Subject: Re: TWEETERS digest 470
Date: Nov 3 03:59:46 1995
From: Don Baccus - donb at Rational.COM


>OK tweeters! You've calmed my anxiety about asking for help so here goes.
>We're going to the south WA coast next weekend. We would love to see Godwits,

Tokeland Marina is at the mouth of Willapa Bay, probably about an hour
north of Astoria (well, Raymond's about that far, add 20 minutes to
Tokeland). There's a flock of godwit hanging out. The first time I
went, when the bar-tailed was still about, I got there at high tide
and they were roosting on the tip of the breakwater that protects the
marina - go to the public boat ramp and take a look. The second
time I went (this tuesday past) the tide was out and rising (high
tide there about an hour after sunset) and the godwits weren't around,
feeding I'm sure. Lots of mud in willapa bay to them to stroll around
on. There was one godwit in the Marina. Loons, grebes, mergs, etc
as well.

You'll hit low tide during most of daylight hours this weekend if
my figuring's right (high tide in morning). Check with Stuart for
Ocean Shores stuff.

You should also consider checking out the mouth of the Columbia
over in Oregon, Ft. Stephens State Park. There's no charge to
go to the jetty, which will have wintering stuff around (black
bellied plover, sanderling, that kind of stuff plus scoters and
the usual diving and floating birds). "Parking Lot C" is at the
jetty, and you should check over by the river and the bay which lies
east of the road paralleling the beach (known as "trestle bay", you'll
see the trestle, assuming the trestle you see is the one it's named
after).

You might consider birding Ocean Shores and Tokeland on your way
down or up.

You can also go up Long Beach Penninsula to Ledbetter point and check
out the beaches and flats there. That's a great place, but a dead-end
drive so you can't bird it in-transit.


- Don Baccus, Portland OR <donb at rational.com>