Subject: [Tweeters] Edmonds Roundup
Date: Nov 5 14:30:18 2013
From: Carol Riddell - cariddellwa at gmail.com


We had our first-of-fall Long-tailed Duck fly by the waterfront on Friday the 1st. The November 2nd windstorm did not stop a wedge of Cackling Geese from flying over Edmonds and heading into the south wind. It also pushed the Lincoln Park American White Pelican north so that Doug Parrott could tick it from Sunset Avenue. The next morning brought another large skein of Cacklers from across the Sound and heading on a southeast trajectory. Sunday afternoonhundreds and hundreds of Western Grebes could be seen by scope from Sunset. They were strung out from what appeared to be near Mukilteo to well around the south end of Whidbey and up into Admiralty inlet. The numbers reminded me of Jonathan Bent's late September report of approximately 650 in Saratoga Passage.

November 4th was a great seabird day. The water was calm and visibility was excellent. From the public pier we had five alcids: the usual Pigeon Guillemots and Rhinoceros Auklets, a number of Common Murres, three fly-by Marbled Murrelets, and two Ancient Murrelets on the water. We had all three cormorants, all three scoters, and the three expected saltwater grebes. A late California Gull flew by the pier. Marine mammal sightings included Orcas, harbor seals, and California sea lions.

We are of the impression that cormorant numbers are higher this fall than in recent years but don't know if it was a highly successful breeding season or a food source is attracting more to the Edmonds waterfront. The most numerous gulls yesterday were Bonaparte's, Heermann's, and Mew. We haven't seen anymore goldeneyes in the last week but Red-breasted Mergansers are back as regulars. This morning first-of-fall Sanderlings were on the marina's south breakwater.

The hybrid wigeon I reported on October 27th is apparently still being seen by others around Edmonds marsh. Duck variety has been good even though the Northern Pintail and Canvasback have departed. Ring-necked Duck, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, and Northern Shoveler are current constants along with eight Coots, a high number for the marsh environs. Near the Willow Creek Hatchery we have been watching a mixed flock of both chickadees, both kinglets, and at least half a dozen Townsend's warblers. A couple of days ago that feeding flock also had a Hutton's Vireo with it. Yesterday the flock was in a cedar tree with a couple of Brown Creepers working the trunk. Sparrow numbers and species have been quite limited so far this fall.

We are at 179 species for the year, with my correcting a miscount and adding the Cackling Geese and White Pelican.

Carol Riddell
Edmonds, Wa
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