In my rambling message to tweeters (compare the succinct sightings of the
Sullivans for the same area), I forgot to mention 4 Cinnamon Teals at the
Ocean Shores high school pond. Watched them for some time, happy to focus on
close ducks rather than the flocks of thousands of wigeons, pintails, and
mallards that were all over Willapa Bay waiting for hunting season to open
midday Saturday. It's always interesting to compare breeding cycles and molt
strategies; the Mallards were almost entirely back to alternate plumage, as
were many of the wigeons but very few of the pintails.

I was shocked by what seemed to be even larger-than-expected numbers of
Great Basin Canada Geese in Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay. We saw a few
small flocks of Dusky Canadas on the road to Bay Center, but the pesky
resident race seems ever on the ascendant.

I just looked at the tweeters reports from yesterday and noted the numbers
of pelagic birds seen near shore. We saw lots of Sooty Shearwaters off the
beach at Leadbetter Point, 100 or more and therefore more than were seen by
either the Sullivans or the pelagic trip. I would trade them for the Brown
Booby.

Finally, I forgot to mention one of the highlights I always enjoy at the
coast in fall - the Steller's Jays. While not exactly filling the air (at
least not like the starlings did at altogether too many spots), they were in
evidence again and again, singles and duos flying over the road near the
coast, some of them high in the air.

These are migrating birds, but we know little or nothing about the 3Ds of
their migration - direction, duration, and distance. My biggest wonder is
always whether they are all young birds dispersing, or if adults have a
regular annual migration. It's certainly much less evident in spring.

Dennis Paulson
--
Netta Smith and Dennis Paulson
1724 NE 98 St.
Seattle, WA 98115