Hello, tweets.

Netta Smith and I visited Westport today, hoping to find some Red
Phalaropes to photograph, and we were in luck. At the outer edge of
the marina, near the parking lot for the public bathrooms, there were
four swimming around the floating docks. They seemed completely
unafraid and several times swam right up to our feet, and I mean
that. We had to look almost straight down at them as we stood or
kneeled there at water level, too close for the six-foot closest
focus of my 400 mm lens. It was quite amazing and wonderful.
Photographing them is a challenge, as they never stop moving, and
even if their body is moving slowly, their head isn't!

We saw no others except for three in a pond just past the road to the
shore at Bottle Beach. There were no other shorebirds at the Westport
marina, probably because the tide was fairly low and they were
feeding elsewhere; no Rock Sandpipers, darn it. The godwits and
curlews at Tokeland were also away feeding, but there were 9 Long-
billed Dowitchers in the marina there, and a Merlin chased them
unsuccessfully as we watched.

It rained all the way from Westport to Tokeland, not horizontal but
enough to deter us from spending much time outside, as our main goal
was photos, difficult in the rain. We left the area and headed home
in early afternoon, nevertheless very pleased.

Dennis Paulson
1724 NE 98 St.
Seattle, WA 98115
206-528-1382

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