[obol] [Fwd: South Bend, Wash and thereabouts................]

[gerald]

.............Sent this report for those Oregon birders who may be 
interested  in or like to bird in SW. Washington area.

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	South Bend, Wash and thereabouts................
Date: 	Sun, 16 Sep 2007 02:13:30 -0700
From: 	gerald <gerald at e-z.net>
To: 	Tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu>



.................Just got back  from a 4-day "excursion" from Bay 
Center, Wash. north along Willapa Bay, than west, than north to 
Grayland, Wash. along the ocean. Weather was cloudy all the time, with a 
bit of drizzle or very light rain, mainly at night. Comfortable birding 
weather to me---no interference from the sun in viewing.
.................Bay Center. Nothing really exciting along Bay Center 
Dike Road. Tide coming in Tues. aft.---a small group of YELLOWLEGS 
(....don't know if they were GREATER or LESSER--too distant for this 
kind of ID), and  a couple of SEMI-PALMATED PLOVERS. 2 very large 
PEREGRINE FALCONS perched on a nearby tree together for a short time, 
before flying away west. A couple of SONG SPARROWS. in the trees--south 
side of road....and a RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD nearer the fields.
................Tokeland, Wash:---Weds.  Hundreds  of MARBLED GODWITS on 
the dike-like mound out in the bay a bit nor-east of the marina....along 
with zillions of GULLS.  12 WILLETS feeding on the last bit of open 
ground  in the incoming tide just below the RVcampground store. Juvenile 
and adult DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS, along with 1 SURF SCOTER on the 
water, and several BROWN PELICANS flew overhead. Again, things pretty 
quiet at this time. Then there was the BELTED KINGFISHER. Some REDTAILED 
HAWKS seen along Hwy. 105 and some BARN SWALLOWS ....and *zillions* of 
Starlings.
................North Cove---where north Willapa Bay meets the ocean: 
Tide almost completely in  at 3:00pm weds.The long rocky outcrops just 
ofshore were covered with zillions of seagulls; MEW GULLS, CALIF. 
GULLS,GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLS; and almost  100 red-billed darker 
HERRMANN'S GULLS. Almost 20 BROWN PELICANS were standing in the midst of 
all these gulls--quite a collection of birds. ...a.nd there were about 
75 more gulls on the beach just east. !!! Lots of ducks out on the 
bay(mainly MALLARDS) and plenty of CANADA GEESE and GREAT-BLUE HERONS 
out  there too.
................Mid-beach Road:  Lakes dried up---only thing that showed 
up Weds. aft. were 6 BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS on the south lake bed. 5 or 6 
birders were walking around looking for the Buff-breasted Sandpipers 
last seen there Sun, but nothing to be seen!!!  (Buff-breasted 
Sandpipers were reported in Ocean Shores  Weds. morn.) Nothing special 
seen on the beach itself.. A little FOX SPARROW was by the road. in the 
grass.
................Thurs.: With such poor viewings  Weds. I decided a 2nd 
trip to MidBeach area would be "the charmer". North Cove was still 
packed with Pelicans and Gulls with the addition of a straight line of 
SOOTY SHEARWATERS flying north a bit out over the water. Got to the 
beach road about 2:00 while the tide was still coming in.. After awhile 
of looking at just l LEAST SANDPIPER, and 2 BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS, I walked 
back to my car in disgust when a whole flock of "peeps' flew in. I 
turned around and walked back south, and....there they were!!!.  6 
juvenile BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS; 5 BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS, 1 LEAST 
SANDPIPER, AND  juvenile PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER (...this one took much 
research to ID positively) A similar-looking bird to the Buff-breasts. 
golder on the breast, and darker scaly-buff on the back, and a bit 
larger body,same yellow legs, and a slight dark line behind the eye 
would indicate a juvenile RUFF (...I wouldn't "swear" by it!!).. He ate 
off by himself , not  mingling with the rest.
................Went back to my car and found myself locked out---keys 
and wallet with spare locked inside!!! So, a hour later AAA came up from 
South Bend and unlocked it. Since there was about 45 minites of light 
still left I decided to go back and see if anything new showed up. As I 
was standing there 3 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS  and  and a non-breeding 
plumaged RED-NECKED PHALAROPE flew in and settled down (....the 
Phalarope did,nt stay very long). A real nice birder from Seattle 
arrived with spotting scope, and we both examined the Buff-breasted 
Sandpipers and the Pacific Golden Plover and  with research concurred on 
their ID'S. The RUFF had flown away earlier so I couldn" get his help on 
that one. (...He had seen 2 RUFFS the day before at Ocean Shores and 
knew they were in the area.). And......*.none* of the birders present 
Weds. were here to see all this today!!!!!!
................Fri. morn. On the way home  went up Bay Center Dike 
Road, but I had left the motel too late, and the tide was covering much 
of the mudflats. Did explore the nice coumty park at the end of the 
peninsula. Hiked through old grouth Sitka Spruce to the bluff edged 
overlooking the bay---nice overlook for shorebirds whrn the tide is 
low.. Also, there's a small place to park and ger to the bay beach of 
2nd Ave,.

...............Thanks for reading this *long* report, but after a "poor" 
Weds. I was really quite *elated* by what showed up Thurs..and had to 
speak of it. :-)

...............Cheers........Gerald Hamilton
..................................Brush Prairie, Wash.
                                  gerald at e-z.net
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