Yes, the bird I saw at FLORAS LAKE was a Lapland. All by itself in the
same general area that the Hinkles saw the Smith's. Got a little to
excited at first! Heard another couple Laplands flyover. They were the
highlights at Floras Lake.
AZ Beach had not much happening, not even a rump.
Checked Euchre Creek but the wind had already picked up. Best birds were
the hundreds of VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS over the river flycatching. A few
VAUX'S SWIFTS were mixed in.
The winds were blasting by the time I hit Gold Beach. There were still
three hundred or so ELEGANT TERNS around. I got rid of three large garbage
bags of popcorn there left over from the Douglas Co. pelagic that wasn't.
The wind was really blowing the popcorn and I got a wad of gulls in a
frenzy at the south jetty. Mostly Westerns, a few GW Gulls, and quite a
few CAs coming to the rapidly moving treats. In the jetty area had all the
usual suspect sparrows and three yellowthroats. No CC Sparrows anywhere I
looked.
On the way back I stopped in the Denmark Cemetery (on the south end of the
Floras Lake loop) which was a wee bit out of the wind and found a TROPICAL
KINGBIRD.
Blowing pretty insanely on the way back, glad I started early!
Merry October all,
Tim R
Coos Bay
