Tweeters:

Have been on a birding sojourn for the last four days out here. This is my
first internet access so here goes.

The mission was to conduct the annual survey with Anne Winskie at
Graysmarsh, and then combine that with various other county hotspots
thereafter. The Graysmarsh survey was pretty successful: we had 114
species, five short of the record but about the same above the 5-year
average for September surveys. A stake-out the eve prior also proved
productive. Bad weather hampered efforts at Mt. Townsend on Sept. 9 in the
morning, and the same can be said for Cape Flattery today. The Griff Peak
hike from Hurrican Hill (yesterday Sept 11) produced a few notables,
although Scott Gremel's earlier-reported Three-toed and Black-backed
Woodpeckers were nowhere to be seen, although one of the former was likely
heard at one point.

Highlights of the four days:

Sept 8
FRANKLIN'S GULL 2 (mouth of Jimmy-Come-Lately Creek in Blyn, later seen by
others)
House Wren 1 (along Towne Rd in Sequim)

Sept 9--
MT. TOWNSEND
Golden Eagle 1 imm
Townsend's Solitaire 1 (near Dungeness Forks campground)

GRAYSMARSH BLUFF TRAIL eve
POMARINE JAEGER 1 (intermediate morph juv., first for Grays)
Parasitic Jaeger 2

Sept 10--GRAYSMARSH
Eared Grebe 3
good numbers of returning Canada Geese and a few Cackling
Merlin 1
GOLDEN-PLOVER, sp. 8
Baird's Sandpiper 1
Semipalmated Sandpiper 1
Least Sandpiper over 80 (high count for Grays)
FRANKLIN'S GULL 1 (in large feedeing gull flock well offshore, 1st winter,
1st for Grays)
4 owl sp. including Barred Owl 1
Pacific-slope Flycatcher 1

good numbers of Violet-green and Barn Swallows, amidst which were:
TREE SWALLOW 2
N. Rough-winged Swallow 3
BANK SWALLOW 1
Hutton's Vireo 13 (all-time high)
Cassin's Vireo 1
Warbling Vireo 12

8 warbler species (OC and Yellow highest) including an imm. female TENNESSEE
WARBLER (!) seen in nice migrant flock right on opposite side of public
beach access just after dawn; seen from as close as 30 ft as it foraged down
low

returning Fox (9) and Golden-crowned Sparrows (3)
good counts of Purple Finch and Am. Goldfinch

Sept 11--GRIFF PEAK north of HURRICANE HILL
N. Pygmy-Owl 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2
Townsend's Solitaire 1
W. BLUEBIRD 5
MT. BLUEBIRD 1

SEPT 12--CAPE FLATTERY
Cassin's Auklet 4
Tufted Puffin 1

Pacific Golden-Plover 1 (Neah Bay waterfront)
Marbled Godwit 10 (Neah Bay waterfront)

Scott Atkinson
Lake Stevens
mail to: scottratkinson at hotmail.com