Hi Tweets! - I'd like to second Jim D's description of the great pelagic trip many of us enjoyed on Wednesday. It was truly a memorable trip with amazingly flat seas, all of the expected birds (despite the lack of wind for attracting them with chum), and a few bonuses: Great looks at Long-tailed Jaeger, So. Polar Skua, Leach's Storm-Petrel and youthful Tufted Puffin were among the highlights for me. Biologically, though, the marine mammals almost stole the show. Fifteen humpbacks rivaled some of my SE Alaska field trips but the Pacific White-sided Dolphin show was over-the-top and worthy of an episode of Blue Planet! Having 20 or so loving the boat at once, and a couple doing aerial cartwheels were both fabulous. Some credit, I suppose should go to the shoal of unfortunate forage fish (most likely Pacific herring) and to the many shearwaters and gulls enjoying the feast. Many thanks to Jim, Scott, and Gene, and of course Phil and Chris for a fabulous time. For those of you who can make it, the Wednesday trip is especially nice during salmon season because Westport is uncrowded and tranquil - I hope more of these mid-week trips may be offered in coming years. As a post script - Willets remain in and near the Tokeland Marina and a few Snowy Plover (with leg bands) are venturing out from the restricted nesting area to feed along the tide line with the hoards of Semi-palmated Sandpipers and Sanderlings. On the downside, no Hermit Warblers were singing (or visible) during mid-day yesterday at Rainbow Falls SP. Happy Birding! - Jon Houghton, Edmonds
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/pipermail/tweeters/attachments/20190726/784b04f5/attachment.html>