I made a 3 ferry loop today in fabulous weather. This got me to Point No Point and Point Wilson in one afternoon. The noon Edmonds ferry had no Alcids on the crossing, but 3 Black Scoters at Kingston along with numerous Surf Scoters, Horned Grebes, Red-necked Grebes, Pacific Loons and Pelagic Cormorants.

Point No Point had onesies of Cassin's Auklet, Rhino Auklet, Pigeon Guillemot along with numerous Marbled Murrelts, Pacific Loons and Common Murres. My target bird, the Ancient Murrelets, stayed too far out for a lifer.

Reaching Point Wilson at 2, I got Alcid lessons from local guru Bob Whitney. We had many good Ancient and Marbled Murrelts fly-bys but none on the water and no Yellow-billed Loon. ( It left just before my arrival.) One fly by Black-bellied Plover and several Sanderlings were the only shorebirds here.

Finally, the day's best birding was on the Pt. Townsend ferry with flocks of White-winged Scoters, Red-necked Grebes, Ancient Murrelets, Common Murres, and Harlequin ducks. Had two Common loons here. The ferry views of the high peaks in late pm sun were incredible.

I ended the day scoping the marsh area near the ferry terminal for Short-earned Owls with no luck.

Back for supper at 6 .

What an afternoon!

Richard Carlson
Full-time Birder, Biker and Rotarian
Part-time Economist
Tucson, AZ, Lake Tahoe, CA, & Kirkland, WA
rccarl at pacbell.net
Tucson 520-760-4935
Tahoe 530-581-0624
Kirkland 425-828-3819
Cell 650-280-2965