3:40pm start
3:50pm end
Location: Duwamish River, Turning Basin #3, opposite the Museum of Flight (Boeing property), Seattle, WA (47deg 30.810N; 122 deg 18.162W)

Tweeters,
Quick scan just before I left work was interesting mainly because of the large flock of DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS that swam into view from downriver. All were swimming, diving, and coming to the surface with and eating small silvery fish. Because of the constant activity, I had a difficult time counting them, but at one time 28 birds were on the surface, and I estimate the flock at 30-35. I believe they were pursuing a school of fish. When the feeding flock entered my view at about 3:42pm, they were midstream, then angled to the west bank, cruised until the shoreline bent to the east (south end of Turning Basin #3), turned north and came back along midstream for about 200 yards, turned to the west, then south for about 100 yards, then east and back north (downstream) on the east side of midstream. During this entire time (about 6 minutes) the flock was actively feeding and swimming, although some of the straggling birds often paddle-flew to take positions more at the leading edge of the flock.

Until the cormorants arrived, the surface of the river was quite calm, but the DCCOs definitely changed that!

Birds seen during this scan included the following:
Gadwall (2)
Mallard (5)
Common Goldeneye (female)
Common Merganser
Double-crested Cormorant (30-35)
Glaucous-winged Gull (7)
Rock Pigeon (3)
Belted Kingfisher
American Crow (36; looked as if they were heading to a roost)
Black-capped Chickadee (2)

May all your birds be identified,

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