[Tweeters] windy Edmonds gulls and pelicans

[Dennis Paulson]

Hello, tweets.

Netta Smith and I spent 10:30-11:15 this morning on the Edmonds fishing pier, buffeted by gale force winds from the SE. Waves as high as I have ever seen there rolled past us from the south the whole time. Heermann’s Gulls were streaming in from the north just above the waves heading for the roost on the south breakwater during that entire time, and we saw at least 100 of them fly in. Along with one flock were four immature Brown Pelicans, an enjoyable surprise. We could see hundreds of the gulls roosting there, with a few Glaucous-wings, and I counted 200 Heermann's in a couple of photos I took of the breakwater that included the pelicans. Obviously the total for Heermann’s would be well over 200, as they were still flying in when we left. Presumably both of these species will be staying into November, and it will be interesting to see how long they stay this year.

The other species we saw included one Short-billed and many Glaucous-winged Gulls and small numbers of both Double-crested and Pelagic Cormorants in flight and three Rhinoceros Auklets on the water.

Dennis Paulson
Seattle