Thanks to Michael Hobbs for getting the WOS website back up and running. He
could have been out having a good time birding, but he allowed duty to call
instead.

While he toiled on that, I was down on the Long Beach peninsula in Pacific
County on Saturday...and guess what we saw? Yep, more Snowy Owls...5 of them
out close to the northern end of Leadbetter Point. 3 of them were standing
right on the sand but close to the dunes.

We also saw huge flocks of (mostly) Dunlin in the two hours immediately
following the 10 ft high tide. We drove an erratic path north up the beach,
weaving back and forth, trying to avoid flushing the separate groups,
watching them nervously lift their wings like tiny Star Wars fighter planes
as we approached, then hopping on one leg a bit farther from us.

There were relatively small numbers of Sanderling, and about 200
Black-bellied Plover, and even a second winter Glaucus Gull hanging around a
dead sea lion.

Off in the east we could see snow-covered Mount Rainier and overhead it was
blue skies and contrails; another gorgeous day at the beach!

Dianna Moore
Ocean Shores, Wa.
dlmoor2 at coastaccess.com