11:46am start
12:07pm end

Tweeters,
Unfortunately, someone removed the water-level marker that I'd been using from the pier across the river. The river, however, was quite high, muddy, full of debris, and on what I believe to be an outgoing tide. It's sometimes difficult to note tide when the water is moving rapidly downstream in the middle and along the east bank of the river, and upstream along the west bank. Eddying, probably. Most noteworthy was the female HOODED MERGANSER that floated just below me, and which upon seeing me, paddled rapidly to midstream. This is my first report of this species since I started scanning the river.

I wish I'd looked up from my scope a few seconds earlier during one pass because a tight flock of 8 shorebirds, Dunlin+ in size, that I saw only as they disappeared across the industrial area to the south. The only shorebird I've seen lately, and that several weeks ago, has been Killdeer.

Birds seen during this scan included the following:

Canada Goose (dead, floating downstream)
Mallard (4)
Hooded Merganser
Double-crested Cormorant (3)
Great Blue Heron
Glaucous-winged Gull (6)
Rock Pigeon (18)
Belted Kingfisher
American Crow (2)
Bewick's Wren

May all your birds be identified,

Denis DeSilvis
Seattle, WA
denis.j.desilvis at boeing.com