Black Skimmers in with the terns...
This is where I left off with my last post on a day trip to the coast...this shallow pool up by the shore bird breeding area.
Once I got down to the lower part beyond that grass was a small group of Willets, with Short Billed Dowitcher and one Greater Yellow Legs. Two of these willets had one leg! They were hopping around
Up on the sign this willet seems to have a healed broken leg...
the Western Sandpiper I saw was rare, but honestly it just has not been reported...like Jen pointed out no green bars in the bar graph basically for the last 2 weeks of June and the first 2 weeks of July, but I think that is only because its hot and no one has turned in a checklist so anyway here it is!
the Western Sandpiper..
I didn't see anybody list the American Oystercatcher so I guess I got lucky and saw these two..
I hoped to see the Whimbrel, but it was no where in sight...some areas were closed. I had been up there 3 hrs and 45 minutes and I took one break but it was getting hot now and I was tired and ready to get back to the parking lot where I had my lunch waiting so I headed back...toward the jetty.
I passed by the sand spit area now under water as the tide is coming in and earlier I had seen one female Black Scoter and now there was more...
The black male and females...there was about 19 all total most were on the beach...
And this ONE Surf Scoter was with them...
I had seen both on the Oregon coast but not these good looks from the high cliffs so this was good to see! Also rare birds! My list ended up with 3 rare birds! So I head for the jetty and there's some Snowy Egret hunting along the rocks...
Some toes missing there...
The Great Blue Heron in the marsh grass blends in so well...
Brown Pelican
The walk back along the dunes has signs like this one and is roped off to protect shore bird and loggerhead turtle nesting areas...
Dogs are not allowed in this area...the high tide was occurring on my walk back so I made a brisk walk and was pretty done when I finally arrived...I had my lunch under one of the picnic shelters...
there's a crab hiding in there...here is one just peeping out of his hole..
This bush is decorated by seashells! The tide is doing the decorating...
It was so neat!!
Lunch!
Then I went to the boardwalk, but with the high tide in, I saw more waders but I had hoped for rails and sandpipers and other shore birds...I did see many Great Egrets, Double Crested Cormorants, and Anhinga's
One Tri-colored Heron,
On the way off the boardwalk spotted some Wood Stork in the trees...
then it was time to head back home...the weather was quite different when I left at 5 pm, and much hotter inland...
On the way home I saw a cloud with a silver lining!!
PEACE
Every day is a new Adventure.
