Saturday (11/01/03) after viewing the HUDSONIAN GODWIT at Tokeland early, I
drove to Ocean Shores and walked out Damon Point. At Damon Pond were 5
PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVERS and 1 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER. Just beyond the end
of the road I saw 4 RED PHALAROPES in the water just offshore. On my return
a BLACK MERLIN kept the DUNLIN and LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS on the alert. A
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK circled above. Before I reached the gate, I observed a
NORTHERN HARRIER take a shorebird (DUNLIN?) from the air. Not an every day
event.

Yesterday (11/02/03) my sister Marcia and I birded in Snohomish and Skagit
counties. On Norman Road near Silvana we saw our first TRUMPETER SWANS of
the season. We stopped to view 3 GREATER YELLOWLEGS and Marcia spied a
MERLIN perched at treetop as usual. What was unusual was the plumage of
this bird. The back was very pale as was the streaking in the front. I
could detect no orange or yellow on this bird except for the feet. The
mustache was practically non-existent. I am not very familair with the
Prairie Merlin, but this was like no Taiga Merlin I have seen.

Up the road was a single CATTLE EGRET. On to Boe Road, where we stumbled
onto an AMERICAN KESTRAL and at the end of Boe Road was a tan striped
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW. This was in the brambles at the entrance to The
Nature Conservancy Port Susan Preserve.

We headed for Stanwood and noticed a flooded field just before we got to
town. A young PEREGRINE FALCON put on quite a show of stooping and
strafing. Each pass came up empty as it worked the gulls, ducks and
shorebirds, all in good supply. The BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS were quickly
chased away not to return during our 30 minute visit at this location.
Marcia noticed an unusual plover that turned out to be an AMERICAN
GOLDEN-PLOVER. The bird was kind enough to fly, erasing any doubt, then
landed again for a closer look. The long primary extension was obvious as
was the lack of gold on the bird.

At Jensen Access in Skagit County was a beautiful juvenile NORTHERN SHRIKE.
The rich brown of the bird was accentuated by the low light. We ended our
day with a SHORT-EARED OWL at the end of Rawlins Road.

The fine birds more than made up for the not so fine weather.

Marv Breece
Seattle, WA