Bowerman Basin to Tokeland Field Trip (5/13/06) Highlights

... joined Kathy Andrich on a Birdathon Field Trip to Bowerman Basin and down to Tokeland. On the way to the coast we saw about 10 Turkey Vultures kettling outside of Aberdeen. At Bowerman Basin most of us saw our first Yellow Warblers of the year. We heard Pacific-slope Flycatcher, saw American Pipits, and got good looks at a silent Swainson's Thrush. Two Peregrine falcon were working the Western Sandpipers and Semipalmated Plovers here. Hoquiam Sewage ponds had scads of Bonaparte's Gulls in a variety of plumages. We also saw some late Northern Pintail, Ring-necked Duck, and a male Blue-winged Teal.
 
We then went to Bottle Beach on the incoming tide where we saw our biggest highlight of the trip, at least several dozen Red Knots. We also saw many Western Sandpiper with about an equal number of Dunlin, one Marbled Godwit and about 6 Whimbrel foraging with approximately 12 Ruddy Turnstones in the high water debris line. Plus other sandpipers and a small flock of Brant Geese. Next we went to Tokeland and Graveyard Spit, between an d between the two places we saw Spotted Sandpiper, Greater Yellowlegs, Caspian Terns, and hundreds of Marbled Godwits on the rocks at Tokeland.  At Midway Beach we saw several dozen Short-billed Dowitcher with at least one Long-billed Dowitcher in the mix. Also added Lesser Yellowlegs and Least Sandpiper.
 
On the way home at Wenzel Slough loop we saw two Western Wood-Pewee, and got nice close up looks at a Cilff Swallow perched on a wire fence. For the day there were 81 species recorded.