Thank you, Blair, for your excellent summary about the birds at Neah Bay, and thanks to everyone who has been birding in Neah Bay and finding great birds. It is truly a treasure, not only for rare birds, but also for the incredible passages of western migrants and seabirds offshore.

One more little thing to add to the discussion. Everyone, please be mindful that we are guests on the Makah reservation at Neah Bay. We REALLY REALLY REALLY want the Makah Tribe to like birders visiting their reservation. Make sure to buy a Makah Recreational Pass when first arriving in town, like at Washburn?s Store, Makah Minimart, or the Makah Museum, then show it in your car. Let them know that we are appreciative birders. Please do not park cars in the roads where the cars block traffic. Find out where birders are allowed to go and not go, and follow the rules. Don?t assume it is okay to go somewhere just because there is no sign. Be particularly respectful in their residential neighborhoods. Take time to talk to people and let them know how much we appreciate being allowed to go birding on their reservation. Buy things. Eat at the restaurants. Stay in a motel or campground. Be nice!

The president and secretary of the Three Crabs homeowners association recently complained to me about rude birders and the traffic jams at Three Crabs when the Ruff and Sharp-tailed Sandpiper were here. I apologized, however I also explained to them that it is a Clallam County road and birders are pedestrians just like everyone else. What they really complained about were birders? parked cars blocking traffic, birders standing in the road oblivious when other cars wanted to go by, birders trespassing in the construction area where they shouldn?t have been, and birders replying rudely when asked to move their cars. It comes back to haunt local birders because now these people have labeled all birders as rude and inconsiderate. We really don?t want the Makahs at Neah Bay to think the same thing, so please, everyone, go out of your way to be nice at Neah Bay (and everywhere?!).

Thanks!!
Bob Boekelheide
Sequim


From: B B <birder4184 at yahoo.com <mailto:birder4184 at yahoo.com>>
Subject: [Tweeters] Blog Post - Neah Bay - Amazing in October and November - 2012 - 2016
Date: November 2, 2016 at 9:12:42 AM PDT
To: "tweeters at uw.edu <mailto:tweeters at uw.edu>" <tweeters at uw.edu <mailto:tweeters at uw.edu>>
Cc: "B. B." <birder4183 at gmail.com <mailto:birder4183 at gmail.com>>, Jfgatchet <jfgatchet at gmail.com <mailto:jfgatchet at gmail.com>>, Brian Pendleton <kc7wpd at hotmail.com <mailto:kc7wpd at hotmail.com>>
Reply-To: B B <birder4184 at yahoo.com <mailto:birder4184 at yahoo.com>>


Anyone following Tweeters or Ebird is well aware of the activity in Neah Bay recently. Great birds. It is a pattern that has been the case for many years - certainly since I returned to active (too active?) birding in 2012. In just the two months of October and November in that 5 year period (with the rest of November this year still ahead), Ebird reports observations of 226 species. And many of them have been of notable or even exceptional species - the first state record of Field Sparrow found by Eric Heisey and Scott Downes and seen by many others (not me) on October 29th being the latest.

I have a number of Neah Bay related posts on my blog. As I started to write up a fun trip with Brian Pendleton on the 31st where we ran into and birded with John Gatchet, I reflected on the incredible recent history at Neah Bay and ended up writing a two part blog post which I have dubbed The Neah Bay October/November Phenomenon. Part I primarily looks back on 2013 and 2014 and Part II reflects on 2014 through tht October 29, 2016 trip and includes a summary of those amazing bird observations. Enjoy...