Subject: [Tweeters] Everett Whimbrels and more.
Date: Jun 19 22:26:29 2012
From: jeff gibson - gibsondesign at msn.com



This afternoon the Sun showed up in Everett. About 3:15 I decided I needed a break from the trench I was digging and , feeling lucky, jumped into my little truck and took the 2 minute drive down to the Everett waterfront.

The Whimbrel Gods were smiling upon me as I pulled up into the North pullout on West Marine View Drive - the tide coming in close and the Whimbrels close too! I saw about 5. Turning away for a second or two, I heard the flight call of a Whimbrel and looked up to see 10 Whimbels pulling together in flight and then settling down again. They were very close. Big brown shorebirds!

As I posted earlier, the tides are changing rapidly these last few days, and in 15 minutes a big chunk of remaining mudflats disappeared under water and the Whimbrels moved on to logs on the far north shore.

Later, about 8 pm, I returned. Of course all was underwater at that point, but it was so warm and quiet that I just wanted to be down there. Good Martin weather I was thinking, and I did get close front-lit views of a pair over by the NE corner of the boat launch, where there are several nest boxes on pilings. Saw several more around the "outer" boxes.

On Sunday an Anchor Pub regular, and beginning birder, stopped in and told me about kayaking around Jetty Island: Bufflehead's were "all over out there" he said. I had my doubt's about that, it being mid- June, but this evening I spotted two male Buffleheads from shore.

While already a fine evening, what little breeze there was completely died out and the bay turned into a mirror. In Seattle the place would've been packed with people. In Everett - empty almost and ,for a bit ,just me, the birds, and the shiny heads of snooping Harbor Seals out in the calm bay . No traffic . Quiet. Then the air full of calling Martins! I couldn't see them up there on high, but their wonderful calls seemed to be everywhere. How nice is that.

Another minute down the road , at sunset, I stopped off at the Anchor Pub for a beer and coming out could hear a large number of Caspian Terns screaming away , which is not unusual there, but these were spread all over the sky and were too high to see. Sounded like the sky was calling.

Jeff Gibson
in quiet
Everett Wa