I just left Neal Maine and Evan Cain at the shorebird ponds of the South Jetty of the Columbia, shooting pics at unreal near distances of the RUFF, and it's companion LESSER and GREATER YELLOWLEGS. Evan will likely post these later. All birds seemed very tame. They came to us, feeding to within very short distances. Also seen and heard were SHORT and LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, WESTERN and LEAST SANDPIPERS, and one BAIRD's SANDPIPER. From the jetty, a very large stream of SOOTY SHEARWATERS was flying from the river bar towards Del Rey Beach. Looked like the main feeding action was about a quarter mile off the beach in Gearhart area. -- Lee Cain Astoria