Dear Tweeters,

The drop-off in Common Tern numbers is quite evident in Skagit County. I used to find them along the coast here about once or twice a year. Last year, I found none in salt water habitats, but did see a small flock one day (four birds, I think) on the Skagit River at Lyman.

This year, I have not found any Common Terns at all, although I made repeated trips in August, September, and October, specifically in search of Common Terns and Parasitic Jaegers.

Bonaparte's Gulls are also much reduced here; most of my sightings this year, for example, refer to singles or five to ten birds.

Yours truly,

Gary Bletsch ? Near Lyman, Washington (Skagit County), USA ? garybletsch at yahoo.com ? ?