Subject: [Tweeters] 2 American Golden Plovers at Bottle Beach today!!!
Date: Jul 19 23:01:25 2008
From: Ruth Sullivan - godwit513 at msn.com


Hello Tweeters,
I took a chance today since the tide was perfect looking for Shorebirds on
the Cost.I remember last year where we started about this time other
year.The Weather was perfect not to hot,this right.Surprising there was no
birders sighted all day.I visit Acosta first ,than Bottle Beach ,from there
I drove to Tokeland ,Midway Beach,and last Westport.This is only the second
time when I visit the Cost to find that many Shorebirds in this masses.No
one been reporting really a lot so far, I believe this is the beginning of
the large migration.
It was impossible to count this amount,so I concentrating on the ones I
could count,the rest I have to guess.I walked where the pilings where ,this
is where the bigger Shorebird where,I looked all the Black-belly Plovers
over ,but I stopped when I saw 2 smaller plovers close by,it was obvious
that this two birds where Golden Plovers since there also had the right
plumage.I took my camera and start taken photos,some close by Black-bellies
are for comparison.This was my start and I was so exited,nearby was 1 Adult
plumage Ruddy Turnstone and one ,only one on the whole beach Semipalmated
Plover in bright breeding plumage.I counted the PLOVERS as 89 BIRDS, there
where 118 Whimbrel's.
The masses of Shorebirds where Dowitchers of both species,first I heard the
tu tu tu, but in the end I also heard the high pitched keek.But there where
a lot more tu tu tu calls,estimated of this birds where 150
The most of all birds where the one species the Western Sandpipers (I found
not one Least Sandpiper,all of this birds had the same pattern,so you could
not tell the difference,there where all juvenile birds,I was surrounded by
birds so close it is the first time I was so close there surrounded me
guessing the amounts are 50000 birds easy
Other birds there are,White-crowned Sparrows,Song Sparrows ,Wilson Warblers
Yellowthroads,Swainson's thrushes.Cedar Waxwings,lots of Robins and one
flying Great Blue Heron,and 8 Caspian Terns
Next Stop Acosta Rd, 3 Wilson Snipes,,3 Virginia Rails (only heard) 1
Sora,200 Red-winged Blackbirds, The only Duck on this trip where A female
Mallard working across the street with her six Ducklings.1 hovering Kestrel
,2 Rough-winged Swallows with many Barn Swallows.
Next Stop Tokeland:Grave yard Spit,15 Caspian Terns and Gulls.Tokeland
Marina ,25 Adults Heermann's Gulls.
There where NO Marbled Godwit's on the jetty,but the Jetty was full of
Shorebirds as 154 Whimbrel's ,the other birds where Dowitchers and the most
again Western Sandpipers,there also where 9 Willet's
Good new is the two Purple Martin houses are occupied,there where 2 Adult
males flying out but even after 30 minutes never returned.You can see the
nesting material in the houses,
Next going to Midway Beach,I use my Scope to see if I can see some from the
main road,the post are going to be there to the 31 of August,no one is
allowed to enter the breeding area of this birds.Also there I had both
species of Dowithers and Western Sandpipers in the ponds next to the road.I
also had 1 Coopers Hawk and 1 Red-tailed Hawk.I looked for the
Mockingbird,but I had little time left,since I be going to Westport to see
if I find the Marbled Godwit's there on the jetty close to the Cost Guard
Station.But there also where no birds,The only birds I had where the many
Brown Pelican's,and lots of Gulls.I drove behind the Cost Guard Station and
had some Common Murre.Pigeon Guillemot and 1 Marblet Murrelet
It felt all day like old times with Patrick,I needed a pick up to cheer me
up.


Cheers Ruth Sullivan