Subject: [Tweeters] Common nighthawk over Ft. Lewis
Date: Aug 16 21:42:48 2009
From: stahlfelde at aol.com - stahlfelde at aol.com



This afternoon I saw a Common Nighthawk flying low over I-5 about 150 yards south of the Ft. Lewis Military Museum, while driving home from a weekend camping trip along the coast.? I can't recall the last time I saw?a nighthawk?during broad daylight.



I didn't see much of interest along the coast.? One Snowy Plover eventually flew into the ponds along Midway Beach Road (for those who still want directions, that's 6.4 miles south of the intersection at the Twin Harbors State Park where SR 105 makes the left turn by my odometer; at mile post 23.9 according to the very accurate Bob Morse book), and a half-dozen Willets at Tokeland and five Whimbrel along the high tide line about a quarter-mile north of the Twin Harbors access.



It's really interesting how much the tide drives the shorebirds.? We were too late by a few minutes at the 7th Street access north of Tokeland.? Had we arrived a half-hour later at Bottle Beach I'm sure everything would have flown as well (it's best get there a couple hours before high tide, I think).? High tide Saturday evening had cleared out Half Moon Bay at Westport.



Eric Stahlfeld

Burien, WA