Subject: Whatcom County
Date: Nov 5 10:40:42 2002
From: Christopher Steven Duke - dukec at cc.wwu.edu


Hello all-

I was writing to see if there were any birders out there who would know
directions to Sandy Point on Lummi Bay, from Bellingham. I was hoping
to find some longspurs and Snow Buntings, but couldn't find any good
locations closer to Bellingham than Sandy Point. A further
complication is my college student status, I am "marooned" at Western
Washington University w/o a vehicle, save for my bike. Any knowledge
of routes to get there on bike would be great, or if anyone in the area
feels like going birding sometime, I have a pretty much wide open
schedule, let me know...

On a more interesting note, I recently went birding along Boulevard
Park in Bellingham, on the south shore of Bellingham bay, and had some
fun sightings. The usual host of gulls, cormorants, and landbirds in
the scrub along the park, but some unusual stuff, too. On a rock at
the south end of the park, a male HARLEQUIN DUCK gave me some great
views, and in the bay west of the park, I saw a raft of approx. 200-300
WESTERN GREBES (!), I don't think I've ever seen that many Westerns in
one place. Also found were Common Loon, Red-Necked Grebe, Black
Turnstone, and one Bonaparte's Gull. My personal favorite sighting was
a flock (6 birds) of TRUMPETOR SWANS that flew overhead, heading south
(to the Skagit, I would assume).

Since then, I also saw two PEREGRINE FALCONS hunting from my dorm room.
They were completely seperate hunts being carried out at the same
time; one was after a flock of Red-Winged Blackbirds over town, and the
other was chasing a flock of shorebirds over the bay. I watched both
for a time, and even got my roommate and girlfriend interested, both of
whom are usually indifferent to any bird whatsoever.

Anyway, thanks for any info, and I hope I can work out a trip soon!
Until then, may your lists be long, your rarities spectacular, and the
weather favorable (haha). Good birding!

Chris Duke
dukec at cc.wwu.edu
Bellingham, WA