Subject: [Tweeters] Cape Flattery
Date: Jul 21 20:27:21 2009
From: wheelermombi at comcast.net - wheelermombi at comcast.net




Hi Tweeters,



I drove the long and winding road to Cape Flattery today.? There were a number of small road projects on the way, making the drive even longer.? It was in the mid-50s, windy, and foggy when I arrived around noon, so if you go, don't forget a sweatshirt.? I stayed for about 2 hours and could only make out Tatoosh Island toward the end as the fog lifted.? The water was also quite rough.? Walking down the path to the look-outs, the most common calling species was PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATHER.? There were also several SWAINSON'S THRUSH vocalizing and quite a few WILSON'S WARBLER flitting about in the thickets.



At the first look-out on the left, as one walks in,?a juvenile?PEREGRINE FALCON was following an adult about, incessantly calling.? I found out from the guide at the last look-out that it had fledged within the past week.? Later, I saw them both zoom out over the water in hot pursuit of a PELAGIC CORMORANT of all things.? The adult actually came close enough to ruffle some of the back feathers of the cormorant with her talons, which did not seem pleased.? Is it possible that the falcon was actually trying to take such a large bird, or was she trying to show junior how to hunt?? Later, I saw the adult with a small bird dangling from her talons with the juvenile following, kvetching as usual.



Nesting gulls and PELAGIC CORMORANT were visible from several spots.??On a ledge near?the second look-out on the left, an adult GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL was huddled against the wind with 3 spotted chicks.? PIGEON GUILLEMOTS and COMMON MURRES were fairly numerous.? When the fog cleared to some degree, I could make out a large nesting colony of the latter?species on the upper left side of Tatoosh Island.? At one point, I counted 14 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS, which is the most that I have seen at one time.? The bird of the day for me, however, was a single TUFTED PUFFIN, which showed up around 1:00 and fished for maybe 20 minutes before flying off.? I did not see any whales, but was told by the guide that she sees them nearly every day at this time of year.? It the temperature hits the 90s this weekend, Cape Flattery is the place to go.



Good birding,



Lonnie Somer

Olympia

wheelermombi at comcast.net