Tweeters,

Keith Brady and I saw the juvenile Sabine's Gull very briefly today at about 12:15. The tide was fairly high and the bird was seen for about 5 seconds at the mouth of the Nisqually River on the exposed mud. It was near the Bonaparte's Gulls. Despite seeing where it landed and having 4 scopes on the area (Jan Watson joined us soon after the sighting and Steve Pink was looking from the dock) it was never seen again during our stay (we left about 2:30).

The Long-billed Curlew was present at the same location for the third day in a row. Ruth and Patrick Sullivan showed up and Patrick found two more distant large shorebirds in the heatwaves that resembled Long-billed Curlew in size, shape and coloration. So it is possible that there are now 3 Long-billed Curlews on the Nisqually Flats which would be very cool. These birds never joined the closer "sure thing" curlew...probably due to its surly temperament.

Keith later decided to show off and jump into the Sound in order to 'save' a suicidal drowning Purple Martin fledgling. We were not impressed. The bird was still alive when we left, though slightly soggy.

Other birds:
1 Surf Scoter (one of the birds Patrick saw yesterday was still present)
1 unidentified distant Loon (not a Common)
1 Osprey
2 Marbled Murrelets
Rhino Auklets
Pigeon Guillemots
California Gulls
1 Mourning Dove
1 Pac-slope Flycatcher still singing

Jason Paulios
jpaulios at earthlink.net
Olympia, WA