Today there was a Rock Sandpiper along Annas Bay at the south end of Hood
Canal. It was viewed from Potlatch State Park and the pull off near the
salmon collection facility just to the south along Highway 101. The Rock
Sandpiper was with about 20 Dunlin (funny I never took the time to count to
exact number of Dunlin). I first spotted the bird as the flock took off
from the shoreline at Potlatch State Park. Unfortunately, the birds made a
couple of passes then headed south to the fish collection site at the end of
the bay. The bird stood out in flight as a very dark shorebird in the group
of Dunlin that I strongly suspected was this species. We decided to hop
back in the cars and head to the pullout about or more to the south. Here
most of us got pretty good, if somewhat brief views of the flock that had
settled onto the shoreline here. Well they are shorebirds after all so
they decided to do what shorebirds do. They took flight and headed back to
the shoreline at Potlatch State Park before all of us had gotten
satisfactory views. So after some brief scanning we headed back to potlatch
in pursuit. Well suffice it to say the entire group got great looks, and we
even obtained several good pictures.

We struck out on Snowy Owls today, but there are still plenty of birds out
on the bay. Many species are visible here including several "sea ducks",
loons, grebes, gulls, and numbers of Black Brant. One of the more popular
birds here was the pair of Harlequin Ducks near the fish collection
facility. This was part of the class "final" (field trip) for the gull
class that was offered through Black Hills Audubon. We had a great trip,
hitting Perry Creek, the South end of Hood Canal, and Kennedy Creek. We did
ok on gulls, but nothing unusual. It was the other districting stuff that
turned out to be more unusual. A black Merlin and a small adult Peregrine
kept the shorebirds at Kennedy Creek on their toes. There are good numbers
of Dunlin and Black-bellied Plover on the flats here now. Both Perry Creek
and Kennedy Creek held only about 200 to 300 gulls each. Chum Salmon
spawning is down on Hood Canal and in the South Sound this year (at least so
far); and the attendant gull flocks reflect this.

We started the day with a Peregrine powering by overhead at the Mud Bay
Park-and-Ride as we pondered the expected road conditions. The road
conditions turned out to be fine everywhere we went, and the weather along
Hood Canal was great. It was decidedly colder with low clouds/ fog further
to the south in south sound. All in all I would have to say it was a great
trip.

Good luck and good birding
Bill Shelmerdine
Olympia
Mailto: georn1 at hotmail.com

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