Tweeters -

I've been working as a kayak guide from Friday and Roche Harbors on San Juan
Island for the past few months, and on my last pair of days off, I paddled
from Roche Harbor to Sucia Island for an overnight. Camping in Echo Bay,
under the full moon, I was surprised and delighted to have a SPOTTED OWL
call in the distance. The 45-mile roundtrip paddle yielded lots of other
good birds, most notably BALD EAGLES, plenty of gulls (HEERMAN'S,
GLAUCOUS-WINGED, RING-BILLED, CALIFORNIA, and MEW), alcids (COMMON MURRES,
MARBLED MURRELETS, and RHINOCEROS AUKLETS), a dozen BLACK TURNSTONES and a
SURFBIRD on Flattop Island, a PEREGRINE FALCON over Spieden Island, and a
MERLIN over Waldron Island. Also a JAGER, most likely Parasitic, flew by at
a distance. Other good wildlife included dozens of Harbor Porpoise (<10 ft
away!), Harbor Seals, a Steller's Sea Lion, a Minke Whale, and the exotic
game on Spieden Island (Mouflan Sheep, Fallow and Sika Deer).

Good birding!

Tyler Davis
Friday Harbor, WA