I moved from Port Townsend to Sequim after two weeks so I've been doing a lot of birding in Clallam County lately. At Ediz Hook on Sunday, 09/30/2012, I had three Black Turnstones, many Sanderlings and a group of about 20 Black-bellied Plovers. I tried making any of them into American and/or Pacific Golden-Plovers to no avail. Today, Monday, 10/01/2012, I birded Dungeness NWR. Highlights were two Whimbrels, several Pacific Loons, flocks of Surf Scoters and many of the expected alcids, grebes, etc. At the Kitchen-Dick Ponds in Sequim, I photographed an odd goose that could very well be a Canada x Greater White-fronted Goose. I also photographed what might be a Cackling Goose (ssp. minima or taverneri -- who knows?). If anyone wants to see these pix, let me know. Also seen at 3 Crabs Restaurant, which is now permanently closed (workers were dismantling the air conditioners, etc. on the roof, probably for the metal value), there are thousands of American Wigeon, none of which, I could turn into a Eurasian. A Marbled Godwit was in among the hundreds of mostly Glaucous-winged x Western Gulls, Heermann's Gulls & Ring-billed Gulls. Undoubtedly there were Mew & California Gulls there too but I have yet to master these birds. Other nice birds in the area, especially the fields and little stream near 3 Crabs were Northern Harrier, Green-winged Teal, Long-billed Dowitcher, Gadwall, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, Scaup sp., Mallard, Red-tailed Hawk, Red-shafted Northern Flicker, etc. I finally saw my first Mourning Dove on Sequim-Dungeness Way, having only seen Eurasian Collared-Doves which seem to have followed me from my recent move from Florida! I apologize for that . . . .

Vincent Lucas
Sequim, WA
vplucas at comcast.net