Hello, tweets.

Netta Smith and I just returned from leading a six-day seabird
workshop for the Institute of Field Ornithology (ABA). We saw a few
birds of special interest. I haven't read tweeters for that period
yet to see if anyone else reported any of these.

NORTHERN FULMAR - one light-morph bird in Bellingham Channel about
two miles north of Anacortes ferry landing, Skagit County, on 4
February. Presumably blown in by the storm the previous day.

LESSER YELLOWLEGS - one with a flock of five Greater Yellowlegs at
the west end of Crockett Lake, Island County, on 5 February. This
species is rarely seen in winter in Washington.

MARBLED MURRELET - as we approached Port Townsend on the Keystone
Ferry on 5 February, the water was covered with pairs of this
species. I estimated 100 pairs, and I suspect that is conservative. I
haven't seen that many Marbled Murrelets in a day in years. I suppose
something about feeding conditions attracted them. There were many
Common Murres, Pigeon Guillemots, Pacific Loons, and all three
cormorants in the area. The only Rhinoceros Auklets we saw on the
entire trip were a few at the same place as the Northern Fulmar.
Otherwise, that species, which I would have expected in some numbers,
was absent.

ANCIENT MURRELET - we saw only one flock of 7 birds during a sea
watch from Point Wilson, Jefferson County, on 6 February, very
different from seeing them almost constantly from the same spot a few
weeks ago. Also another flock of 5 in Rosario Strait on 4 February,
on an all-day boat trip on the Viking Star. If you haven't tried this
trip, you should!

SNOWY OWL - one was visible on Dungeness Spit at around mile 2 from
both the Oyster House and the Three Crabs Restaurant (same bird).

HARBOR PORPOISE - yes, I know this isn't a bird, but we were amazed
at the number seen from Point Wilson on 6 February. These were past
the middle of the Admiralty Inlet, closer to Whidbey Island, and as
we scanned with our scopes over a rather wide area (many hundreds of
meters along the Whidbey coast), individuals at the surface were
constantly in sight. I estimated 200 of these and suspect that is
conservative. Perhaps they are usually there, but on this day it was
glass calm, and they were easily seen.


Dennis Paulson
1724 NE 98 St.
Seattle, WA 98115
206-528-1382

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