Greetings All
Ryan Merrill and I spent the entire day hiking out at Leadbetter Point. In
all we observed 96 species between the Leadbetter hike and a few stop in the
evening. We arrived at the parking lot 1.5 hours after low tide and walked
out through the Salicornia on the bay side to Grassy Island. By the time we
got around the point and down the beach far enough, the tide was mostly out
and birds had flown back to Willapa Bay to forage. The Black-bellied Plover
flocks managed to elude us due to this fact. The highlight was a juvenile
Buff-breasted Sandpiper which Ryan spotted with some Sanderlings on the high
tide line near the point. We only managed to view it briefly before it took
off. The other good bird was a Stilt Sandpiper loosely flocking with some
Westerns in Willapa Bay.

LEADBETTER POINT (10:20am-8:00pm)
Monday, 30 August 2004 - 96 species.
Sunny; windy on ocean side; 60-72? F.

Canada Goose (15 Dusky)-Willapa Bay.
Northern Shoveler (1)-Oyster House.
Northern Pintail (35)
Green-winged Teal (35)
Surf Scoter (20)
Ring-necked Pheasant (1)
Red-throated Loon (10)
Pacific Loon (1)
Common Loon (10)
Pied-billed Grebe (10)-off Oyster House in Oysterville.
Northern Fulmar (1): flew by at 7:20pm.
Sooty Shearwater (8000)
Brown Pelican (275+)
Double-crested Cormorant (5000)-Willapa/the tip of the point.
Turkey Vulture (5)
Northern Harrier (3)
Red-tailed Hawk (1)
Black-bellied Plover (300): flying overhead: none on outer beach.
American Golden-Plover (1)
Pacific Golden-Plover (6)
golden-plover, spp. (2): all golden-plovers were adults (most transitional,
two basic) found in Salicornia about half-way out to the point.
Snowy Plover (8): three downy chicks.
Semipalmated Plover (20)
Killdeer (2)-Oysterville.
Greater Yellowlegs (25)-in a tight flock, Oysterville.
WANDERING TATTLER (1)-on beach at tip of point; carefully identified.
Whimbrel (1)-Willapa.
Ruddy Turnstone (2): flew over w/BBPL.
Black Turnstone (1)-Willapa.
Red Knot (4): w/Sanderlings near tip.
Sanderling (3000)
Western Sandpiper (600): all juveniles.
Least Sandpiper (200)
Baird's Sandpiper (8): juveniles on beach side.
STILT SANDPIPER (1): flew by on Willapa side w/flock of peeps.
BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER (1): just west of point w/Sanderlings.
Short-billed Dowitcher (75): overhead w/BBPL.
Red-necked Phalarope (4)-Willapa side.
Heermann's Gull (100)
Caspian Tern (40)
Band-tailed Pigeon (3)-Stackpole Rd.
Anna's Hummingbird (1)-Territory Rd in Oysterville.
Willow Flycatcher (1)-Grassy Island.
Pacific-slope Flycatcher (1)-Grassy Island.
Hutton's Vireo (10)
Warbling Vireo (5)
Violet-green Swallow (2)
Cliff Swallow (1)-Oysterville.
Bushtit (4)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (50+): most obvious migrants.
Swainson's Thrush (2)
American Pipit (2)-my first of season in lowlands.
Orange-crowned Warbler (12)
Yellow Warbler (3)
Black-throated Gray Warbler (5)
Common Yellowthroat (12)
Western Tanager (4)
Dark-eyed Junco (6)-dunes.
Purple Finch (3)
Red Crossbill (1)
American Goldfinch (45)
Evening Grosbeak (1)
--
Charlie Wright
Bonney Lake, Washington