Hi Tweets -

On this past Sunday, Aug. 5, I birded and photographed my way from Ocean
Shores up to Copalis Beach. I was getting pics of some fishermen
withstanding the elements out on the jetty, but not until I climbed up onto
the rocks around 3:30 to scan for birds did I notice the endless stream
flying fast northward. A conservative guess would be an average of 20 birds
per second. Once I was aware of this ?stream,? every time I checked I could
see no change. As far as the eye could see (with my 10x Zeiss binos), the
stream was endless from south to north. I made numerous stops on my way to
Copalis and witnessed the stream at the same constant and endless rate
until around 8:20 when it was getting too dark and I headed back home. This
suggests that millions might not be hyperbole. The steam stayed
consistently several hundred yards out beyond the breakers and if anyone
else was birding that day, they would appreciate how dense the cloud cover
was, making it difficult to see any markings on the birds, save that they
were dark. They all would use several quick wingbeats, then a two or three
second glide.

The question is, did anyone else witness this, or can anyone help ID the
species? My best guess is a shearwater (sooty?). And why were they headed
north?

Thanks for your help.

Greg Pluth, Tacoma
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