This week end I birded my way to Tokeland and back. Had some highlights
along the way, in spite of chilly, windy, and at times, wet weather.

Rock Candy Mountain Road produced COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, WILSON'S WARBLER,
PURPLE FINCH, YELLOW WARBLER, and BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER on Saturday
morning.

Schoeweiler Road was a good stop. An AMERICAN BITTERN flew over. Another
bittern called from the reeds. Also at this location were VIRGINIA RAIL,
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER and PACIFIC SLOPE FLYCATCHER.

At Brady Loop, the wet areas were full of shorebirds: LEAST SANDPIPER,
WESTERN SANDPIPER, DUNLIN, SEMI-PALMATED PLOVER, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER,
SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER and GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS side by side.

At Westport Jetty were 4 WANDERLING TATTLERS, 1 RUDDY TURNSTONE, 4 BLACK
TURNSTONES and 2 ROCK SANDPIPERS in alternate plumage, one each of
tschuktschorum and couesi. The 2 photos of these ROCK SANDPIPER subspecies
on page 296 of Shorebirds of the Pacific Northwest by Denis Paulson are very
close to the 2 birds I saw. These 2 birds appeared to be about the same
size as they foraged together on the jetty.

I had to go to Tokeland to find CASPIAN TERNS where I saw 6 individuals.
There were also 2 MARBLED GODWITS and several WHIMBREL.

This morning (Sunday 5/5) between Tokeland and North Cove I was lucky enough
to see COMMON, PACIFIC and RED-THROATED LOONS, all in breeding plumage at
the same time.

Thanks to Patrick and Ruth Sullivan for showing me a PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER
along Brady Loop Road on my way home.

Marv Breece
Seattle, WA