Paula Crockett and myself headed out to Gray's Harbour today for high
tide. It was not a high, high tide so there was still a great deal of
mud to look over. The best birds there were three *Red Knots* in
breeding plumage. On the way out we found a very white 2nd year
*Glaucous gull* at the ponds. We head over to Ocean shores to look again
for the Eider, but with no luck. At the jetty we saw two *Wandering
Tattlers, Black Turnstones *and one *Surf bird*. We also saw large
numbers of *Brown Pelicans*, one group had about 50 birds in it. At the
STP we had some very close looks at* Long-Billed Dowitchers* and we
found some Short-Billed at Bill's spit along with a *Whimbrel. *We did
the Brady Loop on the way back and found that many of fields were much
drier than they were a few weeks ago, we found one wet area with
*Western and Least Sandpipers *and *Dunlins*. While watching them feed
they suddenly froze, we looked up to see a *Merlin* circling over head
and it was being harassed by some Barn Swallows. We also saw a *Scrub
Jay* there as well. We also observed two *Bald Eagles* doing close
synchronized flying is this a courting behaviour or a territorial
display? If anyone out there in tweeter land could enlighten me I would
appreciate it.

Tina Klein-Lebbink
Bellevue, Wa