All,

Last evening, just as dusk was getting duskier, I heard an incredible noise
outside my office window. It was a sound that was as raucous as it was
mystifying. My first thought was that someone was starting the fireworks season early
(don't get me started) and setting off a string of those annoying little
'crackers.

When I opened the back door and stepped onto the deck, I knew what the sound
was but I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Directly overhead, maybe 100-150
feet above the downtown rooftops, was a rolling mass of 250-300 Caspian
Terns, all 'talking' at once!

It was an incredible sight/sound combination and thrilling to witness. We
normally have evening overflights of Caspians this time of year, but they tend to
straggle along in small flocks or pairs. Their distinctive calls are easy
enough to identify but the sound coming from this huge flock of birds was
indescribable, for lack of a better word.

Cheers,
Joe Meche
Bellingham, WA