Hello Tweets,

Today my mother and I spent a few hours this Thanksgiving Day in the Browns/Dash Point area of Pierce Co. between 10am-2pm. The weather was great,but quite windy at times,which 3 wind surfers took advantage of at Browns Point. Our best highlight of our short day was a Snow Bunting observed and photographed at the Browns Point Lighthouse(accessed from the Browns Point Improvement Center along Le Lou WA Place). The bird was easily visible and remained quite cooperative at very close range,as it rested and foraged on the ground due to fairly stiff winds. The bird was mainly observed amongst the large driftwood logs and rocky pebbles and short vegetation immediately south of the lighthouse,but was also observed briefly on the larger rocks surrounding the lighthouse. The bird also hopped onto the larger driftwood logs allowing the best views of the bird and this bird may very possibly be the same individual than observed and reported by Bill and Nancy LaFromboise at this location on the 20th of November.This was undoubtedly the tamest Snow Bunting we have both encountered in WA making the sighting that much more special! Perhaps the bird may continue at this location for others to see it,as it represents a quality species for Pierce Co. and a new personal county bird for us both nonetheless!

My mother and I have placed 9 photographs of the Snow Bunting onto our website at the following link: http://www.pbase.com/godwit/little/


In general we checked the Dash Point pubic fishing pier at Dash Point,then slowly worked our way home making stops at Browns Point,then a few checks made along Marine View Drive(S.R.509)south of the Tyee Marina. Our secondary highlight of our day were up to 6 Ancient Murrelets counted off the public fishing pier at Dash Point,otherwise conditions were quite slow at this location. Other highlights noted during the day consisted of the following highlights:

Red-throated Loon
6 off Dash Point

Pacific Loon
2 off Dash Point

Black Scoter
1 off Browns Point

Barrow's Goldeneye
145+ along Marine View Drive

Red-tailed Hawk
2 at Dash Point
3 along Marine View Drive

Am.Coot
1 along Marine View Drive

Spotted Sandpiper
1 along Marine View Drive

Black Turnstone
25 along Marine View Drive

Least Sandpiper
6 along Marine View Drive

Bonaparte's Gull
60+ off Dash Point(with very large numbers observed in our spotting scope off Vashon Island and Pt.Defiance)
20 off Browns Point

Common Murre
4 off Dash Point

Marbled Murrelet
2 off Dash Point
4 off Browns Point(with a single Pigeon Guillemot)

Anna's Hummingbird(all birds brought in by "pishing" and an imitation of Northern Saw-whet Owl)
2 adult females at Browns Point
2 immature males along Marine View Drive

Hermit Thrush
5+ along Marine View Drive(at a favored location)

Yellow-rumped Warbler
58+ along Marine View Drive(same location as the Hermit Thrushes)


Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
Fircrest,WA
godwit at worldnet.att.net