Subject: [Tweeters] Point Wilson
Date: Dec 31 21:24:25 2007
From: Bob Whitney - rlw at cablespeed.com


Point Wilson: 12-31-07, Time 0900-1430, Temp. 41 degrees, Clear Skies, Wind
northeast 8-14 mph, Seas 2 foot swell from the north, tide outgoing

Two firsts for me at Point Wilson: a Peregrine Falcon and a Marsh Wren. That
makes 95 species of birds I have seen at Point Wilson.



I witnessed the most amazing sight yesterday. Around 1130 I started to see
Ancient Murrelet in flights of 8 to 15 birds moving into Admiralty Inlet
from the Straits of Juan de Fuca. The Ancient Murrelet numbers increased
between 1200 and 1230 to where there were many hundreds flying into
Admiralty Inlet. Large flights were landing ( if you could call it landing)
to feed. From 1130 to 1430, I see over 800 of them fly into Admiralty Inlet
and that's a conservative number.

All of this taking place in front of me and no one else seeing this sight.
Others were walking the beach, many with dogs, some absorbed in thought,
some looking at the ground kicking rocks. Then a couple walks up both with
binoculars. I could see right away that they were birders the Sibley Guide
to Birds in the front pocket of one confirmed that. The couple were able to
witness the last of the big number of Ancient Murrelets moving into
Admiralty Inlet. As the first couple left another couple walks up. He has a
day pack on, with tripod legs protruding from the top of the pack, both with
binoculars hanging from their necks, more birders, yes. I quickly tell them
what I have been seeing. He mounts his spotting scope, binoculars are raised
to their eyes and more Ancients fly by. The Ancient is a first for her. She
wishes they were closer, as do I. The Ancients don't like to come close to
the shore at Point Wilson.

I have wondered in the past if any one reads what I report seeing at Point
Wilson on Tweeters. Yes they do. Both couples read my reports and decide to
make the trip to Point Wilson. One couple is from Seattle, the other from
Olympia. I hope they both enjoyed their visit.

What a wonderful way to end the year.

Common Loon 2

Pacific Loon 15

Red-throated Loon 2

Western Grebe 1

Red-necked Grebe 1

Pelagic Cormorant 7

Double-crested Cormorant 8

Brandt's Cormorant 1

Common Murre 18

Pigeon Guillemot 17

Marbled Murrelet 8

Ancient Murrelet 800+

Glaucous-winged Gull 6

Glaucous-winged hybrid 8

Mew Gull 18

Surf Scoter 12

White-winged Scoter 4

Harlequin Duck 9

Bufflehead 3

Red-breasted Merganser 11

Black Oystercatcher 1

Killdeer 12

Sanderling 3

Dunlin 5

Bald Eagle 1 ( with an Alcid in its talons)

Peregrine Falcon 1

Marsh Wren 1

House Sparrow 3

Song sparrow 2





Bob Whitney

Port Townsend, WA

mailto:rlw at cablespeed.com

www.flickr.com/photos/rlw/