Tweeters,

Today my family and I took a boat ride out to Destruction Island and
Dungeness Spit. About a mile west of Destruction Island we came across
five orcas (2 adult females, 2 juv, and 1 calf). They were quite active
as we approached, breaching and splashing their tails on the water. As
we got closer I noticed a harbor seal in the middle of the group. For
the next 20 minutes, they tossed the seal around between them like a
beach ball. My assumption was that this behavior was the females giving
the youngsters a hunting lesson. Then they all disappeared for a few
minutes. Then the orcas surfaced along with miscellaneous seal parts.
These seal parts then attracted a large group of gulls. In with the
gulls was one NORTHERN FULMAR.

Later on the seaward side of Destruction Island and Dungeness Spit I saw
several more NORTHERN FULMARS quite a distant out on the water. Also of
note, there were approx. 300 LONG-TAILED DUCKS between Destruction
Island and the spit.

Good birding,

Russell

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Russell Rogers, Mary Moore, Emily Rogers, and Will Rogers
219 South 2nd Ave.
Sequim WA 98382
Home: (360) 582-3781
Cell: (360) 460-7286
mailto:rrogers at olypen.com
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Russell Rogers
Fish and Wildlife Biologist
Point Whitney Shellfish Laboratory
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
1000 Point Whitney Road
Brinnon WA 98320
Office: (360) 586-1498 ex 221
Cell: (360) 460-4923
mailto:rogerrer at dfw.wa.gov
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