Subject: [Tweeters] Blaine/Semiahmoo (was RE: Photography / Birding /
Date: Jan 30 22:47:02 2007
From: Louise Rutter - louise.rutter at eelpi.gotdns.org


Joe Meche wrote:

>> The King Eider is still waiting at Semiahmoo <<

I wish - I bombed on the Eider today, along with several other hopeful
watchers :-( I agree with the sentiment though!

No snowy owl on show for me either, and rather less surprisingly, no
yellow-billed loon. It was still a great day's birding, though, at least
after the freezing fog cleared around 1pm ::shiver:: I turned up all the
other three loons plus the full triplet of scoters and eared, horned and
red-necked grebe.

Tons of common and Barrow's goldeneye everywhere, along with mallard,
greater scaup and northern pintail. A few ruddy duck, bufflehead and
red-breasted mergansers around at both ends of the harbour, a couple of
harlequins and long-tails off Blaine pier. Many double-crested
cormorants and a single pelagic on the wall at Semiahmoo marina - I
didn't see any Brandt's, but I'm willing to admit I might not have been
looking in the right place (or possibly I stared right at them and
couldn't tell them from the double-crested). Bald eagles in various
trees at Semiahmoo.

The gulls that stood still long enough for me to nail down were
Thayer's, mew, glaucous-winged and western. The tides weren't right for
a good crop of waders, but I found two black turnstones off the harbour
side of Semiahmoo spit, and also a lonely Brant goose on the ocean side.
House finches in the brambles at Blaine Marina Park, the usual
omnipresent crows, great blue herons and feral pigeons along the way
finished off the set. My year list's growing nicely.

Can someone with more knowledge than me throw some light on this rather
muddy goldeneye? It was hanging around off Blaine pier with the commons
- it's got the face patch of a male, but is mottled brown everywhere it
should be black or white. Is this a plumage change stage from an
immature or is it some kind of odd hybrid? Or an even odder female?

HYPERLINK
"http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v475/eelpi/Blaine%20300107/IMG_9820sm
all.jpg"http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v475/eelpi/Blaine%20300107/IMG
_9820small.jpg

Thanks in advance!

Louise Rutter
Kirkland

--
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.17.12/655 - Release Date:
28/01/2007 13:12