Shades of Gray in Neah Bay

The only shorebirds we saw today were maybe the grayest of our common winter shorebirds, these Dunlin Calidris alpina

Today Bruce Labar and I headed to Neah Bay, WA in hopes of finding the second record Little Stint found late yesterday by the guy who literally wrote the shorebird book, Dennis Paulson. He reported a juvenile Little Stint on the beach near the Warmhouse Restaurant on the waterfront in Neah Bay at low tide late yesterday afternoon. This bird is a usually seen in Europe in breeding season and in Africa in winter, but is rarely seen on both coasts of North America. We saw a lot of gray.

A California Gull * Larus californicus* with Heermann's Gull Larus heermanni (the all dark gray gull with the reddish bill is the Heermann's Gull.

At Neah Bay today it was drizzly, gray and generally dreary when we got there about 8:10 AM, just as it started to get light after leaving Tacoma at 4:30 AM. Almost immediately on the little spit behind the Warmhouse we met Michael Charest (we met him earlier at a gas station potty stop) and heard a twittering noise. I initially thought it was a Bald Eagle but quickly Michael recognized the twittering of a Tropical Kingbird. This is a bird of the far southern U.S. and tropical areas south of there, but after breeding season a small number seem to reverse-migrate north and stop when they hit water. They are seen annually on areas on the south side of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, espe cially at Neah Bay. There were two of this species present together today, and we saw them off and on all day.

Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus

While looking at the TRKI I spotted the first of at least 6 Palm Warblers we saw today. These are another fall specialty in WA, often found near water in low brush in late fall. This relatively rare bird for WA was the only warbler species we saw today.

Palm Warbler (western subspecies) Setophaga palmarum

After this quick start to the day, with two desirable species seen in the first few minutes, the rest of the day was lots of gray. We had gray skies, gray seas, gray birds, and relatively grainy photos because of wet optics. Here are a few of the gray things we saw.

Common Loon in winter plumage Gavia immer

Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola This bird in non-breeding winter plumage is essentially all gray, and is called Gray Plover in Europe where is is seen mostly in southbound migration in this plumage.

Black Turnstones Arenaria melanocephala on a concrete structure in the water near shore.

We did see a few cool things that were not completely gray.

A Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus

A Roosevelt Elk Cervus canadensis roosevelti seen in the Waasch Valley as a part of a herd of about 30 elk.

Summary of the day: A missed chance at a lifer for me, but three first-of-the-year Washington State species (a Swamp Sparrow heard calling was the third) and a nice day afield despite the gray.

Good birding. Steem on!