Tweeters,

Yesterday, about 12 participants attended a WOS sponsored fieldtrip led by
Bob Boekelheide that focused on northern Olympic Peninsula coastal habitats
from Sequim Bay west to Port Angeles. Fog hindered birding in the Sequim
area; it cleared nicely in late afternoon at Port Angeles. A total of 93
species were seen or heard.

Loons and grebes were noted, especially in Sequim Bay, but also at Port
Angeles. Yellow-billed Loon was especially sought, but none were noted.
Surprisingly, no Red-throated Loons were seen; Bob attributed this to dense
fog when we were at Dungeness, as this species is usually easily found in
the shallows there. Both PACIFIC and COMMON LOONS were found, plus HORNED,
RED-NECKED, and WESTERN GREBES.

RED-NECKED GREBES were especially conspicuous; it was Ralph Hoffman (Birds
of the Pacific States. Houghton Mifflin. 1927) who was, perhaps, the first
to really publicize the wonderful diversity of winter birdlife on the
sheltered waters of Puget Sound. He specifically mentions the abundance of
the "Holboell" Grebe (as the RED-NECKED was then called). There may be no
better place to observe this species at this season than in the Pacific
Northwest.

All three cormorants were seen, though BRANDT'S only on Ediz Hook. Bob
noted and pointed out various courtship antics, though he thought it was a
little premature for this behavior. Bob should know, he co-edited Seabirds
of the Farallon Islands (Ecology dynamics, and structure of an
upwelling-system community (Stanford. 1990). Bob was a primary contributor
on BRANDT'S CORMORANT.

Waterfowl, usually a highlight of a trip to the Sequim region, were
present, but the fog really hindered our ability to see all of this group
well. A total of 18 species were seen, including a few EURASIAN WIGEON
amongst the swarms (Columbia NWR biologist Randy Hill stated 6,000)
AMERICAN WIGEON off 3 Crabs. Three size classes of CANADA GEESE were
studied at the Olympic Game Farm, including two Cackling Canadas. We were
treated to OLDSQUAW, BLACK, SURF, AND WHITE-WINGED SCOTORS, and both COMMON
AND BARROW'S GOLDENEYES.

Raptors were tough on account of the fog: several BALD EAGLES, RED-TAILED
HAWKS, and two PEREGRINES were counted.

A good diversity (for mid-November at this latitude) of shorebirds were
noted including:

BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER-widespread, numbers in low hundreds
PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER- somewhat distinctive "chu-wheet" call heard over
pastures
KILLDEER- several in pastures near 3 Crabs Restaurant
BLACK OYSTERCATCHER -2, Ediz Hook
WHIMBREL-1, Ediz Hook
MARBLED GODWIT-1, 3 Crabs
RUDDY TURNSTONE-1, Ediz Hook log booms
BLACK TURNSTONE-50, mostly Ediz Hook log booms
RED KNOT -1, at the south end of Sequim Bay. "Late and very unusual here"
said Bob Norton.
SANDERLING-30+, widespread
LEAST SANDPIPER-3, Ediz Hook log booms
ROCK SANDPIPER-1, Ediz Hook log booms
DUNLIN-1000+, widespread
DOWITCHER, sp.-3, south end Sequim Bay, probably LONG-BILLS
COMMON SNIPE-50+, 3 Crabs

Alcids were only fairly represented:

COMMON MURRE
PIGEON GUILLEMOT
MARBLED MURRELET- perhaps 20 total. Sequim Bay and Port Angeles provided
good, if mostly distant views. Most were in pairs.
RHINOCEROS AUKLET

ANCIENT MURRELETS, the sought-after alcid at this season, was missed,
though Vic Nelson pointed out to me a lone (yes, it was all by itself)
individual in a herring ball at at nearby Point No Point late in the
afternoon of 13 November. He stated this was shaping up to be a lean year
for this species in Puget Sound.

Of course, we "did" (Bob challenges those shunning this diverse and very
plastic group) gulls, finding nine species: BONAPARTE'S (all in Sequim
Bay), HEERMANN'S (3 on Ediz Hook), MEW (widespread and abundant),
RING-BILLED, CALIFORNIA, HERRING (one at 3 Crabs), THAYER'S (Port Angeles
and Ediz Hook), WESTERN (a few), GLAUCOUS-WINGED (not many), and, of
course, the ubiquitous "OLYMPC" (GLAUCOUS-WINGED x WESTERN hybrids).

Adding lots of spice to this trip was the BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER, which Vic
and I re-located late in the afternoon of 13 November at the base of the
hill immediately south of the Point No Point lighthouse.
My kudus also to Tom Aversa for his impressive discoveries this fall.

Andy Stepniewski
Wapato WA
steppie at wolfenet.com