Hi Tweets:
Yesterday, Sun, July 1 in Edmonds, there were 4 close-in and very active MARBLED MURRELETS viewed from the public fishing dock at the base of Dayton St . The remarkable thing is that they were in pairs and as two pairs would come together, the birds would stretch their necks, point their bills skyward, and call very loudly. I was wishing I had recording equipment! Listen to their sound on the following website! Wow!
http://www.birdweb.org/birdweb/bird/marbled_murrelet
I have only heard that sound a couple of times before. Once in Alaska in the early morning, and at another time, when we were over near Lake Quinault in the early morning. I thought M. Murrelets only called near their nests as they flew out of old growth forests. What's with the calling in the center of the Edmonds waterfront? All of the murrelets we saw yesterday at Edmonds and at a spot farther north were in breeding plumage. We saw at least 8 murrelets.
Two Brown Pelicans flew by the pier yesterday morning. 45-50 Heerman's Gulls were perched over on the south jetty. A number of Pigeon Guillemots in breeding plumage were in the area. One was in non-breeding plumage. My sister and I were at the fishing pier from 9am to 10am.
In the afternoon we came back, and there were still some Marbled Murrelets near the fishing pier. Some Heerman's Gulls were flying. We drove over to the south side of the Edmond's Marsh, also entered from Dayton St and a street on the east side of the RR tracks. That street goes south through an office park about a block to the marsh. At the marsh we saw a Greater Yellowlegs, heard a Virginia Rail, and had a quick glimpse of a Spotted Sandpiper. Five GBH's were in the tall grass there. At least one was a young bird w/ a black crown. An adult Bald Eagle flew past along the waterfront and excited all the birds who called and even flew over us at the marsh.
Yours, Carol Schulz
Des Moines
carol.schulz50 at gmail