REPORT: Our 2-hour (noon to 2 PM, March 3, 2018) cruise of Hood Canal aboard the Lady Alderbrook was unbelievably great! Partners Tahoma Audubon and Black Hills Audubon helped put together an incredible experience. Faye McAdams Hands coordinated with Bonnie of Black Hills and arranged some beautiful weather. In fact, this may have been the first good weather day we’ve had this year since our January 1 cruise of the Sound.

Inside the Lady Alderbrook

On board, we were fortunate to have professional pelagic spotters, Bruce LaBar and Cara Borre, as well as a bunch of other accomplished birders and photographers among this sold-out birders’ event. It was also nice to meet at the beautiful Alderbrook resort and enjoy that ambience.

Pat, Shelley and Petrea hang back as spotters Bruce and Cara talk strategy

We sailed away under the eyes on the tall ship, Pleiades, which was taking pictures of the Lady Alderbrook for advertising purposes, so we’ll probably all be famous soon.

See any Surf Scoters?

First up, we came upon 350+ Western Grebes. For those of us who have been mourning the missing Grebes in Puget Sound, it was such a relief to see them here and again later in the cruise. To make it a sport, Bruce had us all concentrate to find a Clark’s Grebe among them, and we were successful! John Riegsecker was able to get a photograph to prove it. After that we ran into big bunches of Surf Scoters, as well as several sizable flocks of White-winged Scoters, another bird we’ve been missing in the Sound in recent years.

A joy to see was a baker’s dozen of Trumpeter Swans, rather unexpected, but we saw them on the beach, then in the air, then landing in the water, getting every possible angle! Again, John’s photo showed them to be Trumpeters and solved that vexing problem of ID from a distance. Then, as if that were not enough, the spotters spotted a potential Long-tailed Duck. It was too far away for many of us to ID, but again John’s steady arm on that camera proved it! When we were all looking for the Long-tail, at one point Bruce said, “Find the red pole and look underneath that.” Turns out he didn’t mean a Redpoll…

Trumpeters circling us!

A couple of Harbor Seals filled in our marine mammal requirement, and many Larus gulls were about. Red-necked Grebes, Greater Scaup, both Goldeneyes, and a fair number of Common and Red-throated Loons helped fill the waters on this beautiful sunny day framed by snowy mountains.

Snow over the Hood Canal Marina, almost back to Alderwood

We finished up as a happy group, and Adam took a group picture as we were disembarking, especially to send to Kay Pullen, who helped put this event together, but was unable to attend due to illness.

Here we are, landing

Thanks to Faye, Bonnie, Bruce, Cara, and to Ken for eBirding.

Photographers! Please addend this report with links when you have photos posted! In the meantime, some of John Riegsecker’s photos are included on the eBird page: https://ebird.org/pnw/view/checklist/S43380333. Some of Diane’s & Heather Roskelley’s photos are now on FLICKR at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/76552838@N03/albums/72157693330076794