Hi Tweets:
I met some friends at Dash Pt Park & Pier, the Tacoma City park down Markham Rd off of hwy 509. This park is the next park north of Brown's Pt Lighthouse Park, another wonderful Tacoma City Park. We met at 10am. I was there to try to see much bird action and maybe a Jaeger, but it was very-very quiet. Beautiful warm day however, w/ no wind so we had a nice time.
When Bev and I first arrived a little before 10, some COMMON MURRES flew through out in the channel. 4 birds in the first group, and 3 in the second. They were swiftly flying south. Way across the sound, pretty close to Vashon Island there were a couple of rafts of WESTERN GREBES. I counted about 80 in one raft and there may have been 100 or more in the other. Eventually 7 W. Grebes came in close to the fishing pier. There were several HORNED GREBES in the area, and 1 RED-NECKED GREBE. We saw a PIGEON GUILLEMOT, and two RHINO AUKLETS perched way out on the water. A RED-BREASTED MERGANSER flew through. A molting 2nd cycle CALIF. GULL w/ a black tail kept me fooled, and I tried to turn it into an immature Herring Gull, but no luck w/ that. Guess I have to study 2nd year Herring Gulls some more... I rarely get to see them.
It was so quiet, we dropped down to the log booms at Commencement Bay around Noon. But it was very quiet there too, w/ just about 25 or so CALIF. GULLS perched on the booms, and a couple of MEW GULLS on the north boom. There were quite a few D-C CORMORANTS, and 4 BRANDT'S CORMORANTS.
I guess I missed the Jaeger show (for now). The Pink Salmon run is running out, but hopefully another species salmon run will happen. The very-warm weather (it eventually got up to an official Seattle temp of 77 deg), made for a most enjoyable day of birding w/ nice, smart people.
Yours, Carol Schulz
Des Moines