Hi Everyone--

Thanks to people spreading the word, I enjoyed the BEAN GOOSE with its flock of Canadas at the Bowerman Airport today 12/11 from about 2:05 to 2:25pm. It seems less skittish than others have reported, in that the flock flew in while I was on the Sandpiper Trail, and I was able to walk back to the hangars while the geese grazed. In fact, a helicopter coming in for a landing flew directly over the flock and provoked not even an upward glance. At 2:25, the flock moved a few feet north from the median to the northern edge of the airport grass, resulting in much wetter views from my vantage north of the easternmost hangar. In the remaining hours of daylight, I drove to the North Jetty at Ocean Shores and scanned the ocean. At least 5 SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATERS, a NORTHERN FULMAR, and a RED-THROATED LOON came by between 3:30 and 3:45, at which point visibility dropped to nothing. MALLARDS continue to feed in the median strip of Ocean Shores Boulevard. I'm soaked to the skin from standing in the rain for six hours, but I'm very happy to get a life bird.

Mark Miller
Vancouver, WA
snowyowl98683 at msn.com