Dennis and Tweeters.

The post about Black Turnstones in Port Townsend reminded me of a time I saw similar numbers there, so I looked it up in my Journals. On November 23 2000 I was down at the small beach just at the south end of the boat basin, near the south end of town. Coming up to the beach I was hearing quite a volume of unusual bird sound I did'nt recognize.

The wind and tides had piled deep piles of various sea vegetables up on the beach, and it was being worked over by a large group of Black Turnstones. As I watched, more and more individuals, and small groups of Turnstones zig-zagged in to join the larger group, till in all I figured around 150 birds. The most I've seen in one spot.

But the most amazing thing was how much noise they were making ! A real racket, as they were feeding. It sounded somewhat like a large argument, and the birds were often jostling each other, even though there was plenty of beach wrack for them all to sort through. Have not seen or heard anything like that before or since.

Jeff Gibson, Everett Wa