11:24am start - water level low; lots of exposed mudflats
12:07pm end

Tweeters,
Sunshine again, but with a north breeze to keep the air moving. Heard a NORTHERN FLICKER somewhere to the west out of sight: first one this year from this location. At 11:42am, the PEREGRINE FALCON landed at the top of the south end of the east-bank power tower (got that?). I beat feet down the parking lot toward the tower, and had great looks at the bird for about 12 mins. It took off to the north after something, but then cruised back, circling to the east of me, and finally dropped below my sightline at 11:58am. While on the tower, it preened for less than 10 seconds at a go, and was very alertly scanning the area most of the time.

At 12:03pm, the COMMON MERGANSER that was on the mudflat, and the usual pair of Gadwall that hang around the bank near the power substation took off to the south, which made me wonder what the heck spooked them. Usually, it's someone walking a dog along the edge of the substation, but this time it was a KAYAKER. Older gent, no shirt, paddled upstream through Turning Basin #3. Nice day for it.

Birds seen during this scan include the following:
Gadwall (2)
Common Merganser (female)
Double-crested Cormorant
Peregrine Falcon
Mew Gull (9)
Glaucous-winged Gull (9)
Rock Pigeon (19)
Northern Flicker (heard)
American Crow (5)
Bewick's Wren
European Starling (14; most at the power substation, which appears to be a usual hangout)
Red-winged Blackbird
House Finch (2)

May all your birds be identified,

Denis DeSilvis
Seattle, WA
mailto:denis.j.desilvis at boeing.com