Hope this isn't too late to be of some interest, but we just returned yesterday (and just now checking email) from the Olympic Peninsula and a brief stop at Dungeness Spit, where I saw a group of ducks resting in the lagoon side very close to shore consisting of 4 female and 1 male GREATER SCAUP with a female HARLEQUIN DUCK hanging around close by with them. Also an active and precocious group of little peeps, which I got some great pics of as they moved to just a few feet away from me for some minutes as I crouched by a log. Not being real strong on "off the cuff" peeps ID yet, I was able to scrutinize the pics at home and have concluded they were juvenile SANDLERLINGS. Anybody interested in seeing a copy of a pic, I'll gladly e-mail. Got a nice pic of a RING-BILLED GULL. Also saw a few terns fishing the lagoon (wasn't able to get an ID on them), GREAT BLUE HERON in a fir tree in front of the bluff, and a BELTED KINGFISHER by the pond not far from the trail. CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES near the foot of the trail to the spit, a vocal WINTER WREN up in the woods, and on the drive back to highway 101, a nice close view of a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK skimming low over a grassy field. So that's not Ediz Hook but in the neighborhood, so to speak. Those are the highlights that stick out in my mind.

Spent a couple days out at Kalaloch perusing tidal pools and visiting La Push and Rialto Beach (brief stops) and the Hoh Rain Forest. Watching the numerous BROWN PELICANS is always a treat, with their retinue of chocolate juvie HEERMAN's GULLS. As well as birds we enjoyed the usual Harbor Seals but also from Beach 4 saw a Sea Otter and watched a Humpback Whale who stayed in the area for some time, presumably feeding since it stayed in the same areas where the seabirds were swarming and feeding, and at Rialto some Harbor Porpoises were feeding close in with the seals. Of course we saw Chickarees, chipmunks, deer and a good-sized Elk herd was hanging out at the Forks Airport so we felt that our 2 visitors from northern Germany (one finishing her PhD in micro-marinebiology) had a goodly taste of what the Peninsula has to offer, considering we only had 3 days (2 nights) for the trip.

Dee Warnock
Edmonds
BeachDee at hotmail.com


Msg 18
> Date: Thu, 9 Sep 2010 12:34:05 -0500
> From: "Les,Angie & Tucker Lutter" <lutter at netins.net>
> Subject: [Tweeters] Ediz Hook Info? (no sightings)
> To: <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
> Message-ID: <8A5F61AB85F54EDFAC15508C6FFC2B39 at AngiePC>
> Hello everyone, I was wondering if anyone could tell me more about the Ediz Hook Reservation for Native Birds in Port Angeles. I was wondering what sort of access there is and what kind of birds one might see. Black Oystercatcher, Black Turnstone, Whimbrel, Harlequin Duck, etc? If not there, then where might I find these within a reasonable distance of the city?
> Also, I am on a mission to find California Quail as well as Brant. Any consistent locations for these in the Port Angeles vicinity?
> I need this information by Friday night, if not sooner.
> Thanks in advance!
> Tucker Lutter
> Iowa