Tweets,
I enjoyed a great day at Point no Point today, January 27, but no
Thick-billed Murre to be seen. At least not for sure. At about 2 and 2:30 we
had a candidate fly by to the south and then return to the north. The
profile and coloration fit, but the distance was simply too great (about
half way out into the sound) to catch any for sure marks (though we did get
a good look at the head and all agreed the bird certainly had a white
throat, darker coloration than the breeding commons and a very stocky
appearance when flying). It may have been the bird, but alas it will go as
an unknown.

Other than that bird there were many other good birds seen. Highlights were:

46 Marbled Murrelet (count made at High tide)
3 Ancient Murrelet
2 Long-tailed Duck
1 Eared Grebe
8 Pacific Loon
6 Red-throated Loon
400-450 Bonaparte's Gull (in a single flock)
10-15 Rhinoceros Auklet

I was at the point from 9:30 until a little after 4. When I left Gary
Bletsch and Dennis Paulson were still scanning. Even without getting the
murre, a wonderful day with great close looks at many of the species and the
number of marbled murrelets so close was amazing.

Scott Downes
downess at charter.net
Yakima WA