Hi Tweeters,

I took the LONG way home from work on this beautiful evening to check out the terns at Lake Sammamish State Park at the Sunset Beach part of it. There were 5 as reported by Ken and Tina Grant. I have somewhat limited experience with Common Terns but they were very cooperative, on the bouys and in the water. With my scope I saw 3 had reddish orange black tipped bills and two had black bills. They all had some white on the forehead behind the bill. The reddish billed birds had more of an extensive dark cap that went further down the nape. Short orangy legs and feet.
All 5 had pale gray bodies and wings and
dark shoulder patches. My guess is 3 adults, 2 juveniles. I may have gotten a few decent digiscope pictures but my camera didn't like the bobbing of the bouys and didn't want to focus very well. They never flew while I was there other than to change positions on the bouys.

A Spotted Sandpiper was working the beach.

Were all the other birders in E Wa I wonder...it was just me, the "normal" park-goers and the terns.

Kathy
Roosting in Kent, near Lake Meridian
(chukarbird at yahoo dot com)
Any driving directions contained within this message are given as a courtesy, beware, author is directionally challenged and will not vouch for them.