Subject: [Tweeters] RAS field trip, Westpoer to Takeland, Sunday 9/28
Date: Sep 29 11:04:25 2008
From: Guy McWethy - lguy_mcw at yahoo.com


Tweets,
I led a Rainier Audubon trip to Westport and down to Tokeland on sunday. Nothing spectacular, but it was a WONDERFUL day to be out! Perfect weather!
We met in Westport, where I had previously located a WANDERING TATTLER on the Westport groins by the Harbor Resort, and a couple fo BLACK TURNSTONES flew in as well. We all got great views, and while teetering on the rocks, we watched a NORTHERN FLICKER, and then a RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH land on the rocks, then fly across the channel to Ocean Shores! Not expecting THOSE birds there! We also saww several small flocks of AMERICAN PIPITS fly overhead. And scads of BROWN PELICANS doing straffing runs.
We then headed for Bottle Beach, getting there almost 3 hours before the stated high tide. Which was about the correct timing. The new bridge is Excellent! We has GOLDEN-CROWNED and SOOTY FOX SPARROW in the wood piles before the bridge. Lots of NORTHERN PINTAIL, AMERICAN WIGEON, and GREEN-WINGED TEAL flying overhead. And a huge flock of Cormorants and Brown Pelicans offshore. Shorebirds in good numbers, but small variety: BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER(~60), I believe I saw both LONG-BILLED and SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, DUNLIN and SANDERLING in a wide assortment of Plumages. A few WESTERN SANDPIPERS.
At Graveyard Spit in Tokeland, we had good numbers of CASPIAN TERNS and HEERMANS GULLS, but no Curlews. The highlight here was a small flock of migrating warblers! In the berry bushes at the corner where we parked, we started by pishing at some chickadees, and roused out the migrating flock (and some residents). By the time we were thru, we had BLACK-CAPPED and CHESNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE, WARBLING VIREO, NASHVILLE WARBLER, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, YELLOW WARBLER, GOLDEN-CROWNED and HOUSE SPARROW, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, BEWICK'S WREN, PINE SISKIN, HOUSE FINCH. Nice stop!
At the Tokeland Marina, we were dazzled by the MARBLED GODWITS as usual. While we were there, they flew up 3-4 times, wheeling over the marina and landing back on the jetty. Just fantastic! The usual WILLETS were present, but we could not pull out an unusual Godwit. COMMON LOONS, GREAT BLUE HERONS, but no Jaegar, darn it!
Our last official stop was at Midway beach, where the previous night I had found 10 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS and the BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER in the small pond to the north of the road. On sunday, the pond was gone! Yikes! However, we cruised the edge of the south pond, and eventually we saw 2 groups of 2 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS flying around and diving into the long grass. Then the BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER obligingly come out and walked along the shore of the pond, actually between members of the group! Great views were had by all, and many pictures were taken. We also located 4 SEMI-PALMATED PLOVER, and about 30-40 AMERICAN PIPITS. A small flock of GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were well south of the pond as well, waddling in the mud. Despite a lot of trudging thru the sand, I did not locate any Snowy Plovers. Sigh.
We saw many SAVANNAH SPARROWS during the day, and they all looked very dark to us. Heavy black streaking, and the yellow was extremely bright and vibrant. Is this a Coastal sub-species, or is this just fresh plumage? They really looked different than the ones I see in Eastern Washington, or even in western Washington later in the year!
Several of us did a last stop at the Westpot Jetty, and saw PACIFIC LOONS in Half-moon Bay, and then kicked out a WHIMBREL at the base of the jetty, up near the bluff.

It was a GREAT day, with great company! Thanks to all !!

PS - I was on the Westport Pelagic trip the day before, and had a FANTASTIC trip! In addition to all the usuals, AND the HAWAIIAN PETREL, I saw my lifer YELLOW-BILLED LOON just off the bar as we were coming in. Nice adult in full breeding plumage!
It was a Fantastic Weekend! ;)

Guy McWethy
Renton, WA
mailto: lguy_mcw at yahoo.com