Subject: Pierce County/Tacoma CBC boat trip; 20 Dec. 2003
Date: Dec 20 23:01:43 2003
From: Charlie Wright - charlie at birdwright.com


Bruce LaBar, Faye McAdams, and I counted from a tugboat all through the Gig
Harbor and Tacoma areas of the Puget Sound. Exceptionally good visability
throughout the day; little to no wind, only a couple brief showers. It was
a really excellent day with a few neat surprises.

Saturday, 20 December 2003 (8:00am-3:30pm).
South Puget Sound via boat - 12,816 individuals.

Canada Goose (12)
American Wigeon (210)
Mallard (3)
Northern Pintail (45)
Greater Scaup (8)
Harlequin Duck (1)-Asarco.
Surf Scoter (474)
White-winged Scoter (32)
Black Scoter (12)-Asarco vicinity.
Long-tailed Duck (13)
Bufflehead (276)
Common Goldeneye (272)
Barrow's Goldeneye (29)
Hooded Merganser (14)
Common Merganser (1276)
Red-breasted Merganser (288)
Red-throated Loon (7)
Pacific Loon (526, high count for area)
Common Loon (11)
Horned Grebe (72)
Red-necked Grebe (352)
Eared Grebe (26)
Western Grebe (1150)
CLARK'S GREBE (3!): scattered throughout WEGR rafts.
Brandt's Cormorant (470, a high count)
Double-crested Cormorant (1273)
Pelagic Cormorant (319)
Great Blue Heron (47)
Bald Eagle (9: 7ad., 2imm.)
NORTHERN GOSHAWK (1 juv)-east side of McNeil Island, 11:15am.
Red-tailed Hawk (3)
Peregrine Falcon (1ad.)-Asarco.
Bonaparte's Gull (488, very low numbers)
Mew Gull (2234)
Ring-billed Gull (1)
California Gull (32)
Herring Gull (6)
Thayer's Gull (3)
Western Gull (7)
Glaucous-winged Gull (357)
Gl.winged x Western Gull (913)
Common Murre (628)
Pigeon Guillemot (294)
Rhinoceros Auklet (563)
Belted Kingfisher (7)
American Crow (37)
Northern Flicker (1)
Pine Siskin (10)
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Harbor Seal (50+)
California Sea-Lion (10)
ORCA (6)-Dalco Passage/Commencement Bay.
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ALSO:
Northern Saw-whet Owl (1)-flew across Valley Ave, Fife before dawn.
--
Charlie Wright
Sumner, WA
charlie at birdwright.com