Netta and I spent part of the day today at Port Townsend, and the
weather became rather pleasant, sunny and calm, by midafternoon.

We spent time at Point Wilson (Fort Worden SP) around midday, just
after the tide had started out, and were entertained by flock after
flock of Ancient Murrelets going by, many of them waaay out but some
close enough to furnish fine looks in the scope. I digiscoped some of
the flocks, but I think they will look like the specks they were. The
flocks were mostly in the 5-8 birds range, some smaller and a few up
to maybe 10 birds. There were lots of them, and I suspect hundreds of
birds are out there.

There were also pairs of Marbled Murrelets going by at intervals,
bombing by the slower-flying Ancients, regular singles or pairs of
Pigeon Guillemots, and very small numbers of Common Murres compared
with the old days, mostly singles. We never saw a Rhinoceros Auklet,
much to my surprise, and that seems to be one rare critter this
winter. Instead of "rare as hen's teeth," I'm thinking of coining the
phrase "rare as Rhino Auklet horns."

Two adult Red-throated Loons were feeding off Point Wilson, and most
times when they surfaced they would call and move closer together,
just like you see Marbled Murrelets doing all the time. I have never
before seen such behavior from a Red-throated Loon.

The spit in Fort Flagler State Park was full of shorebirds, as is
often the case. Just the usual Black-bellied Plovers, Black
Turnstones, Sanderlings, and Dunlins, but large numbers of them. Lots
of Brants there too. That species can be amazingly tame.

The white-bellied Pelagic Cormorant was on station at the Edmonds
ferry landing in the morning.

I felt that in general birds were down in numbers. Although we passed
by numerous ponds and marshes and checked them all, it just so
happened that we never saw a dabbling duck all day. Maybe they're all
out in the middle of Padilla Bay, the Everett sewage ponds, and the
Columbia River!

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

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