White-winged Scoter

The White-winged Scoter is one of the world’s three scoters, all of which are seen in winter along the Washington coast.  They are all in the genus Melanitta from the Greek melas, black, and netta, a duck.  Heinrich Boie (1794-1827) Latinized the Greek word for duck and misspelled it.  However, the principle of priority allows the error to stand

Dunlin

Dunlin

Dunlins are hardy birds that winter farther north than any other shorebird.  This fall and winter they will be along the Washington coast from late October to early May.  Major stopover points for them are the tidal flats and coastal estuaries around Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor and the Samish and Skagit Flats where they forage on marine and freshwater invertebrates by probing a few centimeters into the mud or fine-grained sand.