NEAH BAY AREA

23-25 NOVEMBER 2012



On Friday, 23 November, Ellen and I met up with Steve Giles and birded Neah
Bay, hoping for luck with a few of the great list of rare birds noted there
this fall. Despite several repeated canvassing of the "hot spots" (the
residential area near the Veterans Memorial, the track alongside alder and
spruce woods north from this memorial to the breakwater, and the scruffy
woodland south of the Mini-Mart), we dipped on any of the hot birds such as
Orchard Oriole, Tennessee Warbler, and Clay-colored Sparrow. We were,
however, richly rewarded with a delightful assemblage of loons, grebes,
diving ducks, alcids, and gulls, and a nice sprinkling of the expected
landbirds. Neah Bay in tranquil weather is a superb birding site in the
winter!



We began by birding the track north to the breakwater, noting lots of
sparrows (Spotted Towhee (15), Fox Sparrow (35+), Song Sparrow (10),
Golden-crowned Sparrow (4), and Dark-eyed Junco (50). Other land birds
were: Northern Flicker, Steller's Jay, Northwestern Crow (seems to be what
crows are called here), Common Raven, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Pacific
Wren, Marsh Wren, Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Varied Thrush,
Townsend's Warbler, Red-winged Blackbird, and Red Crossbill.



>From the jetty we scoped calm Neah Bay, fairly sprinkled with waterbirds,
including 18 species of waterfowl, with good numbers of White-winged Scotors
and a few Blacks. We scoped three species of loons with Red-throated being
conspicuous and four species of grebes with Westerns being most numerous.
Red-necked were few, somewhat surprising. Most noteworthy were several
Pied-billed in the kelp, unique in our experience. We tallied all three
cormorants, with Brandts mostly on the strait side of the breakwater. Eight
species of gulls were another feature, easy-to-study at an inlet creek on
the southwest side of the bay, a favored bathing spot. Here we had great
looks at an adult Black-legged Kittiwake, a species we rarely observe on the
beach. We had good looks at Thayer's Gulls, too.



At the nearby Waatch River, we easily found two SWAMP SPARROWS at "Ryan
Merrill's marsh," in cattails 100 yards east of transfer station. We had
great looks at a Virginia Rail here, too. Trumpeter Swans were feeding in
the river, another treat. Across the river on the south side of the dike
road bisecting the estuary, a SNOWY OWL perched nobly in the green grass. On
the overhead wires, a Northern Shrike and Western Meadowlark perched. A
Lincoln's Sparrow popped up from a brushy patch, too.



Late in the afternoon after Steve had departed we hit the jetty again and
were treated to two ANCIENT MURRELETS and, very surprisingly, a CASSIN'S
AUKLET, diving in the outermost kelp beds. I had never encountered either
species amongst kelp before. Also here were Marbled Murrelets and a Common
Murre. Rhinoceros Auklets flew by farther out towards the straits. A Pigeon
Guillemot or two loafed in the harbor, making this area a "Six Alcid Stop."





Saturday morning, Ellen and I headed out to Cape Flattery, reached by a
one-mile hike through a fine old growth forest of Sitka Spruce and Western
Redcedar. Forest birds were very sparse (Pacific Wren, Varied Thrush, and
Red Crossbill) but there was lots of activity in the waters off the cape.
Most noticeable were cormorants, both Brandts and Pelagic, followed by
hundreds of loons (mainly Pacific and Red-throated) commuting to feeding
sites. BROWN PELICANS, at least 20, were fishing off the north end of
Tatoosh Island. In the alcid clan we could spot only identify Common Murres
with certainty, though scattered murrelets flew by a mile or so offshore;
these we could not identify to species. Over that area of rough water were a
handful of shearwaters, probable Short-tailed. On Tatoosh Island, were both
Bald Eagles and a Peregrine Falcon.







In the afternoon we birded Neah Bay again, again checking the rarity
hotspots, once again without any luck. Then we hit the waters north of the
breakwater, as we had enjoyed this vantage so much the day before. Well,
the activity was much less this time; we had but two alcids: Common Murre
and Marbled Murrelet. We were treated, however, to a fine showing of both
Surfbirds and Black Turnstones foraging near water level on the breakwater,
as it was low tide.

Late Saturday afternoon we found a TROPICAL KINGBIRD on the beach wrack at
4:15 pm., 15 minutes after local sunset. The bird appeared to be foraging
at ground level on the kelp. We wondered if this spot is where insects
remain active even at 43 F? We were amazed!



Sunday morning, after a wonderful night in one of the cabins at Hobuck Beach
Resort, we walked the beach north to the spit. Several Western Meadowlarks
flushed up from the dune grass and gulls congregated at the mouth of the
Waatch River, bathing. Our only Ring-billed Gull of the trip was here.
Returning to the resort grounds, the TROPICAL KINGBIRD was flycatching from
one of the tall spruces edging the dunes. It seemed to be finding bug as as
it made frequent sallys out into the very cool morning air; the temperature
was 37 degrees.



Our list for two plus days of birding and exploring in the Neah Bay area
totaled 96 species, a very satisfying count.





Andy and Ellen Stepniewski

Wapato WA

steppie at nwinfo.net