny skies. The main highlight was 5
ANCIENT MURRELETS off Marrowstone Point Lighthouse at Ft.Flagler S.P., and a
winter adult THAYER'S GULL at Oak Bay Rec.Area.

We started out at Salsbury Point boat launch in Kitsap Co., where up to 40
MARBLED MURRELETS were noted among more common waterbird species. At Oak Bay
Rec.Area within Jefferson Co.park a small gull concentration consisted of
relatively good numbers of Mew gulls, 2 California Gulls, and 1 THAYER'S
GULL, and shorebird highlights included:

1 BLACK OYSTERCATCHER(observed on the jetty)
17 Black Turnstone
14 Black-bellied Plovers
27 Dunlin

At the south end of Kilisut Harbor along Ft.Flagler Rd. up to 27 OLDSQUAW
were noted amongst a White-winged/Surf Scoter flock, being our largest flock
of the day at one location, and a single GREATER YELLOWLEGS. At Mystery Bay
S.P. 11 EARED GREBES were noted at their usual wintering locations, then at
Marrowstone Point Lighthouse, where we primarily looked for ANCIENT
MURRELETS, with 5 birds actually noted, as we began to leave, after an
extensive search of the riptide line between the rough and calm water off
the point, but more are expected to be present, although none more seen,
which can often be a difficult species to locate from land at times, as they
feed, then dive. At the west portion of Ft.Flagler S.P. lighting condition
played a major role in minimal species, except for better looks at previous
seen waterbirds, and a male NORTHERN HARRIER hunting the vegetated spit.

At Port Townsend we birded the Kah-Tai wetland lagoon, where highlights
consisted of:

34 RUDDY DUCKS
3 Lesser Scaups
3 GREATER YELLOWLEGS
2 Common Snipes
1 Lincoln's Sparrow

Our Last stop of the day was made at Ft.Woden S.P. at Point Wilson, where 56
PACIFIC LOONS flew by, as we scoped to the north, but NO major highlights.
On our way back to Hwy.101 along S.R 19, at the south end of the Chimacum
Valley, near Beaver Valley, a single Mute Swan was noted on a private lake,
a presumed resident, as it has been noted at this location in the past.

Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
GODWIT at worldnet.att.net