A Great Sunday. One State and One Pierce County Lifer in the Same Day!

Marian and I were staying at our Lake Forest Park cabin after returning from Orcas Island and Thanksgiving with her family on Saturday, and I was pleased to here that the Black-and-White Warbler was still being seen at Green Lake in Seattle on Saturday. Marian had plans to decorate the cabin with her grandsons on Sunday, and so I took the chance to chase the BAWW. I got to Green Lake about 8:10 AM, and was surprised that there was not a birder in sight as I located the Bath House (now a theatre) and the described area for the bird. I spent the first hour or so looking all over, with no luck. Around then birders started to arrive; a relief that I was in the right place. We looked all around, and a couple of birders I know, Bruce LaBar a good friend from Tacoma and a guest on episode #3 of the podcast, and Alex Patia who was also a guest on episode #91. We continued to search, and after a while I followed Alex well south of the usual area. He continued to look, and as I walked back toward the bath house area I saw about 4 birders intently looking and taking photos of a tree right in front of them. I was hopeful, and hurried to their location, to be rewarded with great looks at the warbler. It was doing the BAWW thing, creeping along branches and the trunk of trees, like a nuthatch or creeper but more on the horozontal limbs. No camera, and elusive to digibin attempts, but still a really great WA state first for me. After great looks, putting the word out to Bruce and others via the WhatsApp King County thread, I headed back to see Marian. She was ready to head home so we headed south just as word got out about a Tuften Puffin at the Dune Peninsula park near our home.
I drove home, and Marian agreed to come with me to Dune as it was nearing dusk. I got there, after communicating with Bruce that the puffin continued to show, and on arrival the Tufted Puffin was close enough to see bare-eyed. I got great looks, digiscope photos, and also great looks at 3 very close in Ancient Murrelets. Overall a great day for lifers in WA for me.