Columbia Estuary Report - 5/3/98

The Columbia Birders checked out the migrant action yesterday on
Youngs Bay and at Ft Stevens. An OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER and 6
species of warbler (including newly arrived MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER)
were on the bike path across from Battery Russell. 2 MARBLED GODWITS
were among the shorebirds seen at parking lot D.

Steve Warner reports a WILLET from the SJCR on 4/26.

There are still loons o'plenty moving north, though the rate has
abated considerably (about 16/minute, now). BRANT, COMMON MURRES and
BONAPART'S GULLS are also moving through in good numbers still.

Shorebird movements are at their peak. Clatsop Beach has Calidrids
spread out at a pretty much uniform density of about 700/km from Peter
Iredale to the Del Rey access (that works out to about 10 000 birds).
They're running about 70% DUNLIN and close to an even split for the
remaining 30% among SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, SANDERLINGS and WESTERN
SANDPIPERS.

34 WHIMBREL and 12 LESSER YELLOWLEGS were at Wireless Rd mingling
with the peeps.

Wireless Rd - 05/02/98
Killdeer 3
Whimbrel 34
Greater Yellowlegs 4
Lesser Yellowlegs 12
Short-billed Dowitcher 1
Dunlin 1
Western Sandpiper 58
Least Sandpiper 90

Clatsop Beach - 5/03/98
Semipalmated Plover 1323
Marbled Godwit 1
Sanderling 1029
Dunlin 8820
Western Sandpiper 980



--

Mike Patterson, Astoria, OR _Birds and other Wildlife of the
mpatters at orednet.org Columbia River Estuary_
http://www.pacifier.com/~mpatters/bird/book_ad.html