Necanicum River Estuary, Clatsop County, Oregon
August 15, 2001
Gearhart side - 0930-1100hr

Todd Thornton and I spent a good chunk of the morning
at the Necanicum Estuary. Just past the breakers there
was a swarm we estimate at 50000 SOOTY SHEARWATERS taking
advantage of this years herring run. A second swarm half
again as big could be see about 500m out. Try as we might
to prove otherwise, the flocks appeared to be only Sooties.

There were at least 4 (possibly 5) BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS in
the area. A badly injured baby HARBOR SEAL, probably cut by
a boat propeller was also on the river beach (appropriate
authorities have been contacted).

Birds seen (in taxonomic order):

Pacific Loon 1
Sooty Shearwater 125000 [1]
Brown Pelican 2
Brandt's Cormorant 50
Semipalmated Plover 3
Killdeer 1
Sanderling 82
Western Sandpiper 6
Least Sandpiper 15
Baird's Sandpiper 4 [2]
Bonaparte's Gull 1 [3]
Heermann's Gull 80
California Gull 300
Western Gull 100
Glaucous-winged Gull 20
Caspian Tern 500
Band-tailed Pigeon
Northern Flicker 1
American Crow
Barn Swallow
Savannah Sparrow

Footnotes:

[1] In two spectacular swarms the closer one just past the breakers.
Apparently eating herring and anchovi
[2] At least 4, possibly 5.
[3] First summer and molting.

Total number of species seen: 21

Archived at http://birdnotes.net

--
Mike Patterson Alas, to wear the mantle of Galileo,
Astoria, OR it is not enough to be persecuted
celata at pacifier.com by an unkind establishment,
you must also be right.
---Robert Park
http://www.pacifier.com/~mpatters/bird/bird.html