Tweets:

Just returned from a day of birding with Tom Aversa in Pacific and Grays
Harbor Counties.

At 9:10 a.m., we easily observed the BLACK-TAILED GULL at North Cove, in a
large flock of gulls (mostly HEERMANN'S and WESTERN) at the water's edge
just about straight out from the parking lot, on an incoming tide. During
our half-hour stay the gull preened, loafed, bathed, foraged, and made short
flights, showing all the field marks including the tail.

We then drove through Raymond and South Bend to Bay Center, where we found
nothing of special note (in fact, not much at all).

Returning to bird Tokeland around 12:00-1:00 just as the tide was starting
to flow out, we found a flock of at least 350 MARBLED GODWITS on the
breakwater of the boat basin. Among them was one alternate-plumaged
BAR-TAILED GODWIT, noticeably smaller (less voluminous) than the Marbleds
with prominent white supercilia, reddish breast, white lower belly and vent,
and pale tail. Nine or more WILLETS were at Toke Point, and a few others
scattered elsewhere along the Tokeland shores. About 15 WHIMBRELS were at
Graveyard Spit when we first arrived. By 1:30 or so, as we left town, they
had been replaced by several dozen godwits, including the Bar-tailed.

In the Grayland/Midway Beach vicinity, we drove to the beach at the end of
Warrenton Cannery Road. A strong north wind aggregated many gulls along the
beach. Offshore -- very close in -- SOOTY SHEARWATERS streamed continuously
northward at an average rate of about 200 birds per minute. Many COMMON
MURRES swam just beyond the breakers.

Our next stop was at Bottle Beach around 3:30. Along the trail on the way
in, past the footbridge at the last large willow clump on the right, about
100 feet before reaching the beach, we pished up an adult male NORTHERN
PARULA in worn plumage for two short but conclusive looks (blue-gray bird
with yellow chin and throat; dark breast band; yellow lower breast blending
into white belly; two white wing bars; white crescents above and below eyes;
yellowish-green center of back).The tide by then was a long way out, though
beginning to come in again. Among numerous other shorebirds and gulls, Tom
counted 60 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS scattered about the mudflats.

We doubled back around 5:00 for a quick, unfruitful inspection of the usual
Westport spots.

Our final stop was at the main (south) access to the Johns River Wildlife
Area, where we walked the paved path to the blind and slightly beyond (about
a 15-minute walk). The tide was coming in fast, but exposed mud along the
river still held many Least Sandpipers and Semipalmated Plovers, with a few
other shorebirds. The large freshwater wetland southwest of the blind had
lareg numbers of GREATER YELLOWLEGS, several LESSER YELLOWLEGS, as well as
other shorebirds and ducks. However, the sun low in the west created
difficult viewing conditions. A morning visit to this spot has the potential
of providing a superlative experience.

Good birding!

Hal Opperman
Medina, Washington hal at catharus.net