[Tweeters-Alerts] Thick-billed Murre, Washington Park, Anacortes

[Guy McWethy]

Hey Tweets,
Had an AWESOME afternoon at Washington Park, Anacortes.   At 4:00 pm, just as the tide was turning, Randy Bjorklund and I sighted a highly probable Thick-billed Murre.
Top of the head and back of the neck were all dark.  Sharp line running back along the bill, dividing dark head from the throat and part of the neck that were white.  Bill appeared shorter and thicker than those of the Common Murres around it.  Also the head and back appeared to be darker than the Common Murres.
I could not spot the white line along the bill, but it was quite a ways out in the channel, and the light was not great.
It was drifting out past the point on the ebbing tide.
We were at about the last pull-over on the loop road, as far North and West as you can go.
Also over 100 Ancient Murrelets, about 20 Marbled Murrelets, 15 or so Rhino Auklets, about 30 Common Murres, 10 or so Pigeon Guillemots.
The Show lasted less than an hour as they drifted out with the tide.

Guy McWethy
Renton, WA
mailto: lguy_mcw at yahoo.com