Subject: [Tweeters] MORE DETAILS FROM THIS WEEKEND
Date: Aug 10 15:40:15 2010
From: Ruth Sullivan - godwit513 at comcast.net


Hello Tweeters,
It was not planted ,as Carol Riddell call on Sunday,driving late to the
Ocean.Normal I getting prepared,but it sounded good,and it is time for
migration on the coast
We arrived late,and went right where we birdied the last time,at the
brackish wetlands access from Marine View Drive across the water tower.As we
enter the wetlands,already there where many Shorebirds,consisted of Western
&Least Sandpipers , both species of Yellowlegs,many Long-billed Dowitchers
with some Short.billed Dowitchers,but there was one bird what stood out with
a upcurved Bill,no one would missed this bird,this by the size alone even so
this bird locked kind of drab,and since I saw this species before (not in
this plumage,) my suggestion was Hudsonion Godwit.This bird was so tame that
we could taken many photos,by now it's getting dark it was around 8.00 PM.We
looking now for the field marks this bird seems to being a male in Juvenile
plumage,I forgot Carol spotted far on the other side 2 Black-bellied
Plovers still in full breeding plumage,and 2 Red- necked Phalaropes on the
pond,and 1 Semipalmated Sandpiper,
The next day was Monday morning,and we again looking for this one bird at
6.30 AM,and YES there he was close to the edge of the Marsh,feeding and
feeding,not be bothered by our presence at all and again staying close to
the Dowitchers,but feeding so fast ,most of the time the long bill all the
way in the mud.
We went over to the Sewage Ponds what where disappointing there was only 1
Red phalarope with few Mallard Ducks and Gulls. Next stop we hit the
Jetty,we plit up this time Carol standing on the jetty and I went on the
overlook,here is what we observed.
80 Brown Pelicans,Common Murre (guessing roughly)5000 birds coming in long
lines, Surf Scoters 10 Pelagic Cormorant 9,Lots of Western and
Heermann's Gulls,Pigeon Guillemont 8 birds,BUT NO ROCKBIRD,

We than hit close to the Sewage ponds the outer waters ,There where on the
waters Edge 2 Brant Geese,listed in Dennis and Terence Wahl in the
beginning of November than this birds are almost 3 month early,I remember
Patrick & I many years back had 2 Black Brant Geese in Ocean shores close
where we had them on Monday " at a high tide . "A Guide to Bird finding in
Washington"
Carol is always looking for banded birds and she found 2 Adult and 2
Juvenile Caspian Tern banded, We took down the numbers and she will sent
them in to find out where this birds was banded. there was 38 Caspian Terns
and 3 Pigeon Guillemot.Common Murre 4, DC Cormorant .And 1 Osprey.We went
than to the Rec. Center where we did not finding the large group of Marbled
Godwit's,The water was all the way in a high Tide.
Bills Spit looked deserted not even Gulls where roosting.Carol found the
only Loon in the distance, We parted here ,it was 2.30 in the afternoon
What a great trip this was making you want to coming back for ever Thank
you Carol you had a good hunch to go birding of such short notice.

Cheers Ruth Sullivan