Today was a good day for birding. Oak Bay County Park- There were Black
Brant - 40 or so, Mew gulls- 15, Thayer's gulls- 13, 1 Belted Kingfisher, 8
Bufflehead, ...then to Marrowstone Island to a County Park, in the slough
there were Black Brant- 200 plus, Common Goldeneye- 6, Brandts Cormorant- 6,
Harlequin duck-5, Surf scoter- 17, white winged scoter- 2, Bufflehead-9,
common loon-1, and one Great Blue Heron.

Mystery Bay State Park, Surf scoter-5, Great Blue heron-1, Red breasted
merganzer-1, American robins-22.

Fort Flagler campground area: The black bellied plover, Dunlin, and
Sanderlings were in the grass numbering over 100 with more of the three
types resting out on the point. With no wind and the flat water providing
good views looking toward Port Townsend with Brandts cormorants on the old
pilings, further out on the piling were 4 Pelagic cormorants, again with
large numbers of Black Brant, both in the water feeding on eel grass and
resting on shore. More Harlequin, Bufflehead, Surf Scoter, out
further --between Fort Flagler and Port Townsend- were over 30 Western
Grebes rafting together. I had never seen so many Western Grebes together.
Two Ancient Murrelets, one more Great Blue Heron, the American Crows were
all over the beach- 30 or so.

Looking to the inside toward Nordland, there were more Black Brant, red
breasted merganzers, 2 Horned Grebes, 4 Black turnstones, song sparrows
hopping from one log to the other.

Next stop to the settling ponds to feed the domestic ducks and geese and the
goat bread. There were Mallards and Widgeon with a Winter Wren hiding in
downed trees. At the USGS research center, there were Common Loons, more
Western grebes. While looking to the point, a very large sea lion swam
about 150 feet from the shore, dove, and surfaced some 400 yards away.

A pleasant afternoon.

Bob Whitney
Port Townsend, WA