Hi Tweeters,



I made the looong drive out to Cape Flattery today.? The weather there was perfect: sunny, slight breeze, upper 50s.? Species spotted include 3 or 4 TUFTED PUFFINS (1 pair and either a lone individual at 2 locations or 2 separate individuals); a huge raft of COMMON MURRES at the edge of scoping range to the left of Tatoosh Island and smaller numbers in closer, lots of PIGEON GUILLEMOTS, 5 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS,?several? PELAGIC CORMORANTS, 1 PEREGRINE FALCON, and more BALD EAGLES than crows.? In fact, 4 of the eagles were on Tatoosh Island and the only nesting birds that I saw (from 11:00-1:00 or so) were gulls.? Have most of the other species been eliminated by nesting predation from the eagles?




On the drive up HWY 101, I went to the top on Mt. Wheeler (about 6:30 in the morning).? It was dead quiet; not even the usual Gray Jays.? On the way down, I pulled over fairly frequently and managed to see/hear several common species for the area, including some nice looks at NASHVILLE WARBLERS, which I seem to be seeing everywhere this spring.? If anyone knows of a spell to turn one of them into a MacGillivray's, please pass it on to me.? I did hear a N. PYGMY-OWL about halfway down the mountain.



Good birding,



Lonnie Somer

Olympia, WA

wheelermombi at comcast.net