Hello Tweets,

We were learned by the presence of a Bar-tailed Godwit at Tokeland by a birder we met at Damon Point yesterday. The birder observed the bird at the Tokeland Marina about 10 days earlier,so we went there yesterday evening to check the flock of godwits. We arrived at the marina at 5:40pm and immediately located a very pale godwit amongst the regular plumaged Marbled Godwits that all gathered along the entire length of an old wooden dock. The bird was easily separated from the much buffier birds by being much paler overall,but NOT white as far as the undertail coverts and belly. We soon obtained many photos of the bird,as it rested amongst the other Marbled Godwits and the lighting was good,although different at different angles.

The particular individual could easily be identified by some birders as a Bar-tailed Godwit even after a first glance,but the overall size,structure and body pattern were subtly different. The bird showed a whitish supercillium that extended just to the eye and not beyond with a fairly brown cap. The upperparts were very pale buffy to whitish at the most extreme lighting,but in flight the bird never showed the normally classic barred white rump and barred tail nor the barred white underwings. The mantle pattern was crisp,but not as cisp as all juvenile Bar-tailed Godwits we have ever seen. The legs were also not anywhere near the short range of length as all Bar-tailed Godwits we have encountered in past years. If anything this pale bird would solely be misidentified soley on color,but we figure it is a very pale juvenile bird and the bird really stood out amongst the deeper,richer buff-orange birds. An interesting bird!

We encountered this presumably same individual during our visit to this location on the 13th of August since it was nearly as pale and noticeable. We have attached 3 photos of the pale Marbled Godwit onto our website,which can be viewed at the following link: http://www.pbase.com/godwit/recent_shorebirds/


Good shorebirding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
Fircrest,WA
godwit513 at msn.com