Hi Tweets and all:
Adele Freeland and I were at Dumas Bay today after high tide. It is on the salt water west of Federal Way. It was a beautiful warm day, w/ no wind. About 2 hours after high tide, about 1:20pm or so, the waterfowl and seabirds started to show up in the bay and out in the sound. There were 600 to 1000 Amer. Wigeon, several hundred Surf Scoters, up to 30 White-winged Scoters, about 30 Greater Scaup, and several Red-necked Grebes. Out in the sound at a great distance there were two EARED GREBES, the first I've ever seen from Dumas. There was one Common Loon, and a few Horned Grebes.
Adele started scanning the huge flocks of wigeon. In amongst the wigeon there were about 10 Gadwall, and one REDHEAD, a nice male in breeding plumage. It was very surprising to see one in salt water. In the past, during our Kent-Auburn CBC's the end of December, we sometimes get a few Redheads on the lakes in Federal Way. Our Kent-Auburn CBC this year will be on Sun, Dec 26.
Yours, Carol Schulz
Des Moines
carol.schulz50 at gmail.com