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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Hello Tweeters,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Yesterday early Bill and I boarded the Monte Carlo for a day out on the bounding main. This was one of numerous cruises that Westport Seabirds offers during the year. They are so popular that, when I went to sign up in the winter sometime, this one on July 26<sup>th</sup> was the only the only one that had any spaces left. So we left port about 6 am and headed out toward the continental shelf under blue skies and only a light breeze. So, following on Bruce Labar’s excellent report on Tweeters today (July 27), we motored out to where there were shrimp trawlers and we got our first views of Black-footed Albatross. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> I had already mentioned to Bill Shelmerdine that, although unlikely, I would love to see a Short-tailed Albatross. He apparently made the arrangements, because as we continued to visit the shrimp trawlers, Bill shouted out that he could see a Short-tailed Albatross. My pulse quickened, I saw the bird in question, took some photos, and was barely recovering from this incredible experience when Bruce LaBar shouted that he also saw a Laysan Albatross in the group!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> At this point my birding fuses pretty much all blew! I saw this bird too and took some picture as it flew by right next to our boat. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Some people got a picture of all 3 albatrosses at once. I was not one of those people, but my husband Bill was. I made a small album on Flickr showing all 3 birds together, then a few of the Short-tailed and Laysan Albatrosses.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/29258421@N07/albums/72177720310076462">https://www.flickr.com/photos/29258421@N07/albums/72177720310076462</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> The bird spotters, Scott Mills, Bill Shelmerdine, and Bruce Labar hadn’t recovered from this, dare I say, unprecedented occurrence even when we arrived in port. I am still recovering! If you are interested in verifying my outrageous claim, you can visit the Flickr page I created to show off these 3 birds!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Charlotte Byers, Edmonds<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></body></html>