Hello Tweeters:

About two and a half hours ago I posted my 12:15 today sighting of the albino Yellow-billed loon and haven't seen the message come through yet. I double checked the email address and it appears to be correct so perhaps things are just slow but did wish to mention that I've been back down to Ruston Way, Tacoma, and it is still there.

I again went to the Marine Park on Ruston Way where I had last seen this bird around noon, and scanned for about ten minutes without seeing it. Then I noticed it near the projection from the parking lot area at the park, at about 2:30. I watched it for several minutes and timed the amount of time it spent on the surface and in its dives. Its surface time ran from just 2 or 3 seconds on up to 6 or 7 seconds and one later in the neighborhood of 15 seconds. Its dives ran from about 32 seconds to 45 seconds and though I timed one at 1 minute 57 seconds I'm sure I just missed on of its surfaces. After watching it for a while it went to the area of the Les Davis Pier parking lot so I went down there to view it. My binoculars are a little pair of Bushnell 8 x 23's so while it's easy to carry, I don't get great detail, but hey, it's better than no magnification at all. While at the Les Davis parking lot I was fortunate to have the bird surface directly in front of me no more than 40 feet away, and I was viewing from about 10 feet above the water. It spent its longest time on the surface at that point and with the binoculars I got a truly spectacular view of it. Someone mentioned the ring around its neck, and that was so prominent it looked as if it had been carefully crafted and then glued on. It is a beautiful bird.

I last saw it at about 2:45 at Les Davis pier.

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