Tweeters,

Eight hearty birders joined Alan and me for a very enjoyable Accessible
Birding trip to the Edmonds Public Pier, Brackett?s Landing, and Edmonds
Marsh yesterday afternoon. All enjoyed a smug satisfaction in sunny
weather and fine viewing despite predictions of overcast and rain.

For the second year in a row, I identified one individual as a very
likely Cassin?s Auklet juvenile. Unlike last year, this bird stayed on
top of the water, quite visible with the naked eye at less than 100?,
while everyone got a good opportunity to observe it. Seen from the tip
of the jetty at Brackett?s Landing, my ID was again based on relative
size of the bird, bi-colored bill, charcoal color with pale throat and
undertail coverts, and obvious rounded head shape. It was at 3 p.m. and
high tide, with sun slightly backlighting the subject and mostly cloudy
skies. No adults were seen.

Other alcids gave us a great show with both juvenile and breeding adult
plumage. Some Marbled Murrelets were within 50?. We watched a Caspian
Tern and several Common Terns all plunge diving. A couple hundred gulls,
many with black wing tips, were seen on the water north of the Landing,
but the range was not adequate for me to ID species.

My species count at the Marsh continues to diminish as continuing
efforts are made to ?fix up? the area, and build and occupy the huge
development above the creek. I saw no Goldfinch, presumably due to only
a tiny amount of Canadian Thistle (and no Bull Thistle)?the few thistles
overlooked accidentally, no doubt. As I scouted the trip Thursday, I
watched a man with heavy gardening gloves work at the blackberries on
the opposite edge of the creek. Three juvenile GB Herons with as many
adults fished further up in the creek, however, yesterday, only adults
were seen with one sitting in a tree. I could spot no GBH nests this
year. I neither saw nor heard Song Sparrow or Bewick?s Wren. No Barn
Swallow nests remain on Harbor Square buildings, and I found no Bushtit
nests this year.

Species=32
Double-creasted Cormorant, 3
Great Blue Heron, 5
Canada Goose, 34
Mallard, 11
Virginia Rail, heard only, 1
Killdeer, 6 flying
Western Sandpiper, 2 flying
Heermann?s Gull, 20
Ring-billed Gull, 1
California Gull, 2
Glaucous-winged Gull, 100
Caspian Tern, 1
Common Tern, 4
Common Murre, 1, only alcid with no juvenile seen
Pigeon Guillemot, 5
Marbled Murrelet,4
Cassin?s Auklet,1
Rhinoceros Auklet, 9
Rock Pigeon, 11
Belted Kingfisher, 2
American Crow, 7
Barn Swallow, 5
Black-capped Chickadee, 1
Bushtit, 2
probable Marsh Wren, 2
European Starling, 60
Cedar Waxwing, 4
Orange-crowned Warbler, 1
Common Yellowthroat, 3
Red-winded Blackbird, 1
House Finch, 3
House Sparrow, 3


Patricia Lott