Hello Tweets,

Today my mother and I birded several portions of Clallam and Jefferson Cos. with several highlights of noted that were encountered. We covered areas beginning in Jefferson Co. at the Oak Bay Recreation Area near Hadlock,then continuing north to Fort Flagler State Park. We continued onto Port Townsend with a short visit made at the Kah-Tai Lagoon Nature Park,then continuing onto the Sequim area with the remainder of our day spent in the Dungeness/Three Crabs area. Our main highlight of the day was a single Sandhill Crane observed and heard calling above the Dungeness Oyster House flying west to east in the direction of Three Crabs. The bird was observed as we were scoping shorebirds during high tide at the mouth of the Dungeness River,which were observed along Marine Drive just above the Dungeness Oyster House. We watched as the Sandhill Crane continued to the east as it called continuously until the bird was lost in the low clouds. We actually had our best birding of the day in the Dungeness area,which produced the most highlights and productive areas. The weather remained quite gloomy all day with low clouds,but conditions remained calm and quite cool at times. On our way home we stopped and checked the Salsbury Point public boat launch in Kitsap Co near the Hood Canal Bridge that yielded a few additional numbers and species to our trip list. A list of our other main highlights of the day include the following at selected locations:

Pacific Loon
20 at Ft.Flagler SO.P.

Greater White-fronted Goose/Canada Goose intergrade
1 bird observed amongst 45 Canada Geese along Woodcock Rd. east of Kitchen-Dick Rd. near Dungeness

Cinnamon Teal
3 at the Kitchen-Dick Rd."ponds" along Kitchen-Dick Rd. near Dungeness

American Wigeon
5500+ at the mouth of the Dungeness River/Three Crabs waterfront(with a single Am./Eurasian Wigeon intergrade observed)

Ring-necked Duck
3 at the Kitchen-Dick Rd."ponds"
9 north of Woodcock Rd. along Cays Rd.near Dungeness Rd.

Harlequin Duck
27 at Oak Bay Recreation Area
47 at Ft.Flagler S.P.

Bufflehead
1 at Oak Bay Rec.Area

Ruddy Duck
3 at the Kitchen-Dick Rd."ponds"

Am.Kestrel
1 along Hwy.101 west of Sequim
1 at Sequim along Sequim-Dungeness Rd.

Merlin
1 adult male nominate race bird observed near the Dungeness Oyster House
1 adult female nominate race bird observed at Three Crabs

Peregrine Falcon
1 observed along Holland Rd. near Graysmarsh east of Dungeness

California Quail
4 at Oak Bay Rec.Area

Black-bellied Plover
43 near the mouth of the Dungeness River

Greater Yellowlegs
8 along S.R.116 at Nordlund,Jefferson Co.
5 at the Kah-Tai Lagoon Nature Park at Port Townsend
1 at the Three Crabs"horse pond"

Marbled Godwit
4 near the mouth of the Dungeness River

Black Turnstone
68 at Ft.Flagler S.P.
17 near the mouth of the Dungeness River

Sanderling
41 at Ft.Flagler S.P.
22 near the mouth of the Dungeness River
8 at Salsbury Point public boat launch

Western Sandpiper
28 near the mouth of the Dungeness River

Least Sandpiper
7 at Oak Bay Rec.Area
8 near the mouth of the Dungeness River

Pectoral Sandpiper
1 at the Three Crabs"horse pond"
2 near the mouth of the Dungeness River

Dunlin
35 near the mouth of the Dungeness River

Short-billed Dowitcher
1 heard and observed flying over the Three Crabs waterfront
4 near the mouth of the Dungeness River

Long-billed Dowitcher
5 at the Kah-Tai Lagoon Nature Park at Port Townsend
18 at the Three Crabs"horse pond"
14 near the mouth of the Dungeness River

Bonaparte's Gull
18 at Oak Bay Rec.Area
40+ at Ft.Flagler S.P.
32 at the Dungeness/Three Crabs area

Caspian Tern(notable late date for location)
1 near the mouth of the Dungeness River

Marbled Murrelet
9 off the Salsbury Point public boast launch

Mourning Dove
1 along Sequim-Dungeness Rd. north of Sequim
7 along Kitchen-Dick Rd. near Dungeness

Hermit Thrush
1 at Ft.Flagler S.P.

Hutton's Vireo
1 at Ft.Flagler S.P.

Yellow-rumped Warbler
relatively good numbers noted at most locations,primarily of the "Myrtle"race

Lincoln's Sparrow
3 at the Kah-Tai Lagoon Nature Park at Port Townsend

White-throated Sparrow
1 adult white-striped bird amongst a small flock of Golden and White-crowned Sparrows in the extensive bramble patch at the entrance of the Oak Bay Rec.Area

Lapland Longspur
1 observed calling over the Three Crabs"horse pond"

Western Meadowlark
2 at Ft.Flagler S.P.


Mammal highlights of the day consisted of a single loafing River Otter on the larger rock jetty at Oak Bay Rec.Area and small pod of 6-7 Harbor Porpoises within Oak Bay at the eastern portion of Oak Bay Rec.Area in Jefferson Co.


In addition we wanted to inform those that were not aware of the fee charge at most WA state parks and other recreational areas that offer parking,etc,which today we noted at Ft.Flagler and Mystery Bay State Parks. These areas also offered services for pet owners to minimize pet waste and proper disposal,eventhough at Ft.Flagler S.P. there was one owner that had three dogs unleashed that created a slight disturbance.




Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
godwit at worldnet.att.net








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