Subject: Visitor Looking for a Few Target Species
Date: Oct 18 15:32:09 2002
From: Robert Norton - norton36 at olypen.com


Jeffrey,
No place is a gimme for Rock Sandpipers. The Westport and Ocean Shores
Jetties are perhaps the best spots. However, in many trips in the past ten
years I have only seen one once (Ocean Shores Jetty). I have seen them 15
times in the ten years at Port Angeles Harbor -- but I live nearby. You
might try Ocean Shores first and if no luck swing by Port Angeles. (If you
do that you might try Cape Flattery on the way. There is one rock that has
held them three times (18 on 5-28, 2000: 8 on 5-12, 2002 and 2 on 5-18,
2002 -- while these are all LATE spring records this is a rock that at
anything below high tide is obviously attractive to them) and very nearby to
one of the viewing platforms on the way to the Tatoosh Island lookout. Let
me know if you think you might try that vantage point and I will give more
complete directions.
Blue Grouse: Hurricane Ridge and Hill in the Olympics comes close to a
gimme probably at any time of the year when there is no snow up there. After
snowfall no one goes there birding although the road up there is frequently
open as there is a rope tow up there. Sunrise in Mt. Rainier NP is also very
good if the road is open.
Gray-crowned Rosy Finch: Hard to find in the Olympics. I am still
looking.
White-tailed Ptarmigan: Not in the Olympics.
Bob Norton
Joyce (near Port Angeles), WA
norton36 at olypen.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Hopkins,Jeffrey A." <HOPKINJA at apci.com>
To: <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Friday, October 18, 2002 2:54 PM
Subject: Visitor Looking for a Few Target Species


> Dear Tweeters:
>
> I have the opportunity to do some birding in the Northwest over
Thanksgiving
> (I'm actually stopping there on the way home from a business trip to
Korea).
> I'm arriving Tuesday the 26th - at least that's the plan this minute - so
> I've
> got a few days to run around.
>
> I was planning on heading up the Olympic Peninsula after Gray's Harbor,
and
> may
> do a big loop into Victoria and Vancouver (yes, for the myna), coming back

> via Mt.
> Baker, but I could shorten that up if I can stay closer to Seattle. I
have
> the
> Birders Guide to Coastal Washington, and the ABA Guide to Metropolitan
> Areas,
> but was hoping for some on the ground pointers and advice on a couple of
> target species:
>
> 1) Rock Sandpiper - The Gray's Harbor area seems to be the most reliable
> place for
> these from what I can tell. Is Ocean Shores or Westport a better choice?
> Any other spots closer to Seattle or do they like the ocean over the
> straits?
>
> 2) Blue Grouse - I know they're resonably common in the right habitat, but
> are
> there any places where they might be "a gimme"?
>
> 3) Gray-crowned Rosy-finch - Are the roads to higher altitude sites where
> they
> might be found open as late as Thanksgiving? Any ski resorts with
feeders?
> If I
> have one choice would Mt. Baker, Mt. Rainier, or the Olympics (or
someplace
> else)
> be a better choice?
>
> 4) White-tailed Ptarmigan - same as 3 (except for the feeder part, of
> course).
>
> 5) Skylark - Are there any left in the San Juans, or is my only hope to go
> over to
> Vancouver Island?
>
> 6) Do any Vaux's swifts stick around that late or are they all gone by
then?
>
> Any hints you could provide would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Thanks and good birding!
>
> Jeff Hopkins
> Whitehall, PA
> hopkinja at apci.com
>
>
> +
>