There is one big difference between birding eastern vs western WA. Where I
live the rain will be done and gone rather quickly. That was not the case
this morning at Ocean Shores (and all the way to Cle Elum), where I left by
noon without a break from the wet stuff. It was a reminder that wool pants
may keep you warm but they don't keep you dry.

I spent an hour on the north jetty waiting for a rare petrel or something to
fly by. Not even a shearwater. Did see 3 kittiwakes, a murre that still
had a complete black hood, all three cormorants, 25 bl. turnstones, 30
Surfbirds, and 3 Rock Sandpipers. Plus the normal bay birds that everyone
reports. I left my scope at the truck (it stayed dry) and tried behind the
STP, but looking into the rain doesn't work very well when it is blowing in
sideways.

On the way over yesterday morning there was a flock of 15 rosy finches
flying near I-90 just east of the Ryegrass Rest Area (10 miles west of the
Columbia River), and an adult Krider's Red-tailed Hawk just east of
Ellensburg. On the way back there were 26 l-b dowitchers and one avocet at
the County line ponds (mp 30.5) along SR 26 in Grant County.

Randy Hill
Othello