Saturday, May 5, 2018

Skipanon River and Clatsop County 5/5/18



I thought I would throw together a quick blog about the Skipanon River. This area was once accessed from King Ave, that road is blocked.  I am not sure, I think this is state land leased to Port of Astoria.  That might be wrong.  In any case, I go out there and other folks go on walks out there.  No signs say it is closed.  Hunters use it in winter.

It has been pointed out and I agree, this area is not a park and not managed for public access. The area out to the bare sand is mostly owned by Port of Astoria, area from sand out to bay is state land, some areas are leased to LNG site organizers.  And note, I did mark one homeless camp.


A map for your use:






On very low tides I walk out the red line, depending on sand bars, to get to shorebirds out on the flats.  

A look from dry land out onto flats.




Dunlin and Western Sandpipers


















13 seconds of peeps.




Other birds seen today:

Only Mew Gulls I saw were all first summer birds.



Marbled Godwit




Black-bellied Plover


Least Sandpiper, obvious longer toed and smaller.




Least Sandpiper compared to Sanderling



Red Knot





1 comment:

  1. The ponds at the end of King Avenue in Warrenton provided many rare shorebirds to me over the years. American Golden-Plover, Semipalmated Sandpipers, Stilt Sandpipers, Solitary Sandpipers. It looks like I was first out there in July 1988 and last visited in July of 1993. Access must have been lost then, and I didn't know about this new way of getting there.

    Of course, now I don't live anywhere nearby. But it is heartening to know that shorebirds still are abundant here.

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