Wednesday morning, 5/9, I was running a boat doing water quality work in the
Everett, Washington area just about 1/2 mile South of Gedney Island and over
close to Whidbey Island. I observed a mature Bald Eagle working along the
beach looking for lunch I presume. We then turned the boat back towards
Mukilteo and shortly saw an immature eagle flying low across the water
towards us carrying what looked like a fish. This bird appeared to be
working hard to stay about five feet above the water and heading for the
Whidbey Island beach where we had seen the mature bird five minutes
previous. About two hundred yards off the beach it dropped the fish and
flared away. In comes the mature bird to pick the fish out of the water
and finish the trip to the beach for lunch. Sometimes life just is not
fair.
We worked the area from Edmonds to Mukilteo for three days testing the
water. I spent it looking for the Gray Whales Kevin Li saw at Picnic Point
last Monday. I never did find them. It must be those new stabilized Canon
binoculars he bought. Mine arrived by UPS yesterday afternoon. I'm going
back to Mukilteo tomorrow and look for whales and whatever presents itself.

We have been feeding about two dozen Evening Grosbeaks and an equal number
of Pine Siskins since January. They were daily customers until about a
month ago. Now I rarely see them at all. I suppose they are off raising
little grosbeaks and siskins. Hope they come back in the fall. My
neighborhood assassin; Sharp Shinned Hawk, female I believe, become scarce
when the Grosbeaks and Pine Siskins moved out.

Good birding to you all.

Steve Aubert
email: steve.aubert at metrokc.gov