Hi Tweets -

Yesterday Rick Romea and I spent the day in Gray's Harbor County. We
started off in the morning at high tide at Bottle Beach in a blowing
mist. The shorebirds were there in large numbers - 400+ Black-bellied
Plovers many in beautiful plumage, the rest in a variety of other making
for quite a study. 100+ Semi-palmated Plovers. At least 3 Marbled
Godwits, probably 20 Whimbrels, 50+ Short-billed Dowitchers, at least 1
Long-billed Dowitcher, one Sanderling, 3 Least Sandpipers and
approximately 500+ Western Sandpipers. Good studies of all the birds.

Then on to Ocean Shores and Bill's Spit, still close to high tide and
the birds were in there also as was the wind and rain. Probably 600+
Black-bellied Plovers, about 20 Long-billed Curlews, a scattering of
Marbled Godwits and Whimbrels, Dowitcher species, Caspian Terns, a
Common Loon and a Horned Grebe and a huge raft of gulls. Around the
shallow edges were a huge aggregation of peeps including approximately
1500-200 Western Sandpipers, a scattering of Least Sandpipers, and 1
Semi-palmated Sandpiper asleep with some Westerns.

Over to Damon Point and the Damon Pond. The Pond was essentially a dead
zone, there was one Northern Pintail and one Greater Yellowlegs, about 5
Western Sandpipers and two Killdeers, but the Ruff had flown. Just over
the dunes on the channel side was a Sanderling and two Ruddy Turnstones.
On the bay side were three Red-throated Loons.

We next worked over the accesses to the Game Range, with more
Black-bellied Plovers near the water tank, not much at the Tonkin
Access. We parked at the sewer treatment plant and walked out to the
beach. Double-crested and Pelagic Cormorants were perched on the rocks,
and Surf and White-winged Scoters were working the embayment. On the
walk back to the car we had a Wandering Tattler fly over the breakwater
and into one of the big excavations which had some water in it.

Out to the jetty which was crawling with people, but managed to pick up
Black Turnstone and some distant Sooty Shearwaters.

We decided to make another try at Damon Pond and hit paydirt. Just as we
approached the west end of the pond a Golden Plover species flew in to
the area between Rick and I and Tom Schooley. We consulted with Tom and
decided that based on plumage (molting adult) and lack of any wing
extension that we had a Pacific Golden Plover. Nice looks in good light.
Good to see Andy Stepniewski there also.
While we were looking at the plover the Ruff walked out on the edge of
the pond and gave us excellent views. Walked down along the edge of the
pond and talked about the birds with Hal Opperman and JoLynn Edwards.

All in all a great day (in spite of the rain) with 18 species of
shorebirds and just enough others to keep it interesting. Hope folks
have a similar day out there today.

Brian H. Bell
Woodinville WA
bellasoc at isomedia.com