Hello all,
Cameron Cox, Jessie Barry, and I spent the day birding a number of spots
with a special emphasis on gulls. The weather was miserable at times, but
we managed to have a great day nonetheless!

Sunday, 23 November 2003 (8:20am-4:30pm).
South Puget Sound: King, Pierce, & Thurston Co. - 80 species.
Overcast; S. 5-15mph; lt. showers in morning, steady drizzle late; 38-45 F.

Gene Coulon Park, S. Lk. WA (8:30-9:30):
Gadwall (15)
Greater Scaup (20)
Lesser Scaup (15)
Bufflehead (10)
Common Goldeneye (2)
Common Merganser (4)
Horned Grebe (5)
Bald Eagle (2)
Red-tailed Hawk (1)
American Coot (300)
Ring-billed Gull (1)
California Gull (12)
Thayer's Gull (2ad.)
Herring Gull (2: 1-2W; 1-4W)
Western Gull (3)
Glaucous-winged Gull (100)
Gl.-winged x Herring Gull (1-1W)
Gl.-winged x Western Gull (300)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (2-Myrtle)

Cedar River Park/river mouth (9:45-10:10):
Bufflehead (10)
Common Goldeneye (20)
Common Merganser (6)
Eared Grebe (1)
Western Grebe (250+)
Double-crested Cormorant (5)
Mew Gull (12)
Ring-billed Gull (2)
California Gull (30)
Herring Gull (13)
Thayer's Gull (6)
Western Gull (2)
Glaucous-winged Gull (150)
Gl.-winged x Herring Gull (2)
Gl.-winged x Western Gull (300+)
Gull, spp. (5)

Nisqually NWR (11:00am-1:30pm):
Greater White-fronted Goose (1ad.)
Canada Goose (500+ minima; 30 moffitti)
Gr. White-fronted x Canada Goose (1-probable)
Gadwall (30)
Eurasian Wigeon (1m.)
American Wigeon (80)
Mallard (70)
Northern Shoveler (50)
Northern Pintail (50)
Green-winged Teal (60)
Ring-necked Duck (15)
Great Blue Heron (4)
Bald Eagle (5)
Northern Harrier (10+)
Cooper's Hawk (1)
Red-tailed Hawk (15+)-inc. 2 dark morph.
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (1 dark morph ad.)
Peregrine Falcon (1)
Virginia Rail (2)
American Coot (20)
Killdeer (2)
Mew Gull (30)
Ring-billed Gull (20)
California Gull (5)
Northern Shrike (1-1W)
BARN SWALLOW (1f.)
Winter Wren (3)
Marsh Wren (10)
Hermit Thrush (1)
Cedar Waxwing (8)
Spotted Towhee (3)
Fox Sparrow (2)
Song Sparrow (60)
Lincoln's Sparrow (3)
White-crowned Sparrow (40)-mainly pugetensis.
Golden-crowned Sparrow (40+)
Dark-eyed Junco (5)
Pine Siskin (110)

Luhr Beach Public Boat Launch (2:00-2:30):
Greater Scaup (10)
Surf Scoter (40)
White-winged Scoter (25)
Bufflehead (35)
Common Goldeneye (50)
Hooded Merganser (15)
Red-breasted Merganser (4)
Red-throated Loon (3)
Common Loon (6)
Horned Grebe (5)
Eared Grebe (1+)
Pelagic Cormorant (2)
Dunlin (10)
Bonaparte's Gull (100)
Mew Gull (40)
Western Gull (2ad.)
Common Murre (2)
Pigeon Guillemot (3)
Rhinoceros Auklet (5)
Hermit Thrush (1)

Gog-Le-Hi-Ti Wetlands, Tacoma (3:00-3:50):
Mew Gull (5)
Ring-billed Gull (2)
Herring Gull (9): inc. one dark-eyed individual.
Thayer's Gull (150+)-3 juv; remainder ad.
Western Gull (14)
Glaucous-winged Gull (60)
Gl.-winged x Herring Gull (5+)
Gl.-winged x Western Gull (180)
Gull, spp. (3)
Fox Sparrow (1)
Lincoln's Sparrow (1)

Dash Point Public Fishing Pier (4:10-4:30):
Surf Scoter (10)
Red-breasted Merganser (1)
Common Loon (3)
Horned Grebe (5)
Red-necked Grebe (12)
Brandt's Cormorant (1)
Double-crested Cormorant (20)
Common Murre (6)
Rhinoceros Auklet (4)

Cheers and good birding,
--
Charlie Wright
Sumner, WA
charlie at birdwright.com