Greetings All-

Steve Mlodinow, Bill Tweit, Bruce LaBar, Marcus Roening, and myself birded
various places in Pacific County, mainly in the Tokeland and Bay Center,
fighting through on and off drizzle and cold wind.

We started out at the end of the road near the marina and found 505 MARBLED
GODWITS feeding on the exposed mud along with the stand-out BAR-TAILED
GODWIT that has been present for some time, along with 3 WILLETS.
At the marina proper, we had another 140+ MARBLED GODWITS and 15 more
WILLETS.
Several CASPIAN TERNS and still many HEERMANN'S GULLS were present in the
vicinity.

We went to a Saltmarsh location in the Tokeland area where we had 800
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, along with scattered groups/flocks of LEAST
SANDPIPERS, WESTERN SANDPIPERS, SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, and standing out from
the crowd was a nice and bright juv AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER.

After the saltmarsh, we proceeded to pish around some of the vegetated areas
of Tokeland proper, encountering several dozen SOOTY FOX SPARROWS, both
fuliginosa & unalaschcensis-type birds. Also a few LINCOLN'S SPARROWS among
the Fox's and SONGS. In with the GOLDEN-CROWNED & WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW
(pugey & gambel's), we had 2 WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS (1 adult white stripe,
1 juv tan).
We birded the Rock break along Kindred Avenue and had around 50 LONG-BILLED
CURLEWS, several MEW GULLS, and back with the godwit flock at the marina,
there was 1 WHIMBREL.

Near the marina we had an Audubon's YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER in a tree along
with 15+ SOOTY FOX SPARROWS, and a SAVANNAH SPARROW.

We stopped at one more location in the Tokeland area for some more pishing,
coming up with 1 more WHITE-THROATED SPARROW (adult tan), a HUTTON'S VIREO
in with some Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and 1 HERMIT THRUSH.

On the way from Tokeland to Raymond, we had a large group of ducks,
containing several thousand Pintail and A. Wigeon. Also present was 1 GREAT
EGRET, while farther offshore were groups of Greater Scaup, Horned Grebes,
and Common Mergansers.

After a lunch stop in Raymond, we birded near the river in town and had some
more Yellow-rumps (Myrtles), 1 BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER, and 1
YELLOW-SHAFTED FLICKER.

Bay Center was our next birding destination, where at the Palix River we had
several GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE in with the CANADA GEESE in the farm
fields alongside the river. Many COMMON LOONS and a few PIED-BILLED GREBES
lined the waterway.

Stops on Bay Center Loop were productive, with a total of 4-5 TOWNSEND'S
WARBLERS, 1 YELLOW WARBLER, several dozen YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, 1
RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER and 1 PALM WARBLER were encountered. We also had
several calling VIRGINIA RAILS, and a chirping TOWNSEND'S CHIPMUNK. Also
with the PALM WARBLER, we heard another WHITE-THROATED SPARROW.

After birding Bay Center, we headed back towards Raymond, were we had a
MERLIN perched on a snag on the side of the road. Also had a group of 30+
CASPIAN TERNS lounging with some Ring-billed Gulls near an Exxon station.
We drove along midway beach not encountering much but some sanderlings and
dunlin, then proceeded to Westport, where the weather really started to turn
sour, and it was getting late so we called it a day.
Cheers and Good Birding

Ryan Shaw - Lacey
rtshaw80 at home.com