Columbia Estuary Report - 11/8/98

Dave Craig and I made a try at CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPUR on Friday
during a very high tide. We did not find the CCLO, but did find 5
LAPLAND LONGSPURS and about 40 LEAST SANDPIPERS.

A single CLARK'S GREBE was on Young's Bay Friday evening.

The Lower Columbia Birders went south to Ecola State Park on
Saturday. A tame CACKLING GOOSE was in the parking lot at
Ecola Point. About 50 BROWN PELICANS are still there. Most of
them were in a mixed feeding flock that included shearwaters,
PACIFIC LOONS, BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES, at least one PARASITIC
JAEGER and HEERMANN'S GULLS. Most of the shearwaters were dark
bellied. At least one was a SOOTY SHEARWATER and at least one was
a SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATER. Smallish, light-bellied dark backed
shearwaters were seen twice once very near the feeding flock and
once flying north (indifferent to the feeding flock.)

This morning I braved the thunder, lightning and fierce hail to
drive the beach from Sunset access to Del Rey. There were about
600 SANDERLINGS and 150 DUNLIN in one fairly tight flock near
Del Rey.

--
Mike Patterson
Astoria, OR
mailto://mpatters at orednet.org
http://www.pacifier.com/~mpatters/bird/bird.html