Hi Tweets

Yesterday, Oct 8, several of us from Eastside Audubon took an abbreviated trip out to Point No Point. On the ferry ride over we saw PIGEON GUILLEMOTs, SURF SCOTERs, GLAUCOUS-WINGED and CALIFORNIA GULLs, WESTERN GREBEs and a flyby COMMON MURRE.

We arrived about 8:15 and immediately went to Norwegian Point (Hansville). Several Black-bellied Plovers were to the south of the park, and unfortunately in the morning they were all back-lit. Even with the bad light there was one suspicious looking bird that might have been the American Golden-Plover. But the birds were too far away and badly lit to confirm it - sounds like the area where Carol Riddell saw the AMGP yesterday afternoon. We did see several SANDERLINGs in with the BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERs, and a couple of KILLDEER. Just offshore there were a RED-NECKED GREBE and a HORNED GREBE. PELAGIC and DOUBL-CRESTED CORMORANTs were on the pilings and a couple of HEERMANNS GULLs.

We next went down to Point No Point. More HEERMANNS GULLs. In scanning the waters we picked up more PIGEON GUILLEMOTs and some RHINOCEROS AUKLETs, a couple of PACIFIC LOONs and some COMMON LOONs. A single RING-BILLED GULL was seen. Two WHITE-WINGED SCOTERs flew by going north. A GREAT BLUE HERON was in the marsh behind the beach. A couple of NORTHERN FLICKERs flew by. A nice size flock of BONAPARTE'S GULLs came in and landed offshore and a few minutes later a juvenile PARASITIC JAEGER came diving in harrassing the Bonaparte's. A few minutes after that an adult PARASITIC repeated the harassing maneuvers. A SPOTTED TOWHEE sounded off in the blackberries and a small flock of CEDAR WAXWINGs flew over.

While we were scanning out over the Sound we picked up ORCAS over near Whidbey Island close in to shore by Double Bluff. Then we saw some more further south, and still more a bit north. Some of them came a bit closer and we got very nice looks. There must have been at least 30+ in sight. A real bonus for the day.

On the return ferry ride we saw one ORCA close to Edmonds.

Elsewhere during the day we saw CANADA GOOSE, ROCK PIGEON, BELTED KINGFISHER, MEW GULL, STELLER'S JAY, AMERICAN CROW, AMERICAN ROBIN, EUROPEAN STARLING, SAVANNAH SPARROW, heard WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, and saw several RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDs.

A short but rewarding day, cool early but glorious weather.

Good Birding!

Brian H. Bell
Woodinville WA
mail to bell asoc at iso med ia dot com