Hello All,

This week MerryLynn and I took leave from the beautiful, hot Walla Walla Valley and spent six days on the coast from Astoria north to Westport. Upon our arrival on the Long Beach Peninsula the air temps stood right at 94 F. So we figured we would bird early mornings and late evenings. Within 25 min of our arrival the temp dropped from 94F down to 67F and we never saw the temps above 61F the rest of the week. Perfect cool weather. Some drizzle, rain, wind and lots of birds.

Birds of interest seen from 14-19 August on the Southwest Coast.

Canada Geese (Dusky race)- 230+ at the Palix River meadows.
Pink-footed Shearwater-1 bird-Grayland Beach
Sooty Shearwater-8000 birds-Grayland Beach, 5000 birds off Klipsand Beach, 10,000 off Ledbetter Point SP
Brown Pelican-875 birds past North Head Light
Double Crested Cormorant-1200 past the North Head Light
Brandt's Cormorant-210 at North Head Light
Great Blue Heron-42 birds in one area-Tokeland
Bald Eagle-3 ad. on Grayland Beach snagging Herring out of the surf.
Virginia Rail-3 birds at Beards Hollow, Cape Disappointment
Black-bellied Plover-579 birds at Bottle Beach
Semipalmated Plover-57 birds on Long Beach
Black Oystercatcher-4 birds on North Head Light-two adults with two week old chicks.
Ruddy Turnstones-2 birds at Midway Beach
Red Knot-4 birds at Bottle Beach
Bairds Sandpiper-12 on Midway Beach
Red-necked Phalarope-1 bird on Midway Beach
Heermann's Gull-400 on Klipsand Beach, 375 on Midway Beach, 600 on Long Beach
California Gull-10,000+ on Grayland Beach-most we have ever seen on the WA Coast
Lesser Black-backed Gull-1 ad. on Grayland Beach-first summer and Grays Harbor county record. See MerryLynn's Flicker site below.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-ml_wallawalla/

Black-legged Kittiwake-1 bird-Grayland Beach
Caspian Tern-1100 birds off North Head Light
Common Tern-7 birds off Sunset Beach
Common Murre-500 adults and two chicks off North Head Light, 300+ off Long Beach and no Chicks
Pigeon Guillemont-42 at Westport
Marbled Murrelets-2 off Klipsand Beach

Well that is it for this trip. Great fun, cool and worth every dime.
Later Mike
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Mike & MerryLynn Denny
Birding the beautiful Walla Walla Valley

"If you haven't birded, you haven't lived"