Tweeters:

Anne Winskie and I were out at Graysmarsh near Sequim for the Clallam
county-wide census this Saturday, May 18. Bob B. will have a county-wide
report out soon. We had 114 species for the day, five short of our highest
species count and second-best total for the five May counts we've done
there. There were no earth-shaking rarities, but a number of
late-lingerers, overall highlights included:

GR. WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE 1
Blue-winged Teal 2
Green-winged Teal 2
N. Pintail 3
Am. Wigeon 1
Bufflehead 2
Black Scoter 2
Turkey Vulture 2
MERLIN 1 (female, late, making paste of a luckless Savannah Sparrow)
Whimbrel 1
HERRING GULL 1 (late, 3rd-yr plumage)
Calif. Gull 2
Olive-sided Flycatcher 3
House Wren 3
Cedar Waxwing 4
CASSIN'S VIREO 1 (new for Graysmarsh list, singing bird)
MacGillivray's Warbler 2
Golden-crowned Sparrow 1

In addition, we logged nice highs for some of the common neotropic migrants
and breeders, including Pacific-slope Flycatcher (26), Swainson's Thrush
(23), Orange-crowned (48), Black-throated Gray (5, we usually get 1-2), and
Wilson's Warblers (26). Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Goldfinch, Br.
Creeper, Bewick's Wren, Purple Finch and most alcids had higher numbers than
usual for May count; 24 Harlequin Ducks were really unexpected, as we
usually get them just at CBC time and in modest numbers of 4-15 birds.
Shorebirds were almost nil, rails almost absent, surprisingly. Also of
interest were a River Otter I spooked at point-blank range on the upper
beach; rather than making a dash for the water, it wriggled into the
Elephant grass, hissing. A Pacific Jumping-Mouse also surprised near the
Mangel Field, bouncing out of a thicket almost over my foot. 2-3 new plant
species for the site list were also registered during another memorable day
at Grays.

A side-note: 10 Turkey Vultures were over downtown Mt. Vernon today, May
19.

Scott Atkinson
Lake Stevens
mail to: scottratkinson at hotmail.com

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