Hi Tweeters:
The Ancient Murrelets still are visible from the Dash Point Pier. Here's
part of a message I sent to friends yesterday. Hans is a local, who is a
birder and fisherman. He knows his birds.
Here's my msg for 11-24-02:
Hi Guys:
Went back to
the dock, and it must have been about 3:00. Several birders were there.
Kept watching for flying alcids but they were always Murres. There was a
large raft of gulls, cormorants, and a few Rhinos out in the middle from
Dash Pt St Pk. After awhile we saw our first two Ancient Murrelets. Way
out there about 3/4 mile. A while later, a birder saw 5 closer-in ANMU's.
They were
about 500 ft out , but the light was right and we could see their yellow
bills. All right! Later we saw 8 and there were possible 10 back out by
the raft in the middle. In the meantime there had been lots of Murres
flying by and on the water in the middle. Never saw a single Pigeon
Guillemot. That seemed strange to me. No Marbled Murrelets either,
although Hans had seen two of them about a week ago. Hans also thinks there
has been a Harlan's Hawk around there w/ a couple of other RTHA's. Tom
Rohrer was there. He got his 600th ABA bird today. The ANMU. Very cool,
on a nice afternoon w/ a bunch of birders on a dock. Not too bad.
Yours, Carol Schulz
DesMoines
linusq at att.net