Subject: [Tweeters] Loggerhead Shrike at Three Crabs 3-19-05
Date: Mar 19 20:30:25 2005
From: Ruth and/or Patrick Sullivan - godwit at worldnet.att.net


Hello Tweets,

This afternoon while birding in the Three Crabs-Graysmarsh area of Clallam Co. my mother and I located and photographed a single Loggerhead Shrike at 2pm along a sandy spit area immediately east of the Three Crabs Restaurant. The bird remained perched atop a wooden snag sticking out of the grassy dunes amongst a driftwood clump near homes east of the restaurant. The bird remained atop the sang during our entire observation,but at a distance as we also scanned thoroughly through gull flocks along the immediate sand spit. It was an unexpected sighting for us and a very rare sighting for Clallam Co. and our 3rd personal record for western WA. We encountered an adult Loggerhead Shrike along Wenzel Slough Rd. in eastern Grays Harbor Co. during late March-mid April 2004,which was a remarkable sighting and one that many observers were able to see. Away from the Loggerhead Shrike we concentrated on gull flocks between Graysmarsh to the Three Crabs waterfront near Sequim. We thoroughly searched for all 3rd year Western-type gulls in which we obtained many photographs for comparison for a possible Slaty-backed Gull. Our first stop was made along the immediate shoreline at Graysmarsh just west of the public access area at 1pm during outgoing tide,where we located 2 possible candidates for Slaty-backed Gull. These candidates showed a clear dark gray mantle and obvious dark primaries(with little or no obvious white "window" within the primaries or"string of pearls")in their 3rd year plumage,but the bill structure and head colorations seemed wrong. The bill structure was quite heavy and relatively bulky on both birds in question and somewhat bi-colored showing a mostly pale yellow bill with dark smudgy areas near the tip. Perhaps bill structure may be highly variable in true Slaty-backed Gulls,but we expected more of an evenly straight bill. Both birds showed a clear and obvious iris and smudgy area around the eye,but lacked the distinctive fine streaking that we have both come accustomed to in Slaty-backed Gulls. Both birds were quite cooperative and somewhat tame allowing close approach as they rested with other nearby Larus gulls including a mix of both Western to Western/Glaucous-winged Gull type hybrids. Conditions at this location are very limited parking and access wise due to most of the immediate beach areas being private property,so please respect landowners.

After checking the Graysmarsh area as conditions remained dry and calm we worked our way to Three Crabs via Jamestown Rd. and soon upon arriving and scoping a roosting gull flock on a sand spit located a likely candidate for further and closer examination. Upon getting permission from the Three Crabs Restaurant that graciously allowed us to walk onto the open gravel beach to the sand spit and back, we obtained photographs of fairly dark mantled Larus gull showing 3rd year plumage, a clear yellow iris,smudgy areas around the eye(with some fine streaking noted),and black primaries showing obvious white windows and a somewhat wide tertial pattern. The bird in question remained close amongst a scattered gull flock resting on the sand spit until the gulls all moved towards the waters edge to drink and bath then eventually swim further offshore. It was at this time we felt that the Three Crabs individual showed the most characteristics of a possible Slaty-backed Gull,but in ALL the candidates we observed during the day we felt in NO way positive about any of the sightings since Western Gulls can be highly variable. In all we encountered 5 separate 3rd year Western-type Gulls,of which all showed somewhat different field marks. Anyhow, perhaps our photos will show definitive field marks to show for either Slaty-backed or Western Gull.


Other notable species within the Graysmarsh-Three Crabs region noted during our visit included the following:

75+ "Black"Brant
8 Eurasian Wigeon(with at least 2 Am./Eurasian Wigeon intergrades)
1 Am.Kestrel(observed along Port Williams Rd.)
3 Northern Harriers
1 Merlin
1 Peregrine Falcon
64 Black-bellied Plovers
90+ Sanderlings
670+ Dunlin
2 Mourning Doves
2 male Rufous Hummingbirds(Graysmarsh)
good numbers of Tree Swallows at both locations(with smaller numbers of Violet-green Swallows mixed in)
1 immature Northern Shrike(observed along Jamestown Rd.)
2 Lincoln's Sparrows(Graysmarsh)

On our way home we made a few stops before driving the majority of the way home in heavy rain. Our first stop was made at the John Wayne Marina,where we observed a noisy,active group of 7 Black Oystercatchers at the mouth of Johnson Creek that seemed to be showing breeding behavior,as they called back and forth to eachother. This was a nice treat for us,eventhough we have seen this species at this location in past years. A single pair of Long-tailed Ducks and small scattered numbers of Rhinoceros Auklets in breeding plumage included our other highlights noted offshore within Sequim Bay. Our last stop of the day was made at Crocker Lake in Jefferson Co.(accessed along via Hwy.101)at 4pm,where a single Swamp Sparrow actively called from the vegetated shoreline along the immediate lake edge,then popped into view for a few seconds before returning back into the thick cover. A notable highlight for Jefferson Co. and also unexpected since the weather began to become quite wet. Other notable species for this location included the following:

4 Trumpeter Swans
15 Ring-necked Ducks
12 Lesser Scaups
65+ Tree Swallows
12 Ruby-crowned Kinglets
35+ Yellow-rumped Warblers


Earlier in the day en route to Graysmarsh we observed a single Northern Pygmy Owl within a forest clearing along the immediate S.R.104 at MP 6.8 in Jefferson Co.(between S.R.19 and Hwy.101). The bird was perched atop a fairly large snap within the clearing,but soon flew to an unknown location.


Good birding,

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