Friday (7.22.05) and Saturday, I birded the coast starting from Tokeland late Friday afternoon. The marina at Tokeland held very few shorebirds an hour after high tide. Five WHIMBREL and two GREATER YELLOWLEGS were on the breakwater. On one of the dock pilings perched a juv. PURPLE MARTIN. The bird was quite vocal and aggressive, diving on and chasing away several crows. Graveyard Spit was where the MARBLED GODWITS were. About 40 of them. Also, WHIMBREL, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, many SEMI-PALMATED PLOVERS and a few LEAST SANDPIPERS. There were also 2 RUDDY TURNSTONES at Graveyard Spit. I did not see a WILLET.

At about 7:00PM Friday I visited Midway Beach in time to see a swarm of SOOTY SHEARWATERS not far offshore. As I approached, I realized that I was at the northern end of this party, and it stretched as far south as I could see in the scope. In the air and on the water. Literally thousands of birds.

Saturday morning at the Westport Jetty I saw 2 WANDERING TATTLERS, 10 SURFBIRDS and a few RUDDY TURNSTONES. I saw no BLACK TURNSTONES.

I then headed to Ocean Shores and Damon Pond as high tide approached. A lone RED-THROATED LOON was hauled out at the pond's edge. And it was still red-throated! A few shorebirds came and went.

My next stop was Bill's Spit. RING-BILLED and CALIFORNIA GULLS occupied the spit with about 30 WHIMBRELS. A flock of peeps came in. Adult and juv LEAST and WESTERN SANDPIPERS. One peep seemed not to get along with the other birds and settled away from the group, closest to where I was perched. It was a juv SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER. I have photos if anyone is interested. (Also photos of the martin.)

The quantity of birds was not overwhelming (except for the sootys), but the quality was just fine.

It was a good week end.

Marv Breece
Seattle, WA