With the weather looking promising, my wife and I drove out to Ocean Shores to try to pick up some great year birds that have been in that area. We joined the crowd looking at the Snowy Owls and had great looks at 5 individuals. At the base of Damon Point, I spotted the King Eider among the scoter flock before we ventured out the spit. Other birds of note were several Rock Sandpipers among Surfbirds and Black Turnstones at the jetty. Our first stop in the morning was at the golf course and I finally saw the Emperor Goose behind the movie theater. It was with 2 Greater White-fronted Geese, several Cacklers and Canada Geese. When we left around 2:30 p.m. the geese were still in that area, thou some golfers scared them off towards the Subway near by. My first bird of the year in Tacoma was not as exciting, European Starling!
Bruce LaBar
Tacoma,WA
blabar at harbornet.com