Subject: NO Black-tailed Gull today 8/12
Date: Aug 12 19:20:36 2004
From: Ruth Sullivan - godwit at worldnet.att.net


Hello Tweets,

As of 3:30pm this afternoon the Black-tailed Gull was not observed at North Cove,despite extensive and diligent searching made beginning before 8am. Up to 12 birders scanned the open sandy shoreline at North Cove with increasing numbers of gulls noted with fairly strong northerly winds prevailing turning very windy after 12pm. Most noteworthy were increasing numbers of Brown Pelicans and Caspian Terns noted at North Cove including several banded Caspian Terns. Perhaps today was the day the Black-tailed Gull was not seen,but it could still be around and efforts should continue. Most of all the birders present also visited Tokeland,where the alternate-plumaged Bar-tailed Godwit was again observed by most birders near and at Graveyard Spit. This location is accessed from 7th Street,which is off Kindred Ave and the viewing area lies just north of the Bayshore RV Park and when tidal conditions are best shorebirds can be observed closet to shore otherwise they are noted in the near distance at the extreme south end of Graveyard Spit. If the large shorebird flocks are not observed at these two locations the Tokeland Marina should be checked specifically the jetty area,in which shorebirds often use for roosting when tidal conditions are at their highest. We observed the Bar-tailed Godwit between 12:15-1pm from the Graveyard Spit location,in which it foraged and rested amongst a large flock of Marbled Godwits and a few Whimbrels and at times was very concealed,but when visible clearly showed the darker rust upperparts with white underparts and undertail coverts along with the "scalloped" appearance along the sides of the lower belly. The white supercillium and pale face were also very diagnostic in viewing this bird compared to the nearby larger Marbled Godwits and darker brown Whimbrels. This bird was in the same exact plumage as the bird we observed at Dungeness on the 6th of August and could possibly be the same individual,but perhaps that is not important. This bird is striking and well worth seeing,especially since it is an adult and going out of breeding plumage.As we and a several other birders watched the large shorebird flock the Bar-tailed Godwit remained fairly snug in the flock,but was noted in flight a few times when the flock was flushed showing the fairly dark brown freckled back and obvious white barred rump. Eventually as the tide moved further into shore the flock finally flew over to the south end of Graveyard Spit,where the bird was again but briefly observed. At least one Long-billed Curlew was also observed at Graveyard Spit and up to 14 Willets noted at the Tokeland Marina. Other species of note at Tokeland included 1 Greater Yellowlegs,7 Black Turnstones,2 Long-billed Dowitchers and 2 adult Mew Gulls.

A returning check made back at North Cove after 1:30pm-3:30pm produced higher gusts,which made viewing tougher and gulls flocks were much more spread out along the shoreline looking north from North Cove. A few of the best species at North Cove were noted during our morning visit,but overall conditions were fairly slow away from scanning through the vast gulls flocks. May tomorrow searches be better. Additional highlights noted from North Cove included the following:

steady streams of Sooty Shearwaters moving north offshore after 1pm
3 Turkey Vultures
1 Peregrine Falcon(observed flying offshore being harassed at times by a Caspian Tern)
1 Pacific Golden Plover(flying low over the water close to shore with 1 Black-bellied Plover heading north towards Warrenton-Cannery Rd.)
22 Semipalmated Plovers
17 Surfbirds and 5 Black Turnstones(observed briefly flying close to shore continuing south towards Tokeland)



On a side note we and several other birders during the day checked at Bottle Beach,but were unsuccessful in relocating the Northern Parula reported yesterday by Tome Aversa and Hal Opperman,so perhaps it moved on before the high winds.

On our morning drive to North Cove we observed the Great Egret at Mud Bay along Hwy.101 in Thurston Co.



Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
Fircrest,WA
godwit at worldnet.att.net