Tweets - I did a rather odd swing down into Lewis County before heading west
to Tokeland and Ocean Shores on Monday and Tuesday. Lots of driving.

My first stop was Riffe Lake in Lewis County, east of Mossyrock. I followed
directions in an ancient copy of Washington Birder, and was able to find
about 25 KILLDEER, 2 WESTERN SANDPIPER, 2 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, a WILSON'S
SNIPE, and some AMERICAN PIPITS there. I made a couple of other stops in
Lewis Co., without finding anything of note.

I then drove pretty much straight through to Tokeland, Pacific Co. There
were at least 2000 HEERMAN'S GULLS and several hundred MARBLED GODWITS,
including the very pale one noted previously on Tweeters. Tons of BROWN
PELICAN too, and a few WILLET. Not a whole lot else, though.

Westport was pretty much devoid of birds.

I got to Bottle Beach too long after high tide to pick up any shorebirds but
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER and WHIMBREL (both easy to ID at great distance)
However the walk in featured (in a 50 foot long stretch) SAVANNAH, SONG,
FOX, LINCOLN'S, WHITE-CROWNED and GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS. 6 species among
about 15 total sparrows. Also had ORANGE-CROWNED, YELLOW-RUMPED, and
BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLERS, along with COMMON YELLOWTHROAT. Surprising to
me were a couple of GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS.

Yesterday, I started at the Ocean Shores STP and the Game Range which mostly
featured MOSQUITOES. Also present, though, were scads of AMERICAN PIPIT and
at least 3 LAPLAND LONGSPUR. I then went around to the other access
(Tonquin Ave), where there were several PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, along with
WESTERN and LEAST SANDPIPERS, WILSON'S SNIPE, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, and a
flock of at least 15 PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVERS. I guess I was making the ducks
nervous, because they took whenever I moved. And that invariably led to the
PEREGRINE FALCON chasing after them. It was pretty cool, though I bet the
ducks thought differently.

I didn't walk too far out on Damon Point, but I did come across a flock of
15 LAPLAND LONGSPURS - by far the biggest flock of them I've ever seen.

The woods behind the nature center were pretty active, but nothing rare
there. A couple of YELLOW WARBLERS and a BROWN CREEPER were the best birds
there.

The Hoquiam STP was pretty quiet, with only a few SCAUP and a HORNED GREBE
being at all notable.

I then spent an hour and a half in traffic in Aberdeen!

Schouweiler Wetlands in Elma was really nice, with lots of birds - little
ones and bigger ones - but nothing unusual. WOOD DUCKS, VIRGINA RAILS
calling, PURPLE FINCHES, etc.

So a nice couple of days, but nothing earthshaking.

== Michael Hobbs
== Kirkland, WA
== http://www.marymoor.org/birding.htm
== http://www.marymoor.org/BirdBlog.htm
== birdmarymoor at verizon.net