Hola Tweeters,

I woke up this morning with a strong urge to hear a pounding surf, and decided to head down to Cape Disappointment SP in the SW corner of the state. The temperature was just a degree or two above freezing, but happily no black ice was present. Just thick fog, almost all the way to the Raymond area. After passing through South Bend, I quickly found the Canada/Cackling Goose flock mentioned by Charlie Wright (a couple of days ago on Tweeters) in the field to the north (coastal side) perhaps 200 feet off of the road. Visible without even binoculars were the two Emperor Geese, with the emerging sun reflecting off of their heads and necks. This was just passed Mile Post 53 off of Hwy 101 (also, see Charlie Wright's excellent directions). The flock was very skittish (gun shots were going off in the distance the whole time that I was there) and when I opened my car door, they flew a few hundred feet farther into the field, but were still easily visible with binoculars or a sc!
ope. I
was there from 9:40-10:00 or so.

Just beyond MP 52, in a field on the same side of the road, I found one of the White-tailed Kites that Charlie Wright had also mentioned. Nearby were two Red-tailed Hawks which it totally ignored. A coyote was also trotting in the field at this time.

At MP 16, just before the turn off to Hwy. 4, I spotted a Peregrine Falcon in a tree to the left (east) of Hwy. 101. Birding was pretty slow at Cape Disappointment SP. I hiked through the narrow Sitka Spruce forest near the visitor center, and, although I mainly saw typical winter species, it was just nice to be out and not getting rained on. While standing still and watching a small flock of Pine Siskins in a nearby tree, a coyote walked to within 15 feet of me before it noticed that I was there. Back at the parking lot, 3 juvenile Bald Eagles flew perhaps ten feet above the cars. There must have been at least ten people there, and not one person looked up and noticed them.

I went to the beach at the end of the road (passed Waikiki Beach!). There were at least 200 Sanderlings chasing and fleeing from the waves. I went on the jetty, but there were very few water birds about. There was 1 Common Murre that was already in breeding plumage.

The only other bird of note was a Lincoln's Sparrow that I spotted toward the end of the day while birding in the Montesano area. I also saw two herds of elk off of Hwy 101 near MP 45 and MP 52.
Good birding,

Lonnie Somer
Olympia WA
wheelermombi at comast.net