George Gerdt's and I did see the COMMON EIDER today at about 11:30AM. It
swam behind a barge and George went to do some phoning leaving me to watch
for it to reemerge but it never did. I ran in to another birder Igor
Irvanovitch (sp.) from Port Orchard and he had seen it last night and a
couple of times in the morning and it had flown from the Pilot House almost
down to the Nippon Paper Mill (old Daishowa). He got some close up black and
white video of it.
The bird is obviously an EIDER with a bright orange bill, a dark brown
crown and a big white patch on the back. It was rather far out and the
shimmers made it impossible to see more detail. The only other ducks in the
harbor are tiny female plumaged Harlequins, there are also a few Red-nicked
Grebes, and Rhinos and Pigeon Guillemots. The Eider dwarfs the Guillemots.
Two local people have sent emails to George Schouten who is said to have
some in his collection (he lives in Dry Creek just west of Port Angeles, I
am told).
If people try for it, be patient it can be anywhere along the city side
or along the Hook. Don't even try to go out on the Coast Guard Air Station.
The Coast Guard sent someone to talk to George even when he did not try to
enter.
Bob Norton
norton36 at olypen.com
Joyce (near Port Angeles), WA