Wow, you're really adding up the Hudwits!

When your car wouldn't start, was your steering wheel at 12:00? I sometimes have a touch of trouble if mine isn't in this configuration, but not like that! I hope you get it looked at before you need to drive very far again!

Diane Y-Q

________________________________
From: Tweeters <tweeters-bounces at mailman11.u.washington.edu> on behalf of B B <birder4184 at yahoo.com>
Sent: Monday, August 5, 2019 4:28 PM
To: tweeters at uw.edu <tweeters at uw.edu>
Subject: [Tweeters] The Hudsonian Godwit at Crockett Lake on Whidbey Island - A Happy Ending after a Story with a Bad Start

With all of the negativity in the world these days, I tell non-birding friends that birding is a great escape/distraction. After the horrors of El Paso and Dayton (and Washington, D.C.), I really needed to get away today. I was in line for the 7:30 Mukilteo Ferry and when I went to turn on the engine to start boarding, the electrical system was working but somehow the car was locked into Park and I could not get it started or moving. With the cooperation of many of the Washington State Ferry personnel, all other vehicles got around me and boarded. I won't go into all the details, but the car remained frozen for 40 minutes; a tow truck was called; and ferry personnel were super nice and supportive.

Miraculously just as the 8:30 ferry was boarding, my car became operable and I decided to risk it and board. It rebelled for a moment but fortunately started again as it was time to disembark. I made no coffee or bathroom stops along the way and made it to Crockett Lake around 9:30. I figured one way or the other there would be a story to retell. Since the Hudsonian Godwit was not reported yesterday and I had seen one earlier in Sequim, I just wanted to see what was around hopefully including a FOY Baird's Sandpiper. There were hundreds of birds at the Lake - mostly peeps but as reported earlier a mix of others and I found at least one Baird's Sandpiper - probably two although I am not sure if the second was the same as the first just moved several hundred yards away.

I saw no Godwits but the larger shorebirds were very distant so I walked out through the Salicornia om a rough "path" starting from the 50 MPH sign towards the East end of the lake. Then I saw a single large shorebird that turned out to be the Hudsonian Godwit. It foraged alone in roughly the same spot (sort of a channel) for more than 45 minutes and was still there when I left around 11:00. Peeps - mostly Least Sandpipers came and went and were at times right next to it. They were completely ignored.

And my car started again and I made it home - with two good stories - the Godwit and the working vehicle. Actually 3 as the ferry people really were terrific - lots of good people out there when we are open to them.

A photo is at


http://www.flickr.com/photos/127293169 at N07/48466717526/<https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2F127293169%40N07%2F48466717526%2F&data=02%7C01%7C%7C1611444a9a62435ad40a08d719fcc554%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637006445766697904&sdata=yir5lgYSkol70UaGJfzf8qfT%2BPbqpaGBVJ7fv2M%2BTP8%3D&reserved=0>
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