My wife and I arrived at Toke Point around 3:30 yesterday. I was unable
to spot the Bar-tailed Godwit for sure (I had a good candidate in a flock
of about 150 Marbleds, but just didn't get all the parts to add up
positively before a female Harrier did her thing). There was, however, a
Long-billed Curlew between the two piers that Don baccus had mentioned
last week. It was there for about ten minutes, and when my wife and I
went to scope the big godwit flock, it must've departed as it wasn't
there 45 minutes later. Big bird, much bigger than the godwits, and
whimbrels were seen found also for good comparison. Two willets were
also still there. On the way in, we had lots of Black-bellied Plover
near Bruceport along with one Dunlin. Greater Yellowlegs were pretty
common as well. Dowitchers were out and about; three species of grebe
were around the Toke POint (western, horned, and pied-billed in the
marshes on the land side of the highway.) Loons were common; one surf
scoter. Lots of wigeon around the bay as well. An excellent trip and
spot, even without the godwit (which, like I said, I probably saw--the
only other one I've seen was in Northern Ireland last year by itself--not
so many Marbleds [my life count of Marbled Godwits went from 8 to 500
yesterday really quickly]). Enjoy!

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Ray Korpi "If you accept the forms they give you,
Wk: Clark College you're doomed to your own ultimate blandness."
Vancouver, WA --Johnny Rotten
Hm: Portland, OR
address: rkorpi at clark.edu