Good Morning Tweets -

Led a trip from Seattle down to Ocean Shores yesterday (sorry to be late
getting this in). Weather was beautiful, probably too beautiful for
birds. Things were slow on the shorebird front - 10 Longbilled Curlews
at Bill's Spit along with several thousand gulls of differing
persuasions (all brought up at one point by an immature Peregrine Falcon
which cruised overhead seemingly on its way from one spot to another). A
single Marbled Godwit on the bay side near the entrance to Damon Point.
A few Western and one Least Sandpipers at the Damon Pond as well as a
single Dunlin, along with 10 Long-billed Dowitchers (great views from 15
feet and which obligingly called for us). The two White Pelicans were
still present up near Bill's Spit early as viewed from Damon Point
(before we got to the spit area). Probably the highlight for us were
superb views from 15-20 ft. of a flock of 14 Lapland Longspurs just
north of the Damon Pond. Sunlight at our backs giving ideal light for
viewing these handsome birds.

A shortage of rocky shorebirds at the jetty, but managed to scrape up a
Wandering Tattler, Black Turnstone and some Surfbirds. Offshore a great
cloud of shearwaters and gulls - perhaps as many as a couple of hundred
of Sooty Shearwaters (difficult to tell accurately - they were probably
a mile out and toward the sun).

Stopped at the Hoquiam sewer ponds on the way home - many ducks back. We
saw Green-winged Teal, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler,
Gadwall, American Wigeon, Canvasback (a pair), Ring-necked Duck, Greater
and Lesser Scaup, Surf Scoter and Ruddy Duck. Also had a flock of 25
Greater White-fronted Geese fly in and give us good views.

The day paralleled my experiences in the past from coastal areas
normally good for shorebirds and migrating passerines. Weather system
moves thru, followed by clearing during the night and most everybody
moves on the next morning. The overall feeling was one of "quiet". Would
like to have had time to check some of the other areas (Bottle Beach,
Tokeland) to see if quiet there also, but ran out of daylight.

Good birding,

Brian H. Bell
Woodinville Wa
bellasoc at isomedia.com