My wife and I spent this past week wandering around the Olympic peninsula.
Second
time in 40 years. Live too close I guess. As usual we spent much of our time
looking
for birds to photograph as well as animals, bugs and scenery. Didn't do real
well at
any but the birding was particularly slow. We were surprised how often an
area was
devoid of what we expected to find.

We spent Monday night at the Campbell Tree Grove. In the evening I saw a
Swainson's
Thrush, a Chestnut backed Chickadee and an American Dipper. I was up at 4:30
Tuesday
morning watching the moss in the tops of the old growth hemlock and hoping
for
Marbled Murrelets to fly in, but it didn't happen. Of course I listened for
owls but
they were also elsewhere. The sun came out early and we were serenaded by
Varied and
Swainson's thrushes as well as a few Chestnut-backed Chickadees as we were
leaving.

Quinault Lake area was still recovering from 6 inches of rain over the
weekend so we
went on to Klaloch and the beaches. After securing a campsite we drove up to
Ruby
Beach. I saw and photographed the only shorebird we saw on the trip, a
Short-billed
Dowitcher. A few gulls flew over, somewhat high, and that was that for
birds. Got
some pictures of the rocks though. On our way back to the campground we saw
several
flocks of gulls all headed north. I was able to get several pictures of
gulls in
flight. Most were Western but some were California Gull and one picture I
can't
identify. Didn't bird much in the campground as it was pretty full, but did
see a
White-crowned Sparrow and some Cedar Waxwings. At this point I was noticing
the lack
of sparrows, warblers and flycatchers, birds I normally see everywhere.

Wednesday we went up the Hoh River hoping the alder grove before the park
entrance
would produce the Black-throated Gray Warblers mentioned in Bob Morse's
book. It
didn't. We did see a Hairy Woodpecker but it was so still otherwise it was
spooky. At
the visitor center we saw a Dark-eyed Junco, and yes that was all. On the
way out we
pause at a couple clearcuts and saw several birds fly by that we aren't sure
of, but
there was Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, American Robin and our rare bird for
the day,
a Wilson's Warbler. It took me an hour and several replays on my seldom used
ipod
type thing, but I got a picture! We went from there to Rialto Beach where it
turned
windy, cloudy and cool. We didn't stay long but another large flock of mixed
gulls
and terns went over headed north while we were there. I had the wrong lens
out so
didn't get pictures. From there to la Push where they are redoing the
parking area
overlooking first beach, the rock islands and the river mouth. A few gulls
and a
couple of Pigeon Guillimots were out in the river a ways. Nothing I could
see
anyplace of note. We checked the weather report at the coast guard station
and it was
going to remain cloudy, windy and cool for the rest of the week, so we
headed to Salt
Creek campground for the night. Of interest; it was sunny and warm at Forks
the
entire time.

Arriving at Salt Creek well before dark we went down to the water but
nothing was
close in and little farther out. The tide was in so the rocks were covered.
I stayed
a while longer while the wife went to the showers so I got to see a Gray
Whale
spouting and rolling on the far side of the bay. She got back just after it
spouted
the last time out past the point on the west of Crescent Bay. The next
morning the
tide was out and I was on the rocks at 7. I got a quick couple of shots of
Sea
otters, but it was pretty still. A couple of Bald Eagles were close by and
would
occasionly forage and return to eat. A crow was badgering one of them and
produced an
interesting shot. I couldn't get close for any pictures but did observe
Common Murre,
Pigeon Guillimot, White-winged and Surf Scoter as well as a mixture of
gulls, at
least one of which was a Heermann's Gull. A large starfish and a roundheaded
crow
were also photographed. The campground was pretty full so I didn't look for
the
smaller birds but they were not easily seen like often they are. There were
lot's of
crows though.

After leaving Salt Creek we went up the Elwha a ways. Saw and photographed a
female
Dusky Grouse and a chick alongside the road but didn't explore much in that
area.
>From there we headed to Hurricane Ridge. We are starting to feel our age so
we only
strolled the short trail. Lot's of people. Quite a few butterflies. I got a
few good
photos but am still trying to sort out identities. A couple different blues,
a
fritillary, a crescent, a checkerspot and another moth I can't find an
identity for.
I staked myself out on the trail for a while and waited for birds to appear
after
people went by. An immature butterbutt, a Golden-crowned Kinglet, a finch (a
fast
female), and juncos were about it. A juvenile Raven kept squawking off and
on all the
time we were there and as we were leaving I snapped a couple quick shots of
it out
the van window. We stayed at the campground at the bottom of the hill. It
didn't seem
to have any birds, only chipmunks and squirrels. Don't tell antone but I
dropped my
birdseed and the chipmunks got it so I took their picture.

On our way home on Friday we were a little pressed for time as we had a stop
to make
at relatives. We considered stopping at the three crabs area in Sequim but
stopped at
the Hansville area instead as the wife hadn't been there. The point had lots
of
fishermen and boats, no birds. At Hansville there was a Bald Eagle on a
piling and a
few gulls out a ways. I got a picture of a Rhinocerous Auklet at the road
end near
Foulweather Bluff. also one of some cormorants drying out. The auklet was a
way out
so the picture is a bit iffy. Also we saw a Great Blue Heron, guillimots and
more
gulls there. Not as many gulls here or anyplace as I would have expected.
All in all, we spent 5 days and only took a little over 400 shots. Of those
400+
shots only 38 are worth posting and only 18 of those are birds. But we
enjoyed the
trip and the hunt. I probably won't go again for another 40 years though.

I have put the pictures up but won't have the titles finished until later
today. You
can probably tell from the file names which ones I haven't identified yet,
so any
help via e-mail would be appreciated.

Heres a link: http://www.pbase.com/jvhigbee/oly

Joseph Higbee
Spanaway, WA
Mailto: jvhigbee at hotmail.com