I woke up this morning not wanting to do anything but vege in front of the TV
since I spent the last week either birding non-stop from a Pelagic on
Saturday, to the Okanogan Highlands on Sunday through Tuesday, and a day at
Ocean Shores on Wednesday, or Working 12 hour shifts at my job the other half
of the week. But the prospect of seeing Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Ocean
Shores was just too much of a draw for me, and not wanting to waste a nice
day NOT BIRDING, I headed down to Ocean Shores just in time to catch the tide
at a high level.
I arrived at Damon Point at around 10:00AM, a few hours before high tide, but
I thought I would try to bird the pond at the point anyways. I had just
walked around to the far side of the pond, and wanting to get some use out of
my brand new Spotting Scope, I was checking out some Savannah Sparrows and
basic plumaged American Goldfinch at high power. How crisp each feather
looked through my Bausch and Lomb Elite 80mm ED at 40+ power! As I was
admiring the simplistic subtleties of the winter plumaged Goldfinch, I
happened to take a quick glance downward and there not 2 feet away from my
boots, were not, 1, not 2, but THREE BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS! I was shocked
that they were so close, and oblivious to my presence. And my camera of
course was back in the car, as it always goes when you have a descent bird
within arms reach. I spooked them when I moved slightly, and they flew off
to the other end of the pond. I walked around and could not relocate them.
As I was about to leave, I ran into Greg Toffic who had just arrived. So I
headed back to the pond with him, in search again for the BBSA's.
As we again approached the pond, we noted 2 PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVERS, 1
juvenile bird, and one adult still molting from alternate plumage. Tail
extension was notably short, as is with this species.
LEAST SANDPIPERS were walking in the grass, which got our hopes up for a
brief time. We encountered a few more LEAST SANDS at the beginning of the
pond before heading back over to the far side. WESTERN SANDPIPERS were
really starting to come and roost at the pond, as it was getting to be high
tide. I would estimate at least 1200 or so WESTERN SANDPIPERS were there,
probably an underestimate?. Anyways, as we were walking in the grass, Greg
saw something moving close by. We checked it out and found it to be the
BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS, 2 of them this time. We watched them closely
through our scopes, noting the features. Very large eye with somewhat a
buffy supercillium. The mantle of the birds appeared grayish tinged, and
farther down onto the scapulars, were nicely edged with buff, and the outer
webs of the tertials were finally marked with the buffy color aswell. Great
birds and great looks! Bill Smith and his wife soon accompanied us, as a
single BAIRD'S SANDPIPER flew over, calling as it went. The group of us then
observed the BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS again, this time 2 single birds. Bill
and his wife then left and Greg and I continued to walk around the pond. We
came upon another BUFF-BREASTED, we assume the missing 3rd bird from the
group I had seen earlier, but who knows, there may be more than 3 there! A
LESSER and GREATER YELLOWLEGS rounded up our shorebirds from the pond, as a
few SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS flew over.

Greg and I met up again at the pond at Brady Loop road, which was fairly
descent, we observed the following shorebirds there:
LESSER YELLOWLEGS - 1
WESTERN SANDPIPER - 25
LEAST SANDPIPER - 5
SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER - 1, maybe 2 birds
PECTORAL SANDPIPER - 1

That's about it, I'm sure I'm leaving some birds off, but oh well!
Good Birding to ya'll


Ryan Shaw
Lacey, WA
RTShaw80 at aol.com
http://hometown.aol.com//rtshaw80/index.html