Tweeters:

I rode the M/V Coho from Port Angeles to Victoria last Sunday, Dec. 18 to
conduct the CBC that I started about 5 years back. The day started out
clear but with fierce east winds gusting to probably about 60 mph; at about
the int'l crossing half-way things calmed, and on the run back the weather
was perfect with clear skies and virtually no wind, allowing me to pick up a
few I'd missed on the way over. This year's tally was 43 species, with no
hot rarities but the most species of any year so far. Highlights:

N. Fulmar 1 dark-phase
SOOTY SHEARWATER 1
Black Turnstone 3 (Victoria harbor)
6 gull sp with high numbers of Mew especially, couple of unident.
oddballs--hybrids?
6 alcid sp including Com. Murre 797, Ancient Murrelet 273, CASSIN'S AUKLET 1

Fulmars have been regular on the CBC run, anywhere from 1 to 10 out near the
middle waters, this year's bird was on the U.S. side. The Sooty Shearwater
was a surprise, I more expected ST but there was no doubt about this
bird--bright white wing flashings below, deep wing strokes, longer sloping
head and a bill too substantial for ST; the bird was seen up close right off
the bow and stayed right in front of the vessel for aways. I note that the
Canadians reporting from s. VI have had good luck with both Sooty and ST
this fall/early winter. The bird was right about at the int'l crossing.
One wonders what the northern wintering limit of Sooty Shearwater might be
along the n. Pacific coast.

The Cassin's Auklet was on the U.S. side, flushed just off the starboard
side at the edge of a feeding flock of (mostly) Ancient Murrelets. It
seemed a bit late in the season but I noticed that one was reported recently
by another party riding the Coho (late Nov-early Dec if memory serves).

Scott Atkinson
Lake Stevens
mail to: scottratkinson at hotmail.com