I got a call from Todd Thornton about an odd looking
godwit in the bay off Wireless Rd and went to check
it out. I parked on just past the old Youngs Bay
Bridge and scoped up the bay. I found 24 MARBLED GODWITS
and try as I might, I could make any of them into
something different. Just as I was leaving (and I'm
not making this up just because it was cold) a white-
phase GYRFALCON scared them all up and out into the
lower bay.

I went across to the other side of the bridge to see
if I could relocate the falcon and could not. Upon
turning around I noticed to white birds sitting in
the emergent rush at the mouth of Cook Slough. They
were SNOW GEESE sitting in the midst of a flock of
400 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE. Easily the largest
flock of "Speckle-bellies" I've seen in Clatsop Co.

Shorebird count (including counts made from the lower
bay at PreMarq):
Marbled Godwit 24
Greater Yellowlegs 5
Western Sandpiper 25000
Least Sandpiper 1 (heard only)
Dunlin 5000
Short-billed Dowitcher 15

--
Mike Patterson
Astoria, OR
celata at pacifier.com

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