This weekend I visited Anderson Island with a new birding friend Marian, and we stubled upon two colonies of Pigeon Guillemots. These are our local breeding Alcid, a species that nests in burrows or cavities in sandy banks near salt water. Anderson Island is a heavily wooded island in the Puget Sound accessible by a short ferry ride from Steilacom, WA. It has lots of high sandy banks that seem perfect for PIGU to nest, and it was fun to see their colonies.

Northern Rough-winges Swallows shared the sandy banks.