Hi Folks:
I've got some info about birding, camping, and using the phone in the
Cape Flattery/Neah Bay area, and had to
find some phone numbers etc. in my files before I could write about
it. It's a great place for camping (see below) and for some birding
too. The only c-ll phone tower out there (notice I'm trying to get
around all the spam filters) is Verizon. According to locals that's
the only plan that works there.
Camping is just great at Hobuck Beach Park which is just south of Cape
Flattery. (See more camping info at the bottom of this message after
the bird report.) A
beautiful white sand beach stretches south there for about a mile.
When you enter Neah Bay, you should stop at the Makah Museum to
purchase a Recreational Use Permit for the Makah reservation. It's
required for parking anywhere in the the area. It costs $7., and is
good for a year. They will give you a set of maps and brochures. The
$7. goes towards trail, campground, and road upkeep. Using the map
they give you, or "A Birder's Guide to WA", go through town and head
toward Cape Flattery. The roads are well-signed. Go about 2.5 miles
and instead of continuing straight to Cape Flattery, turn left on
Makah Passage Rd (sign says to the beaches and to Shi Shi Beach).
Pause near the bridge to view the wetlands below. Shorebirds may be
along the muddy banks of the Waatch River. At the other (south) side
of the bridge, take the gravel road to the right which parallels the
beach. Travel about 1/2 mile and enter the gate on the right to
Hobuck Beach Park. Stop to bird (show your Recreation Permit) or stay
to tent or RV camp. This is a great place to tent camp. Big grassy
field w/ some trees, and a few picnic tables. Camp almost anywhere
you want. There are sanicans, and water in a hose in back of the
office.
Charlie Wright and I stopped there a couple of times in July, camping
the second time. We observed Tufted Puffins out at Cape Flattery on
both occasions. On the evening of July 22 we walked out to the beach
from our campsite, just before sunset. There was a LITTLE GULL in a
huge flock of Calif Gulls. The birds are skittish there, so we
couldn't get close, but we were able to observe the bird for quite
awhile before it flew out over the water to the north. It did not
return the next morning when we had to leave Neah Bay.
Here is part of the birding report that Charlie Wright sent to
Tweeters on July 24, 04, Subj. North Coast... < FRIDAY, 23 JULY 2004

HOBUCK BEACH, ETC. (4:45pm to next day); birds observed both days:
Red-throated Loon (20)
Common Loon (21)
Turkey Vulture (12)
Semipalmated Plover (16)
Black Oystercatcher (4)
Greater Yellowlegs (3)
Whimbrel (1)
Western Sandpiper (40): around 75% juveniles.
Least Sandpiper (50): 8 juveniles.
Short-billed Dowitcher (7)
LITTLE GULL (1): Closely resembling a 2nd basic individual, the molt
schedule was obviously out of kilter on this bird. The miniscule size
was
most noticeable in comparison to RBGU and CAGU. The head pattern with
dark
cap and ear spot was distinctive, and there were some flecks of black
throughout the head indicating partial alternate plumage. Legs were
dark
blackish-red, bill thin and straight, head rounded. As the bird flew
around
we were able to observe patchy black feathering coming in around the
center
of the underwings. Flight was choppy and fluttery, more like a Black
Tern
than a Bonaparte's Gull, and wings were somewhat more rounded than
BOGU. It
clearly lacked any white at the leading edge of the wing. Upperwing
was
rather adult-like; there was only a bit of a carpal bar.
Ring-billed Gull (75 juv)
California Gull (2800)
Common Murre (###)
Rhinoceros Auklet (####)
BLACK SWIFT (1): flew over the campsite in early eve.
Rufous Hummingbird (16)-migrating female-types.
Orange-crowned Warbler (12)
Red Crossbill (45)

CAPE FLATTERY (12:00-2:00):
Harlequin Duck (2): one ad. male.
Black Oystercatcher (5)
Black Turnstone (6)
Common Murre (####)
Rhinoceros Auklet (100)
Tufted Puffin (40+)
Hutton's Vireo (4)

More from Carol: Here is some more info about camping at Hobuck Beach
Park. It has one of the prettiest sandy beaches in the NW as you look
south toward the sea stacks at Shi Shi Beach. A river comes in at the
north end of the beach and at the south end of it. Both can have
shorebirds, and gulls.
The camp is being run by a native woman called Shirley. She's very
sharp, and her family helps run the place. She uses her cell phone up
there off the only cell phone tower in the area which is Verizon.
Here are a some phone numbers from that area if you are interested:
Information (per their brochure): 360-645-3474
Hobuck Beach Office (you can lv a msg): 360-645-2339
Shirley's Phone (she is gracious and answers her cell phone if she
can): 360-640-2075
At Hobuck Beach there are sanicans and water from a hose in back of
office. Prices are $12. per night per tent or RV. No RV hookups
though. $5. per extra car. Cabins are $75. per night and must be
booked in advance. Mostly the cabins are booked up for the rest of
the summer.
It's a great place for tent camping, that I would recommend to anyone.
Yours, Carol Schulz
DesMoines, WA
mailto:linusq at att.net

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ned McGarry" <ned.mcgarry at verizon.net>
To: "Tweeters" <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Monday, August 09, 2004 6:43 PM
Subject: Flattery will get you . . . . . a Tufted Puffin (several in
fact)


| Spent a couple of days birding on the Peninsula Saturday and Sunday.
Hit 3
| Crabs Saturday morning between 8-9 (nothing you don't already know
about, in
| fact quite a bit less than you do), then over to Port Angeles for
the slam
| dunk Eider, then to Cape Flattery for the afternoon -- which was my
main
| goal for Puffins. I was the only one there from what I could tell
who was
| interested in birds beyond a casual glance.
|
| I readily saw several TUFTED PUFFIN though the later afternoon light
was
| better on north and east sides and they were a bit closer there than
looking
| out to the west. The east side was the most fun as you can look
down and
| see them "flying" in the water after fish. Of interest on the rocks
to the
| east I also saw a few HEERMANN'S GULLS, 6-7 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS
(arguing
| quite a bit about who gets to set next to whom), and 3 juvenile
BLACK
| TURNSTONE which actually looked very brown and had lighter orange
legs than
| I would have expected compared to Sibley (not really drab
brown-orange).
| No, they were not Ruddys. Light and some fog made any ocean
watching
| futile.
|
| Anyway, not a bad weekend. Got a couple of lifers . . . some more
shots
| with the digiscope . . . covered some new ground . . . and cussed
out my
| cell phone to death (hence the need for a new plan).