Tweeters,

Most years I don't experience difficulty in seeing either American or
Pacific Golden-Plovers at Ocean Shores at this season. This year may be
different, as Bill Tweit suggested to me on 13 September. It seems fewer
Pacifics, especially, are being detected on the coast than usual. I've
tried three times so far this fall (28 August, 12 and 20 September) and
had only fly-overs. Each visit, I have covered the entire spit on the
south side of the major game range lagoon, plus encircling the main pond on
Damon Point, usually reliable spots for these birds.

Today, I repeated both hikes, with somewhat better luck: I had great looks
at one juvenile American Golden-Plover at the west end of the pond. It
then dawned on me I better start covering some new ground if I wanted to
see more of these birds. On a hunch I headed south on the main trail from
the east end of the large pond on Damon Point. This leads to Grays Harbor.
After about a quarter mile, one reaches large sandy flats littered with
driftwood. Ta dah!!!

At first I only noted a few birds; then a fly-over harrier put all into
flight-25 total. They all settled down onto the sand flats after a few
minutes, and allowed me to approach very closely. I had exquisite studies
of these beautiful birds through my scope. I finally decided (but wouldn't
bet my life on it) all but one were Pacific Golden-Plovers, based on
primary projection (3-4 beyond the tertials), buffy-colored muted
supercilium, and spangled golden "fleckings" which characterize that
species. The only American Golden-Plover clearly lacked any golden
fleckings, had a distinct whitish-cream supercilium, had 5 primaries
projection beyond the tertials, lending an ever-so-sightly different shape
to the perched bird from the Pacifics.

I was definitely challenged identifying these because not all Pacifics
seem to be bright with gold fleckings. So. then what? After careful study
of the field guides, it seemed a fairly straightforward process to assess
wing shape, based on the primary projection feature. However, as I watched
these birds on the sand, it soon became clear an individual bird could vary
its wing shape during the course of preening or shuffling about. I am
quite certain of this. If an observer were identifying these birds from
afar and depending soley on this feature, I believe mistakes would be made.
At least three or four individuals I watched showed 3- to barely 4 (I
mean barely, perhaps 1 mm) primaries projecting beyond their longest
tertial; then suddenly shift and ruffle their wing, revealing at least
several more millimeters of their 4th. This instantly changed the shape of
the wing.

I suggest primary projection should be used with caution in identiyfying
golden-plovers. These two species may require a suite of characters to
more accurately pin them down\, especially if one is trying to make a
distant call.

I invite feedback on my thoughts. If I am all awash on this matter, please
advise! By the way, I was not able to note toe projection on flying birds
(wish I would of had Hayman et al. out on Damon Point!). Oh well, next
time!

A beautiful day out there, with offshore flow conditions ( High pressure in
the interior resulting in dry winds with low humidity). The Olympics and
Mt. Rainier were crisply outlined against the brillant blue skies.

Other than the great experience with the golden-plovers, other shorebirds
were few. I saw only 5 Semipalmated Plovers, some heard Killdeers, one
each of Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, 3 Western Sandpipers, no Least
Sandpipers, a couple Pectoral Sandpipers, and 9 Long-billed Dowitchers.

Brown Pelicans and Heermann's Gulls are dramatically fewer than 2 weeks
ago, as are Sooty Shearwaters in the channel. Harriers are up, as are
Merlins and Peregrines. One curious immature Peregrine repeatedly circled
me very closely and landed only 50 m away. That bird needs to be taught
very soon that not all humans will just simply observe him.

Andy Stepniewski
Wapato WA