Hi tweets,

The winds let-up enough for me to go investigate the waters off of
Bainbridge Island. As is my normal routine, I go and check the birdlife on
Blakely Rock. Two Rock Sandpipers and two Dunlin were present amongst the
Black Turnstones and Surfbirds. About 300 Brandt's Cormorants were also in
the area.

I then traveled north about in the middle of the Sound looking for a
"slime-line" or any kind of gull activity. I did start to run into a few
Brant and a few Mew Gulls near a channel marker between Discovery Park and
Skiff Point on Bainbridge Island. Not long after I found my first Red
Phalarope. I followed this "slime-line" all the way to Jeff Head. I saw two
additional Red Phalaropes and I did have one fly-by Ancient Murrelet.

No sign of any shearwaters. Interestingly, yesterday afternoon I also had
some likely shearwaters off of Bainbridge Island. I had two dark but very
distant birds exhibit that "arcing" type flight. I should have investigated
further, but I am glad that Sam Terry reported some off of Alkai. The wind
is suppose to pick-up again tomorrow, so it might not be a bad idea to scan
Puget Sound. That is if you can keep your optics dry!

Happy New Year and good birding!

Brad Waggoner
Bainbridge Island, WA
mailto:wagtail at sounddsl.com