I've been taking my bino's on the ferry commute hoping for some winter sea birds. My gull ID skills need work but have managed to pick out Bonaparte's, Galacous Winged, and a few large gulls with black wing tips throughout the trip.... Other sea birds include many Double Crested cormorants perched on all available structures, some pelagic cormorants, marbled murlets, surf scoters, belted kingfishers, and a FOF flock of American wigeon on on the Eagle Harbor side. At the Bainbridge Ferry terminal there is a flock of 10-15 black turnstones hanging out where the pigeon guillemots usually are, on the ferry pilings with the bumpers, though the guillemots have been absent recently. Other sightings from the boat include European starlings, pigeons, crows, osprey ( a few weeks ago), raven (Bainbridge side), and Canada geese. Looking forward to the wintering sea birds.


-Dan Lipinski

dano135 at hotmail.com