spontaneous call of a Long-eared Owl and the day was off to a flying or 
     
     should I say "hooting" start. Shortly thereafter we obtained a Barred 
     
     Owl, a Canada Goose, a Great-horned Owl, and then a Sora Rail. The walk 
     
     to probing sites in Donagh to hopefully flush a Woodcock was 
     
     unsuccessful. 
     
    

    
     In route to East Point, the silhouette of a Great Blue Heron in the 
     
     glow of yard lights reflecting off the waters of St. Peter's Bay 
     
     registered the first of the day’s herons. By now, the weather forecast 
     
     was starting to come to fruition with the winds exceeding a stiff breeze. 
     
     East Point brought almost gale force winds from the southwest and the 
     
     southeastern sea was awash in white caps. A large flock of Common Eiders 
     
     rode the sea’s turmoil between the white caps and calmer lee shore 
     
     waters. A constant parade of mostly adult Northern Gannets swept by 
     
     riding the gale winds as we sought shelter behind the gift shop. Within 
     
     minutes, we seen a hawk-like shape whipping in from the sea and then we 
     
     gazed upon the face mask and pointed wings of our first Peregrine Falcon 
     
     of the day. From then on, the sightings built-up steadily until we 
     
     reached the 79 confirmed species listed below: Common Loon, Pied-billed 
     
     Grebe, Northern Gannet, Great Cormorant, Double-crested Cormorant, Great 
     
     Blue Heron, American Bittern, Canada Geese, Mallard, American Black Duck, 
     
     Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Blue—winged Teal, American Widgeon, 
     
     Wood Duck, Ring-necked Duck, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Common 
     
     Goldeneye, Common Eider, White-winged Scoter, Surf Scoter, Black Scoter, 
     
     Red-breasted Merganser, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Bald Eagle (adult), Northern 
     
     Harrier, Peregrine Falcon (adult and immature), Merlin, Ruffed Grouse, 
     
     Sharp-tailed Grouse, Sora, Killdeer, Black-backed Plover, Common Snipe, 
     
     Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Pectoral Sandpiper, White-rumped 
     
     Sandpiper, Dunlin, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Sanderling, Jaeger sp., 
     
     Greater Black-backed Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Herring Gull, Bonaparte’s 
     
     Gull, Common Tern, Rock Dove, Mourning Dove, Great Horned Owl, Barred 
     
     Owl, Long-eared Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Belted Kingfisher, Horned 
     
     Lark, Tree Swallow, Blue Jay, Common Raven, American Crow, Black-capped 
     
     Chickadee, Boreal Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, American Robin, 
     
     Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Cedar Waxwing, Northern 
     
     Shrike, European Starling, Yellow-rumped Warbler, House Sparrow, Red- 
     
     winged Blackbird, Rusty Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, American 
     
     Goldfinch, Savannah Sparrow, Northern Junco, White—throated Sparrow, and 
     
     Song Sparrow. 
     
    

    
     The images of this day will be imprinted on our minds for many years 
     
     to come. The raptor silhouette of an immature Peregrine Falcon casually 
     
     watching us from 50 meters. The incredible beauty of this peregrine 
     
     sweeping out to sea to return for its hunt along the cliff edge. Then 
     
     the most memorable sighting of the day, a peregrine with the dark back of 
     
     its prey grasped in its talons rising over the cliff edge to be met by 
     
     the swoop of a Merlin which struck and clung to the other side of the 
     
     'Peregrine's intended meal. The tenacious Merlin struggled in flight with 
     
     the Peregrine as each fought to pull the bird from the others talons. As 
     
     with most struggles of this kind, the superior weight and strength of the 
     
     peregrine won out and it winged away to consume its fought for meal. 
     
    

    
     By the birding day's end, the wind had risen to gale force. Amidst 
     
     the wind driven rain, we struggled to keep our scopes and binoculars 
     
     clear enough to see and continued our journey to include Basin Head East, 
     
    
   
   
    
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