Subject: [Tweeters] Mountian Plover follow-up
Date: Jan 15 21:58:12 2011
From: bill shelmerdine - georn1 at hotmail.com



Greetings Tweeters,
Just to follow up to Keith?s post (thanks Keith). I observed the Mountain Plover between 0900 and 0940 this morning on the outer beach between Copalis Beach and Ocean City. Since I was not sure where to search, I chose the beach access off of Heath St. in Copalis (not the State Park Access). Poor choice, as it is much closer to Ocean City. Fortunately I chose to walk south first, and was able to locate the bird in the fore-dune area 2 miles south of Copalis. A much better choice would be to go north from the beach access in Ocean City. I would estimate the bird was about ? mile north of that access, but since I did not go that way that?s only a guess. I met Ryan Merrill and Evan Houston, on the beach. They were much smarter; they came from the south and were able to drive. Access from Copalis is via a footbridge over Conner Creek (which now by the way empties into the Copalis River rather than the Pacific as shown on older maps). As pointed out previously the bird was located just south of 47.08237 N , 124.17824 W

There were many shorebirds on the outer beach, but the plover was alone and feeding around the debris at the base of the dune. There were a few dozen Semipalmated Plover scattered around, including a few small groups and singles also feeding in fore-dune areas. Most of the shorebirds on the outer beach were Dunlin and Sanderling (a few thousand), along with a smaller number of Western Sandpipers. There was a large, very dark Peregrine and a dark Merlin working the shorebirds in the area. There was also a group of 5 Trumpeter Swans along Conner Creek. The early weather was good (calm), but the rain settled in by 1100 or so. We then headed to the Ocean Shores/ Point Brown Jetty, where about a dozen Rock Sandpipers were with Surfbirds and Black Turnstones in close on the north side of the jetty. From there I headed south as the weather deteriorated. The rest of the day was anticlimactic.

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