Hello Tweets,

Today Ken Knittle and my mother and I ventured north to Blaine beginning at Semiahmoo Spit at 9:20am,where the KING EIDER was easily located near the Semiahmoo Resort. The bird was observed resting on the western most floating dock immediately west of the resort,where it preened and rested near a flock of Double-crested Cormorants. Although lighting conditions were quite poor due to the sun we did manage good scope views of the bird. A single male Long-tailed Duck was present swimming inside the floating docks very near the King Eider. Perhaps this cooperative bird will overwinter here! We spent a short time checking a few other location near the Semiahmoo Resort,where we encountered a good assortment of other waterbirds including 5-6 additional Long-tailed Ducks, 15 Black Scoters and 5+ Red-throated Loons as the main highlights.

After birding a short while at Semiahmoo Resort we drove south and checked a few locations from the Conway area in Skagit Co to the Snohomish area in Snohomish Co. We didn't encounter too many other species of note,but did locate 2 WESTERN SCRUB JAYS along Airport Way immediately east of Hwy.9 that were both carrying nuts before dropping out of sight. We attempted to relocate the birds,but soon found an adult Cooper's Hawk nearby perched atop a fence posts and figured that was why the birds were silent
and out of sight.


Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
Fircrest,WA
godwit513 at msn.com