Tweeters,

The Bristle-thighed Curlew was seen at least two times today, Saturday, May
23, at Ocean Shores.

It was seen across the street from the parking area at the Pt. Brown jetty
for about half an hour between 7:45 and 8:15 a.m. by a group of three
birders doing a birdathon one whose name was Tony. It had landed just north
of the main road near the first left hand turn east of the jetty and
wandered north to the next east/west road.

I was looking for it at 11:10 a.m. at the east end of the parking area at
the jetty when it flew over me calling - "chu-a-whit, chu-a-whit" -
constantly. The call it quite musical and completely different from that of
a Whimbrel. The BTCU flew straight east all of the way to the mud flats at
the west side of Damon Point. I relocated it there, with the help of three
women from Olympia, at about 11:35 a.m. Kevin Aanarud (sp?) and his wife
Becky (and their six-month-old daughter) joined us within a few minutes. We
got great looks at it, being able to compare it with an accompanying
Whimbrel from a distance of about fifty feet.

This bird is quite buffy. The illustration in National Geographic hardly
does it justice. Combined with black on the back, the buffy feather edges
make it look checkerboarded, as one of the women from Olympia and Kevin
noted. The bill was completely black. It finally flew a short distance,
letting us see its light rufous tail and rump.

It flew again toward the west at about noon, just as a light rain started to
fall, driving us to our cars.

I am sure that I saw it briefly and heard it call Friday night in the cove
at the east side of Damon Point. I was looking at four Whimbrels when they
flew, calling loudly. A fifth bird joined them and called once with a call
completely different from the Whimbrels. Unfortunately, I did not key in on
the call too well. They flew into the brightest area of the evening sky and
I caught the silhouette of a very Whimbrel-like bird. They flew toward the
west and I could not find them again.

I think that the jetty area and Damon Point are the best places to look for
the BTCU. The ocean beaches are a waste of time and the sand is quite soft.
At least it was at 10:00 this morning when Ken Knittle, Marv Breece and I
got stuck in my pickup. Luckily, it only took us twenty minutes to get
going again.

Denny Granstrand
Yakima, WA