A quick trip to the west, once again glimpsing the potential of Leadbetter point without being in entirely the right place at the right tide.

Highlights were a single presumed-male alternate plumaged PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER (7/27/02, near the parking lot), five Snowy Plovers, 3 Red Knot, hundreds of Semipalmated Plovers, thousands of Black-bellied Plovers, dowitchers and Sooty Shearwaters, single Lesser Yellowlegs, highly probable semipalmated sandpiper, Peregrine and Pomarine (presumed by bulk) Jaeger (7/26/02). The Pacific Golden Plover was (and I am a sleep expert so this is with some authority) exhausted. While all around it fed like crazy on the falling tide, it slept and slept.

At Tokeland there were a couple hundred Whimbrel, tens of Marbled Godwits, two Dowitchers. These were all very flighty and landing on the outer seawall at times.

At Westport an accipiter flashed across the road. It was certainly big enough to be a Goshawk but a very large Coopers could not be ruled out. A WANDERING TATTLER was by the entrance to the marina. (This one is upper case 'cos I like them).

I was back in Poulsbo before I saw a Greater Yellowlegs, but apart from such misses as Baird's and Surfbird it was a respectable list and a bunch of fun. Next time I go I'm taking waterproof boots, mosquito repellant, and a team of experienced Leadbetter pointer's.

(For the record the Pacific Golden Plover had a speckled golden back; black face, breast ( a few white feathers), center fore-belly with fairly uniform white sides of neck, sides of breast, flanks (streaked black), and white-marked-with-black sides of belly and under-tail coverts. The bill was medium i.e. not short or bulbous. I couldn't get a good take on the primary projection) .

Good birding,

Nigel Ball
Bainbridge Island
nigel.ball at bainbridge.net
(206) 780-1437