Subject: [Tweeters] Harlequin Ducks at Golden Gardens
Date: Nov 24 08:51:43 2007
From: Mike Wagenbach - wagen at u.washington.edu



Thursday and Friday there were 3 male and 1 female Harlequin Ducks NE
of Meadow Point (Shilshole Bay) visible from the N end of Golden
Gardens park. Not sure if this is really noteworthy, but a couple of
older binocular-wearers seemed to interested.

Both days they were fairly near shore off the railroad riprap, somewhat
E of N from the end of the boardwalk by the pond, in the company of 2
or 3 Horned Grebes, at 11 AM to noon.

Seeing at water level was fairly poor each day, what with the cool air
over the warm water and a good breeze, especially Thursday. The
Harlequins were probably IDable in 8-10x binoculars, but a little more
magnification would be more rewarding. They were a bit farther out on
Thursday, and even at 15x the view was boiling enough that they weren't
always clearly seen.

Thursday a kite boarder was surfing along the beach, which might
explain the relative dearth of other birds there. A total of about 8
Horned Grebes, an un-ID gull or two , and a dozen or so D-C Cormorants
were about all I recall in the salt water. Friday was a bit better,
with dozens (to possibly a hundred) Western Grebes scattered all across
the north quadrant near the limits of seeing, an un-ID loon nearly as
distant (and another or the same bird flying), about 10 Horned Grebes,
2 Surf Scoter flying, one Common Murre, 4 Barrows Goldeneyes (including
2 very close on the duck pond), a few Shovelers and many Mallards and
American Widgeon on the pond.

Mike Wagenbach
Seattle
whiskey alpha golf echo november at u dot washington dot edu

Weekends don't count unless you spend them doing something completely
pointless!
-Bill Watterson