Subject: [Tweeters] Snowy owl at Luhr Beach
Date: Nov 23 14:58:43 2005
From: wheelermombi at comcast.net - wheelermombi at comcast.net


Hi Tweeters,

I had about 45 free minutes before picking up my kids from school today (Wed.) so I decided to scope Luhr Beach, near Nisqually NWR. I arrived around 1:00. There was a snowy owl on the opposite shore, perhaps a couple of hundred yards to the left of spits of land when looking from the end of the dock (at fairly high tide). I needed the scope to make it out clearly. It was sitting on the root of a beached log. I watched it for a half hour or so. It fluffed its tail feathers, flapped its wings, looked around a lot, but was still sitting there when I left (1:45). I showed it to a couple of the volunteers inside the Nature Center before leaving.

In addition to the owl, there was a nice variey of birds, including:
1 red-throated loon
1 common loon
several eared grebes
2 horned grebes
a few Barrow's goldeneyes
numerous white-winged and surf scoters
several red-breasted megansers
lots of the typical winter water birds
a couple of large flocks of peepers that were too far for me to ID, although there
were some least sandpipers closer in

In addition to a large number of harbor seals, several sea lions could also be seen swimming about.

A beautiful, clear afternoon with Mt. Rainier in the distance. I was tempted to leave the kids at school a continue birding. The sacrifices one makes.

Lonnie Somer
Olympia, WA
wheelermombi at comcast.net