Hello Tweets,

Today my mother and I birded a few specific locations including Tokeland in
Pacific Co. and the Juliet Butler Hansen NWR in Wahkiakum Co., where the
weather conditions were favorable with partly cloudy to mostly sunny skies,
but rather cool temperatures. The main highlights were the wintering
BAR-TAILED GODWIT at the Tokeland Marina, which was well photographed and
appears to be an adult female by all major field marks. The completely white
underparts, and pale gray to warm brown upperparts contrasting to the
distinctive tertial pattern are most distinctive, as well as the white
underwings and rump visible in flight. The white supercillium is also
apparent at most angles, but may more difficult to see if the bird has it's
head tucked in under it's wings, and the bill length compared to the other
nearby Marbled Godwits is noticeably similiar. The bird was immediately
noted upon our arrival at 12pm(incoming tide)roosting on the south dock
within the sheltered marina amongst the large Marbled Godwit flock allowing
close views, then the bird flew over to the shoreline inside the marina with
the other large shorebirds allowing more views and close photographes, so it
assumes the bird may remain through the winter as long as the large Marbled
Godwit flock remains. Other notable species during our rather short visit to
Tokeland from 12pm-12:30pm included:

1 Red-throated Loon
6 Red-necked Grebe
9 Willets
1 Whimbrel
487 Marbled Godwits
1 Western Sandpiper
28 Dunlin
38 Long-billed Dowitchers

After birding Tokeland my mother and I headed south birding our way towards
Juliet Butler Hansen NWR along S.R.105, then Hwy.101 from Raymond to Nemah,
where a few more addtional highlights were noted included:

S.R.105 at MP 16(mouth of the Cedar River)
10 Trumpeter Swans

S.R.105 at MP 11.2
1 Peregrine Falcon

S.R.105 at MP 9.5,south of the North River
3 Trumpeter Swans

S.R. 105 at MP 4, west of Raymond
4 Trumpeter Swans

At 1:25pm we checked along Bay Center Dike Rd., where a large Am.Wigeon
flock contained 7 Eurasian Wigeon, and 1 Eurasian/American Wigeon hybrid,
and a single immature BARN SWALLOW was noted as we headed back towards
Hwy.101, which hosted very pale to almost white underparts, which could make
observers assume a Tree Swallow at a distance, but the redddish throat, and
short,deeply forked tail are very apparent at close range.

Next, a careful check of a large feeding flock of shorebirds between MP 35
and 36 along Hwy.101 at Tide Slough and north of the North Fork of the Nemah
River produced:

77 Greater Yellowlegs
33 Long-billed Dowitchers

At 2:30pm we arrived at the Juliet Butler Hansen NWR headquarters, where the
BLACK PHOEBE was immediately heard then observed for about 10 minutes at
it's usual foraging location along the west shore of the slough and culvert,
before it was undetected just as we left. The bird was observed earlier in
the day according to Tom Kollasch, who is one of the wildlife biolgists for
the refuge, and the original observer for this bird back in October 2001.
The bird is somewhat less cooperative and vocal,a s we had noted the bird on
the 31st of December, but it still readily feeds and calls announcing it's
presence, as it forages along the canal, and makes for a great end to our
day of birding. Other highlights noted during our vist to the Juliet Butler
Hansen NWR from 2:30pm-2:45pm included:

6 White-tailed Kites
1 "Harlan's"Red-tailed Hawk
1 Am.Kestrel


Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
GODWIT at worldnet.att.net