I'd been planning a coastal trip of some kind today, to see what might have
been blown in on the weekend's winds - maybe Point no Point, I thought. Then
I saw Steve's post yesterday with sharp-tailed sandpipers, and Whidbey
Island was looking good!



I arrived at Crockett Lake to find John Tubbs already in situ on the same
mission. He told me he'd seen a juvenile buff-breasted sandpiper out there
earlier. Sadly, the biggest flock of peeps was sticking way out on the
mudflats in the middle of the lake, beyond all reasonable hope of picking
out a lifer from the masses. After more than an hour of scoping the
mini-flocks that came in closer, and finding only the expected (westerns,
dunlin, pectorals, black-bellied plover, dowitcher spp, greater
yellowlegs), we both decided to take a break and hope the shorebirds would
move closer a little later.



I headed north to scope the sea from the pull-out on the bluff at West Beach
Rd. Rafts of common loons in varied plumage states, white-winged and surf
scoters, horned grebes, a lone red-necked grebe. And one non-breeding adult
BROWN PELICAN completely dwarfing the loons and gulls around it, that
finally took flight and lumbered off out to sea. I might have been more
excited about the pelican if I was a county lister!



When I returned to Crockett Lake, a little after noon, the situation was
worse. All the peeps were outward bound, not a one to be seen in close. I
did find a small flock of plovers near the road, and easily picked up an
AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER with extra long wings and white eyebrow stripe. John
showed up again shortly, telling me he'd seen a couple of semipalmated
sandpipers along the lake opposite the ferry dock, and he put me onto a
PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER lurking behind a log. The big flock of peeps
obligingly flew in closer, but they were flighty, picking up and relocating
every time a car passed. Plus the light was going with the encroaching rain,
leaching colour, and the wind was picking up, inducing scope shake. We both
abandoned the day without picking up a Baird's or a sharpie, but that isn't
to say they're not there....



Louise Rutter

Kirkland