Just back from 5 days camping out at Sand Point, in Olympic national park.
Saw a peregrine pretty much at least once a day, sometimes several times
during the day, usually on the wing. On Wednesday the 9th, with the tide
about half in, a pair of whimbrels landed in front of camp at the edge of
the intertidal rocky area. I was thinking to myself, you guys must be from
out of town, what a big slow target for a falcon, and no sooner did I think
this when the peregrine appeared, flying full speed and obviously targeting
towards the whimbrels. I have seen peregrines take both gulls and crows here
and was expecting a similar show, however I was disappointed, as was the
peregrine. Instead of trying to fly out of the way, both Whimbrels ducked
their heads and ran into the intertidal rocks, and disappeared from my view
in the seaweed covered area. The peregrine swooped over twice, once
screaming loudly, I suppose to try and spook one of the whimbrels, or maybe
out of frustration. It landed on a rock nearby, and to put it into words,
GLARED, at the whimbrels, which I could see once I stood up and moved a bit.
They were crouched between a couple largish rocks, partially covered with
seaweed, one a bit more under cover than the other. The falcon, flew up,
stooped over them once again, but the whimbrels were apparently unreachable,
and the falcon screamed again then took off out of view.

After a few minutes the whimbrels emerged and began to forage and as I
watched them I noticed something I had not paid attention to when watching
them before. Only one foraged at a time, the non-foraging bird kept its head
up, I assume to watch for the return of the falcon or other predators. I
saw these two birds again later the next day and they still foraged in turn,
which I suppose is a handy behavior. They may from out of town, but they
knew how to handle themselves just fine.

A surprise bird this year at the beach were dozens of red-crossbills. The
spruce trees are loaded with cones this year, although I was surprised to
see the crossbills also foraging on piles of seaweed and even one evening at
sunset saw one poking about in the sand!

Also had a sea otter female with youngster right offshore from our campsite,
watched them eating smallish crabs. An of course, the eagles, a pair
perching together on the rocks off the point, and also in the trees behind
our camp, talking endlessly.

Rob Sandelin
South Snohomish County at the headwaters of Ricci Creek
Sky Valley Environments <http://www.nonprofitpages.com/nica/SVE.htm>
Field skills training for student naturalists
Floriferous at msn.com


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