Natalie and I can now officially say that we are not the last people on
Tweeters to view the Pink-footed Geese in Hoquiam. Rolan Nelson joined us
today as we headed over the river and through the woods to wander in the
snow in Hoquiam and in Ocean Shores and kick off our 2004 state bird
list. In all we found 59 species and covered 250 miles.

Ruth, add four more happy customers for the Pink-footed Geese. In
addition to Natalie and I, we were joined by Jeff and Valerie from
Enumclaw, and we wandered all over the field at the end of K Street to
finally locate the geese. The cold temperatures and snowy conditions were
a good test of our birding patience, but in the end we had great views in
decent light conditions - well worth the wait.

Here are the highlights:

En-route from Tacoma to Hoquiam via Shelton -
- Anna's Hummingbird (male in our yard)
- Western Scrub Jay (near McCleary)

K Street in Hoquiam-
- Fox Sparrow
- Song Sparrow (3)
- Red-tailed Hawk
- Spotted Sandpiper
- Western Sandpiper (8)
- Killdeer (5)
- Western Grebe (10)
- Canada Goose (numerous)
- Greater White-fronted Goose (2)
- Pink-footed Goose (2)
- Great Blue Heron
- Green-winged Teal (8)
- House Finch
- American Crow
- Western Gull
- Glaucous-winged Gull
- Double-crested Cormorant
- Pelagic Cormorant
- Western Meadowlark

Hoquiam Sewer Treatment Ponds-
- Hooded Merganser
- Bufflehead (15, mostly females)
- Northern Shoveler (10)
- Ruby-crowned Kinglet (2)
- Mew Gull
- Greater Scaup (20)
- Common Goldeneye (2)
- Rough-legged Hawk (immature with a bright white collar streaked with black)
- Golden-crowned Sparrow (10)
- White-crowned Sparrow
- Common Loon (2)
- Canvasback (2)
- Western Grebe (8)
- Red-necked Grebe
- Pelagic Cormorant
- Marsh Wren
- Song Sparrow
- Mallard
- American Coot
- House Sparrow
- Common Raven

Ocean Shores Jetty-
- Black Turnstone (5)
- Western Gull
- Glaucous-winged Gull

Ocean Shores Marina -
- Horned Grebe (4)
- Surf Scoter (2)
- White-winged Scoter
- Herring Gull (this gull was banded with an orange band on the left and
silver band on the right leg)
- Western Gull (this gull was banded with silver on the left and orange
on the right)
- Common Loon
- Bufflehead

Bill's Spit -
- Dunlin (100 widely spread along the tide line)
- Greater Yellowlegs
- Western Sandpiper
- Bonaparte's Gull
- Pacific Loon
- Steller's Jay

Elsewhere driving in Ocean Shores -
- Rock Pigeon
- European Starling
- Brewer's Blackbird
- Brown-headed Cowbird
- American Robin
- Northern Flicker
- Dark-eyed Junco
- Bald Eagle

Despite the cold and snow/rain mix falling by dusk, it was a great day to
bird!

Happy birding

--
Rob McNair-Huff ---------- mailto:rob at whiterabbits.com
White Rabbit Publishing -- http://www.whiterabbits.com/
Mac Net Journal ---------- http://www.macnetjournal.com/
The Equinox Project ------ http://www.whiterabbits.com/weblog.html