Tweets - I ventured out this morning, heading to Jefferson County. I was
searching for a few passerines, plus geese, hawks, and alcids. I all but
struck out on the last 3 groups, but I did okay with the passerines.

I did have a couple of MARBLED MURRELETS and PIGEON GUILLEMOTS at Tide
Shinelands, but that was it for alcids for me.

The best bird, and one of my first, was a PALM WARBLER on Egg & I Road
(south of Chimacum). It was first seen in the blackberries along the north
side of the road at Bishop Dairy (well signed). It was hanging out and
feeding with Golden-crowned Sparrows on the grass shoulder. Later it flew
to the south side of the road and disappeared into the cyprus trees near the
garage. I got a couple of terrible, but identifiable, photos.

On a side road off West Valley Road, I had both VARIED and HERMIT THRUSHES.

On West Valley Rd., just south of the school, I had a NORTHERN SHRIKE adult.
Later, I had a juvenile along the road that runs down the east side of
Marrowstone Island, just opposite the pink house.

There were about 35 TRUMPETER SWAN scattered along the northern section of
Center Road, south of Chimacum. But I couldn't twist any of them into
Tundras :(

Out on a spit in Hadlock Bay, I found a couple of THAYER'S GULLS in with the
Glaucous-winged and Mews.

I couldn't find a Ring-billed Gull anywhere...

In the late afternoon, I tried to race down to Belfair SP to look for the
Golden Eagle that has been reported from there. I got lost, it got dark,
and it was raining hard. Nada.

Still, I had great weather until 2:00 p.m., so I'm not complaining a bit.

== Michael Hobbs
== Kirkland, WA
== http://www.marymoor.org/birding.htm
== http://www.marymoor.org/BirdBlog.htm
== birdmarymoor at frontier.com