Adrian, Em, and I birded the Tillamook area today. Highlight was a
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher that we found at Tillamook Bay Wetlands. From the
parking lot, walk 0.55 miles out the trail to a dike crossing a slough to
your right. Cross the dike and continue another 0.2 miles to a spot
overlooking the estuary. The gnatcatcher was moving around the willows and
alders in that area. According to ebird, Skip Russell saw a gnatcatcher
somewhere on the preserve on the 22nd, but given the lack of directions,
and that it was not seen over the past week despite plenty of coverage, it
was an unexpected find. Photo:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/90462915@N07/22756083904/in/dateposted-public/
We also relocated the Cattle Egret south of McCormick Loop Rd about 0.3
miles east of HWY 101, in a field full of Great Egrets and cows. The
Clay-colored Sparrow obliged for photos (linked in our ebird checklist
here):
http://ebird.org/ebird/pnw/view/checklist?subID=S26036147
The Dickcissel is probably gone. Lots of looking, no luck. Otherwise, we
had a Marbled Godwit halfway out Bayocean Road, a Northern Shrike on Fenk
Road, and a total of ten White-tailed Kites near and around Tillamook.
Good birding,
Christopher Hinkle
