Hi Tweets,

The Tufted Puffin was long gone yesterday morning so I didn't bother
going out to the Public Pier this morning although the MARBLED
MURRELET and RHINOCEROS AUKLETS continue. PURPLE MARTINS are
occasionally perching around the new white plastic gourds from the
Purple Martin Society but they do not appear to be nesting in them.
We'll see what happens next season. After five years, the natural
gourds were no longer usable. It made sense to try a more durable
product since it is difficult to get out to the pilings for
maintenance. We can only hope the birds will become accustomed to
them. We know they can get in and out of the Starling-resistant
entrances, so that should not be the issue.

The Edmonds Marsh yielded one GREATER YELLOWLEGS, several LEAST
SANDPIPERS, and a number of WESTERN SANDPIPERS this morning among the
ever-present KILLDEER. At the far side of the Marsh, where Willow
Creek runs, I watched a family of VIRGINIA RAILS (two adults and a
small, black youngster) work their way upstream. At the Willow Creek
Hatchery we saw an OSPREY perched in one of the Douglas Firs and
several CEDAR WAXWINGS were around in addition to the SONG SPARROW
and ROBIN. On the Point edwards public path we had BARN and VIOLET-
GREEN SWALLOWS, HOUSE FINCHES, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS, SPOTTED TOWHEE,
and AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES.

Carol Riddell
Edmonds