Hi Tweets,

After the cabin fever of the New Year's Day downpours, I escaped
today on the 7:55 ferry to Kingston. That brought me to Point No
Point at high tide, which is not the best time to be there. I moved
on to Port Gamble, Salsbury Point County Park near the Hood Canal
Bridge, Port Hadlock, Fort Flagler State Park, Sequim Bay, and 3
Crabs at Dungeness. Arriving late in the day at 3 Crabs, I found
myself with another high tide so there were no shorebirds to be
seen. The fields around 3 Crabs were flooded, as were the front
yards of the fancy houses across the road from Helen's Pond. Looked
like the residents would need hip waders or kayaks to navigate from
their front doors to the road.

The only alcids I saw were several first-year Pigeon Guillemots at
Point No Point. I wondered if I might have had better luck at Point
Wilson but would not have been able to check out Sequim Bay and the 3
Crabs area before dark if I had gone up there. One of the day's
highlights was a Hutton's Vireo in a pine tree at the USCG private
residence at PNP. It was satisfying because I tried to find one on
each of the two CBCs I worked and dipped both times. The CBCs
produced lots of Ruby-crowned Kinglets but no Hutton's Vireos. Today
produced the one vireo and no kinglets. Go figure. The day also
offered up Eurasian Wigeon drakes at Port Hadlock and Sequim Bay and
an American-Eurasian Wigeon hybrid drake at Sequim Bay. Fort Flagler
was the most interesting stop for the 200+ Brants and 8 Long-tailed
Ducks. It was also the only site for Harlequins today. It was
amusing to watch large flocks of Dunlins, Black-bellied Plovers, and
Black Turnstones working the grassy areas around the Fort Flagler
boat launch as if they were Starlings in search of Crane Fly larvae.
The day produced 6 Bald Eagles, two of them immature. A Peregrine
Falcon was in a tree in the field just south of Helen's Pond at 3
Crabs. I saw a Red-tailed hawk on Highway 101 near Blyn but no
Kestrels all day. Common Goldeneyes were at every site I checked but
the only Barrow's were at the Kingston ferry dock. There were 83
Western Grebes at Port Gamble and another 35 at Port Hadlock. Both
Surf Scoters and White-winged Scoters were at several sites but I saw
no Black Scoters. I saw steady numbers of Pacific and Common Loons
but no Red-throateds. Gulls included Glaucous-winged, Mew, Western,
California, and hybrids. Bonaparte's were conspicuously absent. I
won't bore you with the complete list.

Carol Riddell
Edmonds