Subject: [Tweeters] WOS field trip to Tokeland and beyond 10-16
Date: Oct 16 20:45:40 2004
From: Ruth Sullivan - godwit at worldnet.att.net


Hello Tweets,

Today my mother and I led a WOS(Washington Ornithological Society)field trip to Tokeland and several other coastal locations with a total of 7 participants and 100 species tallied during the day. The weather remained steady light to moderate rain during the entire day,which seemed to have kept many passerines quiet,etc. and hindered nearly all our efforts in seeking such birds. Our route began along the Brady Loop Rd. complex. between 7:45am-9:30am,then continued onto the Johns River WRA with both locations hosting plenty of duck and upland game bird hunters. We continued onto Bottle Beach for a brief check for shorebirds during fast incoming tide before heading to North Cove. After scoping North Cove between 1pm-1:45pm,we traveled back north to Midway Beach walking the partially flooded open beach and dune areas primarily north of the roads end. We then made a short drive to Tokeland at 3:30pm and checked primarily the vicinity around the Tokland Marina,as well as at the south end of Graveyard Spit. Our last stop of the day before driving home was made at the Raymond Airport along S.R.105 to Raymond.

Our main highlights of the trip consisted mainly of the following species:

1 American Bittern along Foster Rd.(Brady Loop Rd. complex)

2 Great Egrets at the Johns River WRA with an additional bird noted along S.R.105 south of the Elk River bridge

3 Greater White-fronted Geese along Foster Rd. with 3 additional birds for the day noted off North Cove

4 adult Snow Geese along the eastern portion of Brady Loop Rd. complex(east of Foster Rd. amongst small numbers of "Cackling" Canada Geese)

2 Long-tailed Ducks off North Cove

1 Pacific Golden Plover at Bottle Beach amongst a rather large flock of Black-bellied Plovers

35+ Snowy Plovers at Midway Beach Rd.

18 Willets(with 2 Whimbrel)at the Tokeland Marina

58 Long-billed Curlews at the south end of Graveyard Spit

The lingering juvenile Bar-tailed Godwit at the Tokeland Marina amongst a flock of 750+ Marbled Godwits

1 Parasitic Jaeger at North Cove

4 Bonaparte's Gulls at North Cove

28 Caspian Terns at Tokeland

2 Marbled Murrelets off North Cove

27 "Streaked"Horned Larks at Midway Beach Rd.

1 Lapland Longspur at Midway Beach Rd.

45+ Western Meadowlarks along Foster Rd. with 10 additional birds noted to end the day at the Raymond Airport


Throughout the day we ran into several birders in the field at a few locations,where we exchanged sightings etc.,which is always enjoyable. As mentioned previously many of the areas we checked were quite slow for songbirds,but a few areas were productive for such bird such as during our morning visit along the Brady Loop Rd. complex,then a fairly good assortment of various sparrows at the Johns River WRA. Shorebird numbers were most abundantly noted at Midway Beach Rd. followed by a few species noted at Bottle Beach earlier in the day. Good numbers of waterfowl were encountered at most locations with fairly consistent numbers of Canada Geese and "Cackling"Canada Geese noted flying or as grounded birds along with large numbers of Northern Pintail noted from a few scattered costal locations including at Bottle Beach and along S.R.105 east of Tokeland(Willapa Bay). Green-winged Teals were also noted in good numbers specifically flying over the Johns River WRA. Large numbers migrating Surf Scoters and Red-breasted Mergansers were also encountered from several costal locations from Bottle Beach to Tokeland with smaller numbers of White-winged Scoters also noted. Raptor numbers were somewhat few with our best diversity noted along the Brady Loop Rd. complex. A list of additional species for the day of note included the following:

Red-throated Loon
1 off North Cove(with 4 Western Grebes)

Red-necked Grebe
1 off North Cove

Brown Pelican
12 off Bottle Beach
5+ off North Cove

Wood Duck
1 pair at the Johns River WRA

Northern Harrier
4 along the Brady Loop Rd. complex
1 at the Johns River WRA
1 at Midway Beach Rd.

Am.Kestrel
3 along the Brady Loop Rd. complex

Merlin
1 along Foster Rd.
1 along S.R.105 northwest of the North River

Ring-necked Pheasant
3 along the Brady Loop Rd. complex

Black-bellied Plover
10 at the Johns River WRA
184 at Bottle Beach

Semipalmated Plover
42 at Midway Beach Rd.

Greater Yellowlegs
17 at the Johns River WRA

Sanderling
113+ at Bottle Beach
25 off North Cove
75+ at Midway Beach Rd.

Western Sandpiper
3 at Bottle Beach
36 at Midway Beach Rd.

Least Sandpiper
108+ at Midway Beach Rd.
30 at the Raymond Airport

Dunlin
23 at Bottle Beach
235+ at Midway Beach Rd.

Long-billed Dowitcher
44 at the Johns River WRA
8 over Bottle Beach

Wilson's Snipe
3 at the Johns River WRA
9 at Midway Beach Rd.
5 at the Raymond Airport

Heermann's Gull
260+ at North Cove
65+ at Tokeland

Herring Gull
12 at North Cove

Western Scrub Jay
2 along Foster Rd.

Am.Pipit
14 along Foster Rd.
55 at Midway Beach Rd.

Yellow-rumped Warbler
2 along Foster Rd.
1 at the Johns River WRA

Savannah Sparrow
3 at the Johns River WRA
2 at Midway Beach Rd.
3 at Tokeland

Lincoln's Sparrow
1 at the Johns River WRA

Purple Finch
4 at the Johns River WRA



Mammal species for the day consisted of the following:

28 Roosevelt Elk at the Johns River WRA
5 Black-tailed Deer at Tokeland
Harbor Seals(noted from various locations including 1 observed slightly upstream along the Johns River)
2 Raccoons along S.R.105 at North Cove


Other animals encountered during the day included 1 darner species at the Johns River WRA and Pacific Tree Frogs heard from a few locations.



Good birding,

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