Today I was working around the central Puget Sound, going from Shilshole Bay
to Carkeek to north of Point Wells, back to West Point and Elliott Bay, up
the Duwamish River, and back to Shilshole Bay. While primarily collecting
water samples and water quality data at various stations I was keeping a
lookout for birds; highlights were slim. Most sightings were around
Shilshole Bay and Myrtle Edwards Park, with most birds within about a half
mile of shore. Much of our transit was about a mile or more offshore. I saw
no alcids at all, and only small flocks of surf scoters, western grebes, and
red necked grebes, mergansers & cormorants. A few Barrow's goldeneyes were
by the locks. No orcas or porpoises, just a sea lion or two. The weather
was overcast and cold, becoming blustery in the afternoon. It wasn't quite a
good day.

Kevin Li
Ballard, USA
kdli at msn.com