--Begin forwarded message---

Date: Fri Jul 18 17:50:03 1997
From: hgilmore at willapabay.org ("Henry Gilmore")
Subject: Leadbetter Pt. sightings.
To: mpatters at orednet.org ("Mike Patterson")


Finally got up to Leadbetter Pt. this morning. Arrived about 10AM and
the tide was out but coming in steadily. I walked up the bay sand and out
through the marsh to the spartina patches which have been cut so I could
walk up the bay a little further. Watched the birds come closer as the
tide pushed them my way. This is a good spot for viewing most of the shore
birds. Anyway, there was the largest concentration of SHORT-BILLED
DOWITCHER that I have witnessed. I would estimate at least 4,500 birds.
They were on the move quite a bit and difficult to count. Also counted
about 2300 WESTERN SANDPIPERS, 47 LEAST SANDPIPERS, 13 GREATER YELLOWLEGS,
63 WHIMBREL and 2 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS. There were the usual gulls
and other birds about. The SESA's were separate from the others and
working the mud together.
Yesterday when I observed the ELEGANT TERN it was with 14 CASPIAN TERNS
and as I approached the CATE's flew off but the ELTE stayed for a short
time and then flew out over the ocean and headed north. The CATE's all
landed a short distance up the beach.

Henry Gilmore
Surfside, WA
hgilmore at willapabay.org

-- end forwarded message



--
*********************************** I got the blues so bad one time
* Mike Patterson, Astoria, OR * it put my face in a permanent frown
* mpatters at orednet.org * but I am feelin' so much better
http://www.pacifier.com/~mpatters I could cake-walk into town