Greetings All

Today Charlie Wright and I experienced a most amazing seabird movement off
the Long Beach Pen. We arrived at about 1pm at the North Head Light House at
Fort Canby to find SOOTY SHEARWATERS heading n at about 1000/minute. We stood
there in the howling wind for about an 75 minutes. The onshore breeze brought the
birds incredibly close and allowed us to pick out two SHORT-TAILED
SHEARWATERS. Not only could differences in wing pattern be seen, but so could
differences in head/bill shape. A PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER also passed. Numerous COMMON
MURRES and CASPIAN TERNS were mixed in.

We headed n. up the peninsula. The high tide made it obvious that birding
Willapa Bay was going to be worthless, so we headed to the shore to find that the
Sooties were still passing at about the same rate. We drove down the beach a
ways and at Ocean Shores, we stopped again to survey the Sooty Shearwater
numbers. The shearwaters were somewhat farther out than at the lighthouse, but
close to shore, about 150 meters out, a DARK PTERODROMA shot above the horizon.
It was glorious, sleek, and repeatedly arced above the horizon. This form of
flight was maintained whether the bird was flying into the wind or with the
wind. Unfortunately, the lighting was such that separating Murphy's (the most
likely) from Solander's from Great-winged was impossible. We watched it for 2-3
minutes, saw it arc 20+ times, before we lost sight of the bird. It seemed to be
headed out towards the Sooty swarm. Since we could clearly see the white
bellies of passing murres, it was easy to rule out other Pterodromas, such as
Cook's. At that same time, about 700 CASPIAN TERNS were in view at once, two
TUFTED PUFFINS flew past. There were dozens of BROWN PELICANS around. It was
absolutely stunning. Our final estimates of Sooty Shearwaters was 150,000, and who
knows how many had passed before we arrived. For Caspian Terns, 1500 just
along the Long Beach Pen. Many more inside Willapa Bay. As a strange sign of the
times, we were surprised NOT to see Manx Shearwater.

Highlights from earlier in the day included
1) the continuing presence of the BAY BREASTED WARBLER
2) a tally of 24 BULLOCK'S ORIOLES in the Shillappoo Bottoms area near
Vancouver Lake in about 4 hours of birding there. Also 60+ COMMON YELLOWTHROATS and
7 LAZULI BUNTINGS.
3) 2 REDHEAD at Post Offfice Lake and 7 at the River S Unit of Ridgefield.
4) a MEW GULL at Tokeland.

Yes, 655 miles of driving; 16 hours of birding; about 120 species.

Steven Mlodinow
Everett WA