Tweets, I may have discovered the technique for finding the
Chestnut-collared Longspur at Oyhut Game Range/Tonquin St access in Ocean
Shores: Spend hours roaming the dunes and grasses between the pond and
harbor, give up, and head back to the car. A few dozen paces before
reaching the eastern extremity of the pond, the bird will flush from about
20-30 yards from the water's edge. I was two-for-two on Monday late
afternoon/evening. As reported, the bird moves around quite a bit -- I saw
it airborne two additional times -- but no further west than about the
one-third point of the pond, and south and east into the more open dune
grass. The bird rises quickly up into the wind (unlike the sparrows),
vocalizes a few quick notes, and appears quite dark above, especially the
inner tail contrasting with plenty of white on the outer tail.
Unfortunately I did not have the pleasure (skill?) of observing this beauty
on the ground. No Ruff or Stilt Sndpr was present; found one Semi-palmated
Sndpr with hundreds of Westerns. I've never seen more shearwaters so close
to the Point Brown jetty -- the wind was up pretty good toward sunset.
About 6 Ruddy Turnstone were near the base of the jetty. A handsome
juvenile Bonaparte's Gull was hanging with the gull gang at the Hoquiam
STP. Oh, and a dryer alternate access to Oyhut is walking in from the
designated parking access across from the cement water tank. Good birding!

-- Paul Hicks / Tenino / phicks AT accessgrace DOT org