Dear Tweeters,

It took a bunch of seaside hours over the past few weeks, but today (9-25-2011) a PARASITIC JAEGER finally showed up while I was present at Samish Island. Josh Parrott spotted it, and then he, Mitch Blanton and I got good looks at it. This was a light-phase adult.

It is worth mentioning that, once again, ZERO Bonaparte's Gulls were present today at the seabirding spots I visited in Skagit County. This year, I have encountered Bonies just three times in Skagit: I saw one or two on January 2, and then found small numbers in two separate locations on May 7. It never ceases to amaze me how certain birds, such as Eared Grebes, Black Scoters, and Bonaparte's Gulls, can be so much easier to find just to the north or south of Skagit County, yet so hard to find here.

Early today, I spent several hours seawatching at Rosario Head and Green Point. At Rosario, it was all I could do just to keep from being blown off the bluff, but the storm did not bring in the rarities I had hoped for. There were hundreds of Heermann's Gulls and other seabirds, though. At Green Point there were far fewer birds than at Rosario, but a wider variety of species, including 16 Black Oystercatchers.

The blustery winds kept the duck hunters away at Jensen Access this evening, and there at dusk were at least 19 Greater White-fronted Geese. A flock of between 50 and 100 Barn Swallows gathered here at dusk, too, probably getting ready to wing southwards.

A few Dunlin were with a flock of over 500 Western Sandpipers at March Point. These sandpipers gave great views at incredibly close range while the wind was blasting--the birds knew that it would take only a flick of a primary or two to send them out of harm's way, should a human approach too closely.

Yours truly,



Gary Bletsch?Near Lyman, Washington (Skagit County), USA?garybletsch at yahoo.com?Mentre che li occhi per la fronda verde
ficcava ?o s? come far suole
chi dietro a li uccellin sua vita perde, lo pi? che padre mi dicea: ?Figliuole,
vienne oramai, ch? ?l tempo che n?? imposto
pi? utilmente compartir si vuole?.??