----- Original Message -----
From: Ruth Sullivan <godwit at worldnet.att.net>
To: <PWebst25 at concentric.net>
Sent: Sunday, January 21, 2001 3:52 PM
Subject: Re: Snowy plovers in Pacific/Grays Harbor Counties


> Hello Paul,
>
> The 28 SNOWY PLOVERS that we located yesterday(witnessed by 4 observers),
> were mainly all together,(as they congregate in winter, and disperse in
> spring,summer, and fall), then later after 10am scattered, as only 15 were
> seen by another party that day. This species is annual in WA, but usually
> unreported in winter, as most birders don't walk the beaches in winter,
> therefore are undetected, except for annual studies made by WA Department
of
> Fish and Wildlife personnel, that conduct seasonal studies on the present
> populations. We noted most birds with bands, which is evidence of banding
by
> researchers, which is recorded and logged into a recovery plan, which we
> have dated back to 1995, but I'm sure there is a more current plan, on
this
> declining WA species. There stronghold in WA still lie in Pacific County,
> with best locations that include:1) Leadbetter Point State Park, at the
> north end of the Long Beach Peninsula, with marked breeding boudaries, and
> 2) the coastline south of Grayland, and north of North Cove, where they
have
> been most recently observed. Leadbetter Point is by far the best
location,
> but much hiking is involved to see them, which is probably due to very few
> reports of this species there, but my mother and I have encountered them
> along the beach, south of the state park boundaries, just west of
> Oysterville, while looking for the CURLEW SANDPIPER on August 11th, 2000,
> with up to 6 pairs noted, with several young also present.
>
> Ocean Shores sightings are getting tougher, as more people create a
> disturbance, despite recent nesting efforts at Damon Point, but this
species
> is still reported somewhat annually at this location. Outside of coastal
> Grays Harbor and Pacific Cos., they are very rare,as WA is basically their
> northern limits, but the species is indeed annual at the listed locations,
> upon effort on the individual.
>
> Good birding,
>
> Patrick
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Paul Webster <PWebst25 at concentric.net>
> To: <Tweeters at u.washington.edu>
> Sent: Sunday, January 21, 2001 1:19 PM
> Subject: Snowy plovers in Pacific/Grays Harbor Counties
>
>
> > In Ruth Sullivan's report of January 20 regarding seeing 28 Snowy
> > Plovers on the coast in Pacific/Grays Harbor County, I'm interested if
> > anyone can tell me about the numbers and range the SNPL in our state.
> > I'd thought we were close to the northern limit of their range and that
> > their numbers were relatively few. In many years of birding at
> > Leadbetter Point I've seen only one, though birding friends of mine over
> > the years have reported seeing one or two from time to time. 28 in one
> > trip would be pretty unusual in my experience. Ralph Widrig's 1980
> > checklist of the birds & plants of the Long Beach Peninsula -- adjacent
> > to the place where the birds were seen -- lists the SNPL as rare in
> > winter and uncommon otherwise. Have things changed that much since
> > 1980? Or is this just a fortuitous one-time event?
> >
> > Paul Webster
> > PWebst25 at concentric.net
> >
>
>