Greetings Tweets!
Quick synopsis - The Road to Point No-Point is closed
because a tree came down thru the power lines and has
totally blocked the road. It was still blocked as of
4:30 tonight, and no sign that they are planning on
clearing it soon.
I scanned the rip currents from Hansville this
morning, and saw all the local alcids, PLUS a Cassin's
Auklet flew in! I also saw at least 6 Rhino Auklets,
of which I have not heard a report about lately.
No sign of the LB Murrelet or TB Murre.

Now, the long version. delete the rest if you do not
like long Emails ;)

This morning was a pitched battle between sheer
stubborn-ness and common sense. Those of you that
know me will immediately realize that common sense had
NO CHANCE whatsoever ;)

Hopped in the 4Runner this morning, running late to
catch the 8:45 ferry to Bainbridge, and immediately
started drifting around all the corners in my
neighborhood. Ice EVERYWHERE. Slowly made it to hwy
169, where I then sped up just in time to round the
corner and see 6 (SIX!) cars all piled up in the ditch
next to the road. With a nice policeman standing
around helping everyone. I slowed down a bit.

Made it to I-405 north, and the road was dry. So I
blasted north, and got to the intersection with I-90
at 8:35. NOT gonna make the ferry. OK, let's go up
to Edmonds, catch the Kingston Ferry, and avoid the
icy roads on Bainbridge. I have a plan!!

Blast north on I-405. Is Edmonds South or North of
the I-405 and I-5 intersection? Must be north ....
Mukilteo? Whoops! Back-track! Quick! Get turned
around and make it to the Edmonds ferry at 9:10. Buy
a ticket for the 9:15 ferry and slip on as the LAST
car!!! Whew!

At Kingston, I accelerate up the first hill and start
sliding again!! Icy here to!! Lots of wind debris,
and some downed trees. Maybe it blew something
interesting into Point No-Point!!

Get to Hannsville, and turn towards the Point. Hmm.
More trees down, one on a house! Yikes. Over the
speed bumps. WHAT !! There is a tree across the
WHOLE ROADWAY!! No way around, and the power line is
running right thru the tree. Not a good idea to walk
around it, even if there was room!! NOW WHAT!!

Went around the corner to the Hansville Grocery,
parked and started scanning the rips from there.
Long distance, but reasonable views of the rip
currents. I scanned for 2 hours and froze my butt
off. But saw all the regular alcids and gulls, etc.
But NO Common Loons!
Good Numbers of Marbled Murrelets, Ancient Murrelets
(a few), Common Murres, P Guillemots, etc.

A Cassin's Auklet (gray potato with stubby wings, dark
under the chin with pale belly) flew into the rips,
kamikazied in, and was never seen again.

At least 6 Rhino Auklets were also seen in the rips.

>From there I went back to the Kingston junction for a
hot lunch, and then headed north to Port Hadlock and
Indian Bay SP. I saw a flock of about 20 Trumpeter
Swans and one Tundra Swan south of Chimacum.

At Indian Bay I had a nice flock of about 20 Black
Turnstones, the usual Harlequin ducks, both
Goldeneyes, and about 300 Brant! The Brant flock was
in the marsh to the east, with a strange mixed flock
including N. Pintail, Bufflehead, and Hooded
Mergansers!!! Strange Bedfellows!

Scanned places in between for loons, and never saw any
Commons! A few Pacific, and some Red-throated were
around.

Missed all my targets, and fought the icy roads, but
it was STILL a good day!!

Guy

Guy McWethy
Renton, WA
mailto: lguy_mcw at yahoo.com

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