Subject: Ancient Murrelets at Dash Pt.
Date: Nov 9 17:32:09 2003
From: buteoreg at comcast.net - buteoreg at comcast.net


Hi Tweets,

I stopped at Dash Pt. St. Pk. in Federal Way today to see what was about and saw 2-4 Ancient Murrelets among other things. I had been scanning about 1/2 an hour before I saw a pair fly in from the north and land. Later I saw a pair feeding in an area a bit north of the intitial pair. Not sure if these were the same ones or not. The "other things" present offshore included half a dozen Bonaparte's Gulls, a female Barrow's Goldeneye, a female Common Merganser (seemed unusual feeding with the gulls, cormorants and Rhino Auklets in mid-channel of the sound), a female Eurasian Wigeon with a pair of Americans and about six Common Murres.

Grebes, scoters and other winter residents seem to be showing up well, although the huge flock of wigeon usually present in fall at Dumas Bay Park (just north of Dash Pt.) were not there. Did see all three species of scoters (3 Black, 1 White-winged), 25 Barrow's Goldeneyes and a flock of 33 Greater Scaup with a token male Lesser in the bay.

good birding,

Jim Flynn--
buteoreg at comcast.net
Seattle, WA