Subject: [Tweeters] Saturday Boat Ride Around Bainbridge Island -
Date: Nov 19 12:36:06 2006
From: Brad Waggoner - wagtail at sounddsl.com


Hello all,

No rain and calm winds yesterday enticed me to take a boat ride. There have
been very few days in the last few weeks that would allow for such an outing
unless one likes to get pounded by wind and rain. I don't! So the boat ride
won-out over checking every Bainbridge Island madrone tree for a wayward
Pine Grosbeak. That will be for another day.

As with every boat-check of the waters of Central Puget Sound, there always
seems to be something of interest. Highlights from yesterday:

Yellow-billed Loon - The darn thing seems to be very content at a location
between Fay Bainbridge and Jeff Head. I originally had it in full alternate
plumage on October 17. It is now in mostly basic plumage. The loon did move
far enough south for co-captain George Gerdts to add to his life Bainbridge
Island list. Unless it decides to move a little further, it is still
probably not visible from shore. And unfortunately for the King County
year-listers, it is about two miles west of the King County Line. How about
a Pine Grosbeak - Yellow-billed Loon trade?

Rock Sandpipers - Three! A check of the Blakely Rock shorebirds at high tide
in the afternoon revealed three Rock Sandpipers. I believe three matches a
previous high count for Blakely Rock. This little chunk of rock sticking-out
in central Puget Sound is always a special treat to visit. I am lucky!

Franklin's Gull - I suppose an interesting "late" date, but given the number
of sightings this Fall in Puget Sound, I guess it shouldn't be too
surprising. It was flying around with some Bonaparte's Gulls at the fish
pens near the southwest corner of Bainbridge Island.

On the subject of gulls, it does seem to be an interesting Fall thus far. We
had a Heermann's Gull near Blakely Rock yesterday and it seems there are an
abundance of both California Gulls and Bonaparte's Gulls for this late in
November. I don't recall big numbers of bonies hanging out this late in the
season, but perhaps I just wasn't "tuned-in".

We had good numbers of Pigeon Guillemots, several rhinos, a few Common
Murres, but no Ancient or Marbled Murrelets.

It was a good boat ride.

Brad Waggoner
Bainbridge Island, WA
mailto:wagtail at sounddsl.com