Hi Tweets,

I joined Dave, Miriam, Stan, Linda, Debby, Jim, and Pete on a lovely trip to
coastal Northwest Washington led by Joan Bird and Andrea Warner.

Drayton Harbor from Drayton Harbor Road provided great viewing of Bald
Eagle, Canada Goose, Cackling Goose, Black Brant, Bufflehead, Northern
Pintail, Belted Kingfisher, and Double-crested Cormorant.

Semiahoo Park and Spit was terrific for viewing Common Loon, Red-breasted
Merganser, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Ruddy Duck, Horned Grebe,
Greater and Lesser Scaup, Great Blue Heron, Western Grebe, Harlequin Duck,
Red-necked Grebe, and Pied-billed Grebe. Some of us were fortunate enough
to obtain a quick look at a few Black Scoter far out in Semiahoo Bay. An
occasional Mew Gull was seen with Glaucous-winged Gull and Glaucous-winged x
Western Gull hybrids (Olympic Gull).

Blaine Marine Park had great tidal mud flats full of Dunlin (100) and
American Widgeon (300). We also saw Greater Yellowlegs, Black Turnstone,
American Green-winged Teal, and a few Thayer?s Gulls bathing in the stream
entering the mud flat. Our identification of the Thayer?s Gull was based on
white tipped black primaries with light underside, smaller dove shaped head,
smaller bill with a small gonys and nearly absent gonydeal angle, dark eye
with a faint eye line just in front and behind eye. Out at the end of the
pier we had fabulous looks at Pelagic Cormorant and Common Loon.

Lake Terrell was full of American Coots, as well more American Widgeon,
Ruddy Duck, and a male Northern Harrier.

Sandy Point provided spectacular birding of Lummi Bay. We saw at least 6
Ancient Murrelets near a huge group (50-100) of Pacific Loon feeding. Joan
had mentioned that Heermann?s Gull had been seen from the point. We
observed Bonaparte?s and Glaucous-winged Gull joining in the feast and then
slowly realized that what I thought were 1st year juvenile Gulls were
several Heermann?s Gulls, very dark with light terminal band along the
secondaries and tail. We also saw Rhinoceros Auklets, Pigeon Guillemot,
Long-tailed Duck, Red-throated Loon, Surf and White-winged Scoter, Harlequin
Duck, Pelagic Cormorant, Black Turnstone, Dunlin and Killdeer.

Lummi Flats off Haxton Way from Haxton Way and Slater Road adjacent to the
Silver Reef Casino gave us an opportunity to find raptors. The road through
Lummi Flats is Native American reservation and patrolled by Lummi Police, so
stopping to view birds is not allowed. Along with more Bald Eagle,
Red-tailed Hawk and Northern Harrier, we had fantastic viewing of two
Rough-legged Hawks, occasionally hovering close to the road in search of
food.

Thank you Joan and Andrea for a beautiful day enjoyed by all, I had 70
species for the day!

Good birding,

Shep Thorp
Browns Point, Tacoma
sthorp at theaec.com <mailto:sthorp at theaec.com>
253-370-3742