Hello Tweets,

Today my mother and I birded at a few notable birding locations on the
Olympic Peninsula in Clallam and Jefferson Cos., as weather conditions were
quite favorable despite scattered light rain showers along Hwy.16 during the
morning, but some moderate wind was noted throughout the day,especially near
the water. We did NOT encounter any exceptional rarities during the day, but
noted a few shorebird highlights at two main locations, including Blyn at
South Sequim Bay, and the Three Crabs-Dungeness vicinity. Our first main
highlight was 2 winter plumaged RED KNOTS at S.Sequim Bay amongst good
numbers of Black-bellied Plovers at 11:30am, then again on a return trip at
2:30pm, which were accessed off of Hwy.101. Our second shorebird highlight
was 9 MARBLED GODWITS along the Three Crabs waterfront, as they foraged in
two seperate flocks at outgoing tide. Both species are fairly regular and
annual in this region, but still notable for the time of year, with the Red
Knot being a slightly more notable species of the two species. A list of
notable species follows at selected locations and times:

Salsbury Point County Park,Kitsap Co.

16 Bonaparte's Gulls

Blyn,Clallam Co.(South Sequim Bay) 11:30am-12:15pm, 2:30pm

8 Common Loons
56 Horned Grebes
8 Red-necked Grebes
17 Green-winged Teal
8 Northern Pintails
13 Am.Wigeon
43 Surf Scoters
22 White-winged Scoters
1 Bufflehead
17 Common Mergansers
2 Bald Eagles
287 Black-bellied Plovers(personal high count for location)
2 RED KNOTS
33 Western Sandpipers
26 Short-billed Dowitchers
1 Common Snipe

Three Crabs-Dungeness area,Clallam Co. 1pm-1:45pm

7 Greater White-fronted Geese
43 Northern Shovelers
2 Gadwall
2,500+ Am.Wigeon(with 1 Am./Eurasian Wigeon hybrid)
1 Cooper's Hawk
6 Black-bellied Plovers
9 MARBLED GODWITS
4 Sanderlings
2 Western Sandpipers
8 Dunlin

Port Washington,Clallam Co. 1:45pm-2pm

5 Pacific Loons
13 Common Loons
23 Horned Grebes
22 Red-necked Grebes
17 Harlequin Ducks
34 Surf Scoters
48 White-winged Scoters
37 Red-breasted Mergansers

Nordlund,Jefferson Co. 3pm

3 Greater Yellowlegs

Ft.Flagler State Park,Jefferson Co. 3:15pm-4pm

32 Common Loons
7 Pacific Loons
33 Brandt's Cormorants
43 Harlequin Ducks
57 Surf Scoters
32 White-winged Scoters
7 Red-breasted Mergansers
78 Black-bellied Plovers
83 Black Turnstones(personal high count for location)
2 RUDDY TURNSTONES
2 Surfbirds
175+ Sanderlings
29 Bonaparte's Gulls
18 Heermann's Gulls

Mystery Bay S.P.,Jefferson Co. 4:15pm-4:30pm

16 Common Loons
23 Pacific Loons
14 Horned Grebes
5 Red-necked Grebes
11 EARED GREBES
1 Western Grebe

Oak Bay Rec.Area,Jefferson Co. 4:40pm

11 Harlequin Ducks
14 Hooded Mergansers
1 Black-bellied Plover
1 Greater Yellowlegs
2 Bonaparte's Gulls


Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
GODWIT at worldnet.att.net