Greetings Tweeters,
This weekend I spent some time on the WA coast. Except for Friday afternoon, the weather was great and a few good birds were seen. On Friday there was a WESTERN BLUEBIRD along Highway 8, just west of the second McCleary exit when heading west. There were good numbers of birds along the Humptulips River south of Copalis Crossing. Highlights included an adult NORTHERN GOSHAWK along Humptulips Valley Dike Rd, and large numbers of shorebirds (mostly Black-bellied Plover and Dunlin) and geese (including 75 Greater White-fronted) in the fields to the south. Saturday had beautiful weather but no unusual birds. Gull and shorebird numbers on the outer beach were very low, perhaps do to all the activity associated with the Razor Clam opening.

On Sunday I birded the Tokeland area, then up the Willipa River. At Tokeland I was able to locate 3 LONG-TAILED DUCKS, a Pacific County nemesis bird for me. Two males and a female were seen, first from the first turnout past Nelson Crab, then from Toke Point. By the time I checked Toke Point, they were way out to the SW. There were about 2500 Brant, 25 Greater White Fronts, and 9 Willets along with the regulars. A few pairs of Trumpeter Swans were noted between the Tokeland turnoff and the mouth of the Cedar River. At the Willipa Harbor (Raymond?) Airport there was a dark juvenile ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK. South and East of Raymond there were 2 Eurasian Collard Doves west of Highway 6 near Green Creek. At the fields just south of the Willipa Hatchery there was a lot of activity including a small gull flock (about 25) with good variety. The group included GW, Thayers, Herring, Ring-billed, and a couple of flavors of hybrids. There were 2 large and very pale birds, one of which I initially thought was a Glaucous, but after studying photos, have settled on 2 Glaucous x Glaucous-winged hybrids. Both are first year birds. Nonetheless this was an interesting group.

Cheers and good birding,
Bill Shelmerdine, Olympia
mailto: georn1 at hotmail.com