Tweeters: I was back out in Clallam County for a survey at Graysmarsh yesterday, finding 110 species. I was solo, as Anne Winskie could not make it this year--Anne, you were missed. Plenty of birds around despite dark and at times drizzly weather. The two most exciting birds were right at the public beach access parking spot at the end of Wilcox Lane: a third-winter LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was in a gull flock just west of the public beach access on the Sunny Shores (private property), but was readily visible and no need to trespass to see it. On first encounter, I figured I had a SLATY-BACKED, but the wingtip pattern (among others) was wrong. Nonetheless this is a very dark-mantled bird (with a hint of remaining dark brown hue) and with black tail band, about the size of Calif. Gull; it has a much less apparent gonys and generally shorter bill than the GW x W, Westerns and GW that are the main gulls there, the bird is slimmer than the larger gulls also. The bill is smudged dark but has a light yellowish hook/end of upper mandible. Also of note is the yellow iris of the eye, very prominent; the bird has light flesh-colored legs as some of the species retain these through 3rd winter. Primaries quite black from below at wingtips. Alas, I did not remember to bring the camera like last time. Interestingly, I had a 2nd-winter bird here (photographed) several years ago, in addition to Bob Norton's bird at Port Angeles before that. The other notable bird for the parking spot at the end of Wilcox Lane was a EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE heard-only here right at dawn, noteworthy in that this is a bit east of the main location between Three Crabs and the Oyster House area where several birds have been seen recently. The most prominent bird of the day, however, was GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, which seemed to be almost everywhere and audible virtually at all times--I counted over 700, by far Grays' highest count. Most memorable were continuous small groups of 10-25 birds coming into the marsh: perhaps a third or half the birds in each group would fly in erratically, with sharp twists and turns that produced amazingly loud wing whooshes--quite impressive when combined with a cacaphony of high-pitched cries! A number of our regular summerers were hanging in there at various places on the property, so I established some late dates for several, highlights as follows:
FOS=first of season (at least for yours truly)
Gr. White-fronted Goose 721 Cackling Goose 29Eared Grebe 1Merlin 2Long-billed Dowitcher 8Short-billed Dowitcher 1Wilson's Snipe 8Pectoral Sandpiper 4Dunlin 25 (FOS)Thayer's Gull 2 (FOS)SWAINSON'S THRUSH 1 (late, night migrant)Hermit Thrush 3
Ruby-cr. Kinglet 26Am. Pipit 97 (throughout dunes, marsh)CASSIN'S VIREO 1 (late, Coon Run)5 warbler species including BLACK-THROATED GRAY 1 and YELLOW 2 (both slightly late), Orange-crowned 78 sparrow species (316 individuals, not incl. Junco), including FOS WHITE-THROATED (2, tan-striped) and SWAMP (ad.)W. Meadowlark 2 (FOS) Of regulars, N. PINTAIL, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE, BEWICK'S WREN, SPOTTED TOWHEE and PURPLE FINCH appear to have had very high numbers for all surveys to date. Mammalia also provided interest--Grays' first modern report of BLACK BEAR (mother + cub) was received for s. Graysmarsh, reported by two different observers, in the last week. The animals were frequenting Anne's s.e. corner closest to Port Williams (Marilyn Nelson) County Park. Also of note: an impressively-sized herd of ROOSEVELT ELK here. The most exciting encounter (which first I thought was a Flammulated Owl!) was an apparent HOARY BAT, late migrant, at Einarsen Meadow. It was perched atop a young Grand Fir at the edge of the meadow at about 5 a.m., flew right in front of the car, flew out over the meadow and captured a prey item hawking-style; it then returned to the forest but I lost sight of it there. The flight was direct enough to be indicative of an owl, but was more agile and airy than larger owls; but size (approx 6") was too small for N. Saw-whet Owl (two of which were found earlier); coloration was also clearly gray in the headlights. Still, internet research suggests Hoaries have a more direct and less butterfly-like flight than other bats, and will hawk insects at forest's edge much like a Flamm and with minimal butterfly/erratic wing stroke effect, often perching in small trees at the edge. The habitat (dry, open fir forest sloping down to pasture) is prime for moth-hawking. It goes without saying that Hoary Bat is much more likely than Flamm anyway, although I believe we now have two fall Flamm records for wWA--the last report I recall was of a bird found on Whidbey I in early October many years back and if memory serves the other was a specimen, also from October.

Finally, a dead SPOTTED SKUNK was mushed in 101 near Sequim Bay State Park, this species seems much less common here than our regular Striped. Scott AtkinsonLake Stevensmail to: scottratkinson at hotmail.com
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