<Tweeters at u.washington.edu>This afternoon on Samish Island in Skagit County
I watched a BLUE-FOOTED BOOBY flying in circles with a few hundred gulls for
about 40 minutes near the park on Wharf Road. About 3:40 it flew
south/southwest over Padilla Bay toward March
Point before I lost it in the haze. The gull flock it was with appeared to
have relocated in that direction and was flocking between Guemes and
Saddlebag Islands. I would guess that the booby joined the gulls there
again and could certainly remain with that flock. Hopefully it can be
relocated in the upcoming days. The one previous Washington record was near
Everett in September 1935.

The few pictures I got are online. There is a red mark on the belly that
I'm not sure what to make of. It appears that it could be red paint.

http://www2.bc.edu/~merrillr/BFBO/bfbo.htm

Earlier in the day I flushed an adult Black-crowned Night-Heron at the
Skagit Game Range and saw a Semipalmated Sandpiper from Channel Drive.

Good luck!

Ryan Merrill
Kirkland, WA