Subject: [Tweeters] Birding the Big STORM on the Ocean yesterday!!!!!!!
Date: Oct 24 15:29:29 2010
From: Ruth Sullivan - godwit513 at comcast.net


Hello Tweeters,
I led a fieldtrip on Saturday to the Ocean for the Black-hills Audubon.We
met at Mud bay at 7.00 AM. At this time it was only light rain,but the
forcast was heavy rain with high winds and big swells on the Ocean
Beaches,but this would not hinder 5 brave birders to show up to birding the
Storm and finding good birds.Every one was well equipt with good rain gear
and great humor.
Our trip was going to John River wildlife to Tokland.
We birded in John River only to the big first Tree on the boardwalk,since we
had our time set to be in Bottle beach at 10.00 AM. do to the verry high
tide at a 9.0 feet consider the wind and heavy rain could make the
differance to consider in.
Here are the birds we had in John River,
Chestnut backed Chickadee 5
Northern Flicker 7
Ring -billed Gull 1
Green winged Teal 3
Golden- crowned Sparrow 1
Song-Sparrow 10
Spotted Towhee 4
Common Raven 1
Purple Finch 2
Marsh Wren 1
A.Robin 4
Steller's Jay 2

Bottle Beach 10.00 AM
an
Walking on the Bordwalk (ooking in to the grassy fields
3 Bull Elk with 1 female
Starting from the entrance of the Beach,there where we saw in awe a
impressing huge movement of Shorebirds flying around beeing desturbed by
the presence of a Northern Harrier,who took of as we approached the
beach,and all Shorbirds settled downand start feeding again.Tio having so
many birds we all wondred how we can come up with something great,The3 most
where all the many Dunlin Western Sandpipers Black-bellied plovers many
Sanderlings ,and many Ducks.I mention the Golden P[lover Patrick and I had
at this season many times
As Gary call ,he found 1 Golden Plover,it turned out to be a PACIFIC Golden
Plover.The tide stat pushen in do to the windy and more rainy condition.We
all got soaking wet here but happy. This are the amount of birds we had on
Bottle Beach:
PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER 1
Dunlin 2500
Sanderlings 150
Western Sandpipers 250,
Short-billed Dowitchers 2
Black-bellied Plovers 150
Brown Pelican 2000 (ofshore feeding)
Western Gull 2
Mew Gull 1
Ring-billed Gull
Northern Pintail 1000 (flying in)
American Wigeon 200
Northern Shoveler 3
Sub Adult Bald Eagle 1
Northern Harrier 1
ANNA'S HUMMING BIRD 1
Song Sparrow 3

Acosta Road (Accross from Bottle Beach)
Male Wooduck 1
Pied-billed Grebe 1
Northern Shoveler 1
Mallard Duck 12
Northern Flicker 1
Red-winged Blackbirds 6
Steller's Jay,1

OYSTER PLACE ROAD
Am.Wigeon 2.500
Northern Pintails 250
(his birds was flying over)

TOKELAND MARINA
Marbled Godwit 800 (there was all scaterd all over the Marina,including
the railings)
Brown Pelican 200 (in the Marina(
Willet (in Winter Plumage) 8
Juvenile Willet 1 (a real pale silver gray bird.He was there in September
when I photographed the Bar-tailed Godwit in breeding plumage.
Brandt's Cormorant 1 Juvenile,
Pelagic Cormorant 1
Double-crested Cormorant 1

Heermann's Gull 850
Common Loon 1
Surf Scoter 5
Steller Jay 1
Great Blue Heron 2


Midway Beach,

By now it gotting worst with the wind,only see righr where the ponds been.
Already in the distance the sky was black with birds all where mostly
Shorebirds.Getting close we could no going to far,the water was all the way
in not getting to the beaches.An other Harrier was flying around and scared
all the birds up to be flying.
Again most all Dunlin 3000 with what we can see Western Sandpiper 50
Flying only Northern Pintails 25
In the distance we sawong line of Dunlin on the other beach 5000
THIS ONE OF THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF 1 SPECIES FOR US

GRAYLAND STATE PARK,
We could not enter the beach from this exit either.The water was pushed in
so far,even walking in was impossible
Again what we could see by flying by from left to right what our eyes could
see ,
Dunlin 3000,with few Western mixed in, looking at the size between this 2
species
Sanderling 30

Westport was our last Stop'It was getting late ,and the Wind got worst
here,We wenrt to both sides Bordwalk & Coast Guard Station
Common Loon 24 , most all still in breeding plumage,
Western Gull, 90
California Gull ,13
Olympic Gulls ,750
Pelagic Cormorant ,15
Double crested Cormorant ,1
Heermann's Gull 800
Marbled Godwit, 150
Bown Pelican, 420
Surf Scoter 10
Harlequin Duck 6
Rock Pigeon 7

With all the bad weather ,this is a trip I always will remember,It was great
that all birders participated in spotting the birds and helped counting.
Cornell Lab of Ornithology want that birds should be counted for a more
study than this the CBC.It takes more time ,but it is helping all in the
future where we standing with the birds what we all loving so much.I did
not counted the species yet and how many individual birds we came up with.

Cheers Ruth Sullivan
































































By now it was afternoon and the weather became real bad with high wind and
rain so hea

Tokeland,
Marbled Godwit 800
The Water was so high ,that some of the birds was sitting on the railing of
Bordwalk on the Marina.
Willet 8 with 1 juvenile all silver gray
Brown Pelican 200 ,many still in breeding where the Crest is stillpale
yellow