Hi Tweets,

I headed out to the ocean this weekend with my whole entire extended
family, not one of whom is a birder (although I'm working on my Dad), and
still managed to see a couple great sights. We stayed at the Sandpiper
Resort several miles north of Copalis, WA, with a mixed flock of dunlin and
sanderlings dodging around on the beach right out in front (I checked for
stray peeps but found none). Twice I saw a stunning peregrine chase them
out over the ocean -- neither time was (s)he successful in catching a meal,
but the show was magnificent. Even my disinterested relations were
impressed. Later, alone walking on the beach, I looked up and was graced
with the sight of a gorgeous grey-phase GYRFALCON winging silently
southward along the bluff! It didn't pause, but the lighting was such that
I got an excellent look and was able to follow its flight way down the
beach. After all this talk about five falcon days up on the Skagit (my one
chance up there this winter got me a single fleeting view of a merlin
fleeing the driving rain), I'm extremely pleased with the results of a
non-birding weekend. To me the best birds are always the ones I don't
expect to see!

Katie Sauter
sauter at igc.org