[Tweeters] just the Red-footed Booby

[Dennis Paulson via Tweeters]

Hello tweets,

Netta and I want to thank Steve Hampton again for finding this tropical wanderer. Just as we arrived at the Port Townsend Marine Center this morning some time after 8 am, it flew off into the distance toward Point Hudson. After venting for a short while, we drove there and searched and searched and saw no trace of a booby offshore or on any elevated roosting site, and finally decided to head back to the marine center (along with many other birders).

As we were talking about leaving, Don Duprey told us that it had been seen roosting with gulls yesterday, so he was scanning the gull flock on the beach. And within seconds, he located it at the end of the flock and called out to us. Thanks to Don as well!

We got fine looks at it on the beach, then at a few minutes after 10, it decided it had had enough of Olympic Gulls and wanted to spend more time with its tropical Heermann’s Gull friends on the marine center rooftop. So it took off, with binoculars and camera lenses following it. We drove back there right away, stopping only to photograph a partial albino Black-tailed Deer, and found it easily on the roof. It was still there when we left, close to 11 am.

As we headed off the pier, we were treated to a family of 5 River Otters swimming and diving, for a perfect ending.

It was definitely worth the drive, and it was good to see so many familiar birders.

Dennis Paulson
Seattle