Hi Tweets,

This fine Saturday morning we had a mixed pair of dowitchers in the Edmonds Marsh. They were in starting-to-wear alternate plumage. It was a nice observation. We were able contrast the Long-billed, which did indeed look like it had swallowed a grapefruit (O'Brien, Crossley, and Karlson), with the slimmer, flatter-backed Short-billed Dow. There was also one Least Sandpiper, and the first Green Heron I have seen in the Marsh and its environs for several years. A female kingfisher was also around. There were several Coots with youngsters. There are now old enough that they have lost their baby stripes. This is only of interest because none of us was aware of Coots nesting in the Marsh prior to this summer.

The Sound was about as devoid of birds as I've seen it. The murrelets were not around this morning. There were a few gulls and Caspian Terns flying. The large flock of Heermann's Gulls was at rest on the marina's south breakwater. Some California Gulls were interspersed among them.

Carol Riddell
Edmonds