Just got back from some high tide birding at Ediz Hook. It was pretty rainy, so scoping was difficult. Whilst counting gulls on the log booms, I heard the twittering pip pip of Phalaropes from the north side of the jetty. I kind of climbed over the thing and saw a continuous line of Red-necked Phalaropes "working" a tidal convergence zone about 250 meters from the jetty. I estimated over 2800 birds in the quarter mile that I could see, but the birds extended further west than I was able to make out. The most Phalaropes that I've seen in one place.
Also had a flyby Pluvialis with light wingpits, but couldn't relocate the bird. Bummer, would have been my first "golden" Plover of Clallam Co.
Also,
370 Heerman's Gulls
430 California Gulls
60 Glaucous-winged Gulls
4 Western Gulls, (all 1st year)
7 Western Sandpiper
20 Black Turnstones
29 Black-bellied Plover
1 Merlin
3 Common Loon
1 Red-throated Loon
7 Pelagic Cormorants
24 Harlequin Ducks
2 Pigeon Guillemot (basic plumage)
Several of the California Gulls seemed to dwarf adjacent CAGU's, and I tried to make them into something else, but the leg color, mantle, and wing-tips were identical, and left no other choice. Anyone familiar with CAGU's exhibiting approx. 25 % size variation. I took some shaky video that I might try and put on the web. It was interesting
Good Birding

Drew Wheelan
Port Angeles, WA