Columbia Estuary Report - 11/27/1999

There was a bit of a weather window on Friday. At SJCR
I found Todd Thornton and we walked the beach. A dying
light-phase NORTHERN FULMAR was near the marker tower on
the river beach. 4 _strigata_ type HORNED LARKS and a
single LAPLAND LONGSPUR in beautiful winter male plumage
were also seen.

A RUDDY TURNSTONE was at the river overlook of Hammond
Boat Basin. At least 4 LINCOLN'S SPARROWS were part of
a good sized sparrow flock at Warrenton Sewage Ponds.

Steve Warner has been seeing at least 2 LONG-TAILED DUCKS
at the Cove in Seaside.

The rainy, icky weather returned this morning so I drove
the beach from Sunset Access to Gearhart Approach (8km).
I counted 995 SANDERLINGS. Washups included:
Red-necked Grebe 2
Common Loon 2
Northern Fulmar 3
Common Murre 4
Bat Ray 1

The BAT RAY was 1.75m long from snout to tip of tail.
RED-NECKED GREBES would be unusual washups.

--
Mike Patterson The common view of science is that it is a sort of machine
Astoria, OR for increasing the race's store of dependable facts.
mpatters at oregonvos.net It is that only in part; in even larger part
it is a machine for upsetting undependable facts.

----- H.L.Mencken
http://www.pacifier.com/~mpatters/bird/bird.html