Hello Tweeters,
After i missed my birding with Marv Breece this morning in Vantage,i decided to go for the YELLOW BILLED LOON in Ocean Shores.I was so lucky to run in to Ryan Shaw what birded earlier in the morning to find out about Tokland there was also a BAR-TAILED GODWIT on the Jetty.So we Scoped for the Loon,there where so many Red-throaded Loons i least counted 19 close to the Jetty.This is when i spotted the Yellow-Billed Loon verry close to the Jetty.I took some close up shots of this good sighting.The reason i say good rsighting it is an early sommer record most all been sighted in the fall.
We than decided to drive to Tokland to find the BAR-TAILED GODWIT.This is a bird what should be easy to spot.But we had a rough time having all the Whimbrel also on the Jetty.
We was looking for a bird in Winter plumage with an strong supercillium.We did find one bird what had the supercillium,and i compared this with the photo i took in 1996 on Bills Spit i took o in breeding plumage spotted by Bob Norton.I looking at this photo now and it looks the same as the bird todaySo the best way to identify is looking for the bird with the supercillium.We usual get this bird in Winter plumage what is almost gray verry easy to pick this plumage out from the tawny-brown Marblet Godwit.

This are the WASHINGTON FIELD NOTES from 1993 to1998
7-30-1993 Leadbetter Point
9-11-1993 Tokland Jetty
8-19-1994 Ocean Shores
9-3-1994 Kennedy Creek Mason Co.
8-5-1995 Ocean Shores
9-15.1995 Tokeland Jetty
9-27-1995 Pacific Co.
7-11-1996 Ocean Shores Bills Spit(breeding Plumage)
5-4-1997 Ocean Shores
5-27-1998 Ocean Shores
8-24-1998 Ocan Shores
7-11-1998 Tokland Jetty
9-13-1998 Tokeland Jetty
I dont have the dates from 1999,but i believe there whereone sighting of this species.

Is worth looking for the ELEGANT TERNS now .On the 16th of July 1997i had 97 ELEGANT TERNS
which increased to 157 on July 19th.We can expect them from now on keep you eyes open.

Ruth Sullivan
Tacoma
godwit at worldnet.att.net