Hi Tweets,

Both Jack Bowling (a.) and Andy Stepniewski (b.) write:

a.)
>Unfortunately, Michael, you are forgetting about the various races of American
>Oystercatcher which inhabit the west coast from Baja southward, _H. palliatus
>frazeri_ of Baja being the closest geographically to Washington State. This
>population is considered "probably non-migratory" (Birds of N. America, 1994).
>Gee, another possible Baja bird. Anyone seeing a pattern here?

b.)
>Why not an American Oystercatcher that came up from Baja California?

In speculative consideration of the likelihood of the observed oystercatcher
in Washington State being a possible Eurasian Oystercatcher H. ostralegus,
omitting 'frazeri' and the other sedentary races of American Oystercatcher
was not inadvertent; most very long-distance vagrants, especially of gulls
or shorebirds, are of highly migratory races so are simply more likely to
show up than individuals from a sedentary population.

It's entirely possible as well that it might have been a nominate
'palliatus' from California, where it is both vagrant and fairly sedentary
once there--there has been suspected breeding with (American) Black
Oystercatcher Haemotopus bachmani with at least one possible hybrid, though
a visitation this far north from that population would be as unique as any
other Haematopus species besides Black here.

Another question whose resolution depends on relocating the bird.

Michael Price A brave world, Sir,
Vancouver BC Canada full of religion, knavery and change;
mprice at mindlink.net we shall shortly see better days.
Aphra Behn (1640-1689)