Subject: Columbia Estuary Report 12/21/2001
Date: Dec 21 12:49:00 2001
From: Mike Patterson - celata at pacifier.com


Is it just me? or are the feet on WESTERN GULLS especially
orange this year? Of the 40 or so WESTERN/WxGW GULLS I looked
at at Gearhart Approach Beach the majority had orangish to
bright orange legs and feet. One otherwise Western-looking
gull had yellow legs and feet.

I walked about 1km north from Sunset Access then drove the
beach from Sunset to Gearhart. The last storm cause a minor
wreak of WESTERN GREBES. There were at least 15,000 shorebirds
on the beach a flock of about 5000 SANDERLINGS were north of
Sunset and several big flocks of mostly DUNLIN were between
Sunset and Gearhart.

The RED-SHOULDERED HAWK was seen again this morning at the
Astoria Mitigation Bank.

Dead stuff on the beach:
Red-throated Loon 1
Western Grebe 4
Horned Grebe 1
Short-tailed Shearwater 2
Northern Fulmar 2
Glaucous-winged Gull 1
Common Murre 1

--
Mike Patterson When I despair, I remember
Astoria, OR that all through history
celata at pacifier.com the way of truth and love have always won.
There have been tyrants, and murderers,
and for a time they can seem invincible,
but in the end they always fall.
Think of it...always.
- Mahatma Gandhi

http://www.pacifier.com/~mpatters/bird/bird.html