Dear Tweeters,

On Sunday, a cruise on the Viking Star out of LaConner
gave great views of various sea- and shorebirds to
those aboard. Led by Dennis Paulson with able
"deckhand" David Drummond, we made a circle through
the San Juan Islands, visiting many rocky islets.
Highlights in no particular order included:

Rock Sandpiper, 2, Peapod Rocks (off Orcas Island's
east shore);

Black Turnstone, several small flocks here and there;
Black Oystercatchers, a few here and there;

Surfbirds, one small flock on a rock in the San Juans;

Steller's Sea Lions, two huge ones hauled out on a
rock off Cattle Point;

California Sea Lions, one or two here and there,
including one bald-headed one, resting on a buoy;

Common Murre, Marbled Murrelet, Rhinoceros Auklet, and
Pigeon Guillemot: small numbers of each, here and
there;

Pacific Loon, perhaps a half dozen altogether;

Oldsquaw, fifty or more around March's Point.

Many of the participants were in an ABA-sponsored
class that Dennis was giving, and came from far-flung
corners of the USA.

=====

Yours truly,

Gary Bletsch

near Lyman (Skagit County), Washington

garybletsch at yahoo.com


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