Hi all. Sorry for the late report, but I just got back to my computer. I
took my daughter fishing at Munn Lake, just east of the Olympia Airport, on
Saturday and Sunday. There were lots of buffleheads & mallards, a few wood
ducks and hooded mergansers around, as well.



We were only at the lake for a couple of hours on Saturday a.m., and I?d
seen a duck on the west side of the lake that looked like a big, ugly hen
bufflehead, but was busy trout fishing so didn?t pay as much attention as I
should have. On Sunday, we went out again in the afternoon, and I again saw
the ?ugly duck? snoozing on a stump in the water, with what I presumed was a
sleeping wood duck (??!?) near by.



I paddled over toward the birds and they came alert. Only then did I
realize that it was a pair of Harlequin Ducks ! ! ! The birds dived and
fed for about ? an hour, then swam over to a private dock, hopped up, and
took another nap.



I have never seen Harlequins on the lowland lakes around here, so was pretty
flabbergasted. I haven?t had the opportunity to go back to check them out,
photograph them, or anything.



Munn Lake has a WDFW access site (permit required) on the north side of the
lake. It can be accessed from Interstate 5 by taking the ?Tumwater Blvd?
exit (used to be Airdustrial Way
past the Olympia airport). You continue
past Hwy 99 about another 3/4 mile to Henderson Blvd SE. Turn left on
Henderson, then right onto 65th and go a short quarter-mile, turning right
into the WDFW access. The birds were within 50 yards south of the boat ramp
both days on the weekend.



The Deschutes River is only a short half-mile to the north & east, so there
is flowing water for them close by, but to see this species on a
moderately-heavily-used fishing lake was a first for me.



Jon. Anderson

Olympia, Wash.

festuca AT olywa.us