Hi Tweeters:

I just retuned from my walk on Ruston Way, Tacoma, where I saw the albino Yellow-billed Loon. I had been looking for it and didn't see it as I passed the area where it was diving. After walking a while I stopped for a bit and turned around and saw a white bird that disappeared underwater. I had my binoculars and when it surfaced it was pretty clear that it was the loon that others have identified for me. I walked back to where it was at, got a much closer view, a profile, and it is obviously the Yellow-billed-loon. It is very active and doesn't spend much time on top of the water so it is easy to miss.

When I first saw the bird at 12:10 it was 2-300 yards west of the Les Davis Pier (toward the Lobster Shop) and perhaps 75 yards off shore. By the time that I left at 12:15 it had worked its way toward the Lobster Shop and was directly off of Marine Park (which has a small parking lot and a couple of tables), and was much closer to shore. The last time it surfaced was on the Lobster Shop side of that little park.

The first time I saw it last week this bird stayed very much in the same area, close to the Les Davis Pier. I don't know its habits, but others on the list might.

Thought that the list would be interested in this

Jim Brewster
Tacoma
jaysontownsend at msn.com<mailto:jaysontownsend at msn.com>