Sunday, November 9, 2008 - Logbirds

Yesterday we went to Ediz Hook with the local Audubon chapter.  The new birds since our move were a flock of Barrow's Goldeneyes, Brandt's Cormorants, and some Theyer's Gulls - all possessives - hum - does that mean anything?  I'll miss those ducks in the summer.

There were rain squalls and sunshine making for several rainbows.  I’ve lost count how many we have seen since our move.  The clouds, mountains, and sunshine made for some dramatic scenes.  The rain made me leave the camera in the car most of the time – water and electronics don’t mix well.

At high tide you look for the shorebirds and gulls on log rafts.  The harbor at Port Angeles has floating rafts of logs.  I believe the logs are for the pulp plant that pulps them for a Japanese paper mill for phone books there.  The pulping operation does not create the stink of paper manufacture - thank goodness.  The bird list for the harbor follows:
Canada Goose
American Wigeon
Mallard
Green-winged Teal
Greater Scaup
Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Bufflehead
Barrow's Goldeneye
Red-breasted Merganser
Hooded Merganser
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Brandt's Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Bald Eagle
Sharp-shinned Hawk
American Coot
Black-bellied Plover
Black Oystercatcher
Black Turnstone
Sanderling
Dunlin
Mew Gull
California Gull
Thayer's Gull
Olympic Gull
Heermann's Gull
Pigeon Guillemot
Marbled Murrelet
Rock Pigeon
Belted Kingfisher
American Crow
European Starling
House Finch