Hello Tweets,

Today my mother and I enjoyed a nice afternoon at Tokeland between 12pm-4:15pm along with checking a few locations on the way from the Elma area in Grays Harbor Co. We encountered several key highlights during the day,specifically at Tokeland including the lingering Hudsonian Godwit that was well observed at the Tokeland Marina as it flew in from presumed feeding areas at 1:45pm amongst 125+ Marbled Godwits and 13 Willets. The bird remained until we left Tokeland and was viewed by many observers during the time period,but remained roosting on a wooden dock within the marina amongst the Marbled Godwits and Willets during most of the observations. The bird was observed in flight during a few occasions,as well allowing good looks of the black tail bordered by the white rump to be seen along with distinctive black and white wing pattern. Along with the Hudsonian Godwit at Tokeland the other main highlight was a Tropical Kingbird,which was first located by Irene Potter before we arrived to Tokeland,then observed by most of the observers after 2pm. The bird was actively foraging from snags,power lines,etc around a residential area in the vicinity of Flower Street,which is accessed along Kindred Avenue and north of 7th Street and was also heard calling by several observers. The bird mainly associated by itself,but good numbers of other songbirds were noted in the general vicinity until we left the location at 4:15pm,as conditions began to quickly decrease.

The general weather at Tokeland was quite cold with scattered rain showers at times and increasing southerly winds during our visit,which didn't seem to bother the 20+birders that were present during our visit along with having two main highlights to encounter at this location. Our drive home from Tokeland remained wet until we encountered a small snow shower west of McCleary in Thurston Co. along Hwy.8,then dry conditions in the Olympia area,then back to rain north of the Nisqually River bridge in Pierce Co along I-5. Our day began with a Merlin observed along I-5 at Tillicum in Pierce Co.,then 2 Western Scrub Jays and a single Am.Kestrel at Elma. We checked the western portion of Vance Creek Co Park along Wenzel Slough Rd. south of Elma,where we encountered 35 Tundra Swans along with a large flock of waterfowl consisting of Ring-necked Ducks,both scaups,Am.Wigeon and a few other waterfowl species. Continuing west towards Raymond we observed another Western Scrub Jay along Hwy.12 just west of the Satsop River bridge. Next, we stopped and checked the Raymond STP along S.R.105,where 2 Spotted Sandpipers and 4 Least Sandpipers were noted. A brief visit at the Raymond Airport, despite nearby hunting a single immature White-tailed Kite was noted and photographed. Continuing on towards Tokeland at MP 9.1 along S.R.105 we made an extensive visit from a pull-off and scoped the vast,extensive exposed mudflats of Willapa Bay and the mouth of the North River during outgoing tide,which was active with waterfowl and shorebirds. Our main efforts were shorebirds,as we encountered our first large flocks of Marbled Godwits along with large numbers of Dunlin and other shorebirds that were actively feeding along good numbers of Am.Wigeon,Northern Pintails and Green-winged Teal. At this location we highlight numbers and species included the following:

3 Eurasian Wigeon
35 Bufflehead
6 Red-breasted Mergansers
43+ Black-bellied Plovers
17 Greater Yellowlegs
450+ Marbled Godwits
22 Western Sandpipers
3,200+ Dunlin
5 Long-billed Dowitchers

6 Trumpeter Swans were observed along the Cedar River along MP16 north of S.R.105 to and from Tokeland. A list of additional notable highlights noted from multiple locations at Tokeland include the following:

1 Red-throated Loon
5 Red-necked Grebes
1 Short-tailed Shearwater(observed from Toke Point near the Tokeland Marina in Willapa Bay at 2:20pm)
17 Red-breasted Mergansers
3 Northern Harriers
1 Peregrine Falcon
4 Black-bellied Plovers
5 Greater Yellowlegs
13 Willets
2 Whimbrel
13 Long-billed Curlews
125+ Marbled Godwits
7 Sanderlings
45 Dunlin
2 Long-billed Dowitchers
1 Red Phalarope(observed from Toke Point bordering Willapa Bay near the Tokeland Marina at 2:15pm,then presumably the same bird observed within the sheltered waters with the Tokeland Marina at 4pm)
1 Bonaparte's Gull
8 Caspian Terns
1 adult Northern Shrike


Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
godwit at worldnet.att.net