Hi Tweeters,

I drove up to the Semiahmoo (I need to hear this pronounced some day) Marina near Blaine to try my luck with the King Eider. On the way, I spotted a number of birders near the Conway exit on the east side of I-5 scoping a flock of swans. Hopefully, someone will report whether the Whooper Swan was spotted or not. Anyway, the drive was beautiful. Snow everywhere, even on the trees, for much of the drive. After taking the exit near Blaine, the roads were mostly iced over. I was the only one who seemed to notice this, however, as I was tail-gaited by thick-necked scowling locals in pick-ups (I'm a pencil-necked non-local) much of the way.

Well, I arrived at the marina a little before noon. Most of the harbor at the marina was frozen over. Not even a hint of the King Eider in the small amount of non-frozen water. Just south of the harbor is a long sea wall that had more open water and a greater concerntration of birds, but no eider there either. I walked to the north tip of the spit (slipped over actually; it's all covered in ice and snow) and came to a building that has a sign reading 'Plover Ferry' at its south end. You can walk along the building to where it ends at open water. It was not frozen and was full of winter ducks. Among them were more than a dozen Long-tailed Ducks and a lesser number of Harlequins. Lots of more common species were out, as were Harbor Seals and one Sea Lion. Two Common Murres were swimming nearby. Then I noticed a third murre, about a hundred feet from them. It was a much darker brown compared to the Common Murres, and the white on its throat was not as extensive, bein!
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ed mostly to the front of the neck and ending well below the eyes, going as far forward as the base of the lower mandible. I got it in the scope and could immediately see that its bill was shorter and blunter-looking. The upper mandible curved down at the tip. It definitely did not have the spear-like shape of the Common Murres. It also had a somewhat higher forehead. It was swimming from west to east, coming as close as about 50' from where I stood. I compared it to the Common Murres until they all eventually went out of sight behind some pilings. I think that it was a Thick-billed Murre, but I have never seen one before. The bill shape, head shape, and dark color really were distinctive from the Common Murres that I had seen today and in the past. I would have felt more confident if a more experienced birder had seen it as well. Any opinions out there (about the bird, not me)?

I scoped the harbor area one last time. This time, there was another birder scoping the harbor as well, but we still didn't find the eider. I did hear the wrap-up to the Seahawks loss from her car radio however.

This was my first time in this area. It's a long drive, but it is such a wonderful birding location, that I plan on going back when time allows.

Good birding,

Lonnie Somer
Olympia, WA
wheelermombi at comcast.net