Hello Whitney,


The birds present are: Marbled Godwits (largest birds present), Short-billed Dowitchers, Black-bellied Plovers, Dunlin, Sanderlings, Western Sandpipers & Caspian Terns. Great find on the Semi-PP.
Hope that helps.


Regards,
Dan Reiff
Mercer island
"Dan Reiff, PhD" <notcalm at comcast.net>



----- Original Message -----
From: "Whitney H" <ms_whitneyk at hotmail.com>
To: "Tweeters" <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2010 4:37:54 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific
Subject: [Tweeters] Ocean Shores & I-90 to Spokane - April 16th-20th

Tweeters -


Just uploaded some new pictures of the mixed flock of birds at Ocean Shores around the Chance Del La Mer access.


Saw quite the group the weekend of April 16th-18th, but need some verification for the largest ones in those flocks from you shorebird experts! (I swear I'm never gonna be able to keep them straight!)


Looked to be a wonderful mixed flock of Dunlins, Sanderlings & Long-billed Dowitchers.... saw one lone Semipalmated Plover cruising with the Sanderlings and a pair of Caspian Terns were doing their own thing. In the sand dunes and closer in the shrubs by the hotels, I saw Orange-crowned Kinglets flitting back and forth, along with the Red-winged Blackbirds. Usual groups of Western Gulls hanging about and a few Canada Geese flying over and away.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/backyardbirderwa/sets/72157604772812367/


I've added them to my normal Ocean Shores Flickr set, but have listed the date underneath & also have them showing newest to oldest for convenience of viewing.


I also drove to Spokane & back Monday/Tuesday April 19th-20th and saw one California Quail chirping and flying about the roof of a shopping mall in E. Spokane Valley. Very amusing.


If you want to have your pick of Red-tail Hawks on nests to observe, I'd say get in your car and drive I-90... all along the side of the road, especially heading West between
Ritzville & Ellensburg, you can have your pick of which nest in a tree by the side of the road you want to watch! If we hadn't been in such a hurry to get back home (after being
away since Friday), I would have made the spouse stop to take a few looks!


Enjoy,
Whitney H.
Des Moines, WA
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