Subject: Columbia Estuary Report - 8/20/97
Date: Aug 20 17:37:00 1997
From: Mike Patterson - mpatters at orednet.org




Columbia Estuary Report - 8/20/97

Visibility was sub-optimal this morning, so I did not do a formal
seawatch. I did spend about 30 minutes on the beach in steady
rain and a light wind from the NE. The were 5 ELEGANT TERNS among
the WESTERN GULLS and CASPIAN TERNS. A single BAIRD'S SANDPIPER
was working the drift line.

Low tide at parking lot D, Trestle Bay had 8 SEMIPALMATED PLOVER,
17 WHIMBREL, 2 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, and a mixed flock of LEAST/
WESTERN SANDPIPERS.

By afternoon high tide, the wind was coming from the SSW at
30 and tropical storm Ignacio had blown in many interesting
things. At least 3 PARASITIC JAEGERS were harassing a flock of
70 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES on the river near the jetty. BROWN
PELICANS were coming through in remarkable numbers (I stopped
counting at 200). 3 RHINOCERUS AUKLETS were swimming just beyond
the breakers. An adult BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE (the first I've
seen this fall) was seen flying inland along the jetty. And
there were still 5 ELEGANT TERNS on the beach now in the midst of
130 CALIFORNIA GULLS.

The shorebird ponds were disappointing: 1 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER,
1 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, 3 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, 6 BLACK TURNSTONES
and 4 LEAST SANDPIPERS. NORTHERN PINTAIL were conspicuous and
12 HOODED MERGANSERS were on the little pond near the junction to
Battery Russell.

30 PURPLE MARTINS (17 on one wire; 13 on another just so you know
I counted) were at Hammond Boat Basin.

3 WESTERN TANAGERS, 1 BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK and 2 BLACK-THROATED-
GREY WARBLERS were passing through my front yard yesterday in a
migration party.

--
********************************* I am but mad north-north-west;
* Mike Patterson, Astoria, OR * when the wind is southerly,
* mpatters at orednet.org * I know a hawk froma handsaw.
http://www.pacifier.com/~mpatters -ws